Heritage or Hate?

So much controversy these last few weeks. . .
Riots, looting, and now killings…killings of small children.

So many people wanting to take down monuments and change street names. For what? What will that do? What will that accomplish?

You cannot change history. History is history! We are all supposed to learn from our past and grow from it and change…for the better!

When two people get divorced and then re-marry someone else, the number one rule is to leave the past in the past. No one should bring their “previous marriage” into their new marriage. If the old hurts are brought into the new marriage then the new marriage will surely suffer and possibly die.

The same holds true if someone is abused as a child or adolescent. When that person grows up they have two choices…1) let that hurt, hate and fear control their lives and be angry and hurtful towards others…or 2) learn to deal with the hurt and pain and leave it in the past, grow from it and lead a healthy productive life.

The same exact sentiments hold true with what is happening in America today.

Riots, looting and shooting people will not change history. Nor will it help the future because it is only creating more hate and hurt on ALL sides of the movement. It keeps the hate and anger built up in those folks that cannot move on and find joy in the present and find hope in the future (much like someone bringing bad “luggage” into a new marriage); it teaches the younger generations to harbor hate, anger and resentment; and it creates anger, resentment and even hatred, from the peaceful citizens, towards the ones that are rioting and destroying personal property, national landmarks and our country’s beauty.

To me, the Confederate Flag stands for Heritage. I was born in the South (Madison County, Fla.) and have lived here my whole life. I have never owned a plantation or any slaves. I don’t take pride in the Confederate Flag as a symbol of slavery; I take pride in it because it is my heritage, my birthplace, my history!

Why is it that everyone else can be proud of their history (Native Americans, African-Americans, northerners) but if someone from the South flies a symbol of their history it’s considered a “hate symbol?” I totally disagree.

Are there some that fly that flag for other reasons? I’m sure! But the majority of us “Confederate Flag lovers” love and respect that flag (almost) as much as the American Flag. Why? Because it is our heritage and our history! Just as the United States of America Flag is our heritage and our history.

It is a Confederate Battle Flag - a battle flag. The war between the North and the South wasn’t JUST about slaves. It was about the South standing up to the governmental control of having laws forced down their throats. It was about the men protecting their homes and families from invaders who came to destroy and burn their livelihood down.

The flag means Southern Pride! We might have lost the war, but we are a proud group of people! We are proud of the South and the brave men who gave their life to fight for their way of life.

It was the State’s Rights they fought for. They were against governmental control. (The same reason so many people think that another war will break out within our own borders, once again.)

Statues – so many statues are being torn down and/or defaced because some say they remind us all of our nation’s past. But it is our past that makes us strong by being visual examples of what is good and bad in our society – past and present.

These issues shouldn’t be about a monument and what it may or may not represent. Taking down those monuments will not change history. We cannot re-write the history books!

Crime is going to happen no matter what flag is flying, what monuments are standing in the city parks, whether there are stricter gun laws, or whether someone is white or black. A momentary object does not commit crimes or harbor hatred. It’s the type of person someone is that causes crime and hatred – one that has no respect for anyone or anything.

Racism stops and starts with each and every individual person – not with an object.
Make your own choice and then move forward, not backwards.

Quit bringing the old marriage problems into the new marriage. Let’s just all get along together …for once!!!