Keep flag or move forward?

As the Southern states come to vote on the issue of public display of the Confederate flag, I wonder if those voting consider that, while it is part of the history of our nation, perhaps not all aspects of history should be so honored.

In Germany, the swastika is a part of history – a dark, regrettable time, but history. I’ve not heard of Germany flying the Nazi flag. Southern politicians appear to believe it’s an innocuous reminder of a time when the South was strong and sought independence. If solely that, the tacit government approval of its veneration wouldn’t be so troubling. Some argue it needs to be kept on display as a reminder of a time when the South arrogantly fought to prolong the injustice and inhumanity of slavery.

The Confederate flag is a symbol of discrimination and racial hatred, poorly concealed as the proffered memento of a romanticized, albeit troubled past. Do modern politicians stand with those who seek to continue to honor this antiquated symbol of questionable lore, or do they move forward and leave it to the keeping of museums, a vivid reminder of what we as a nation have overcome?

Jennifer Adams

Spokane