Confederate Flag Controversy At An Auburn Cemetery

Yes, skinheads have the right to use the swastika, as detestable as they are. Slavery was detestable. It was NOT a proud moment in our history. The truth is the Civil War was not just about slavery. It was about states rights. Slavery was a major point in that, but not the only point. But, history is being re-written and the original arguments that led to the Civil War are being covered-up.

Again, you CANNOT take away another person’s freedom of speech just because you are offended by it. What kind of person does that make you when you force your opinion on someone else? This is an issue that is coming to a head in America. Some people are offended by Christianity, so Christianity is not allowed to be discussed in many places today. Miss California answers a question about her beliefs on gay marriage and suddenly she is villified by the homosexual community and loses the competition. Christian churches are under attack and Christian books in libraries are being peed on by someone who disagrees or is offended by Christian beliefs. But no one wants to criticize the Muslim religions who hold much stricter views on the same subjects. Freedom of speech is under attack in America today. And, as detestable as some of the groups I’ve mention are and as vehemently as I disagree with their opinions, they have a right to say them. They have a right to their beliefs.

I do not understand many of the people who are still living the Civil War. I know they are proud of their heritage. My wife is a music teacher. She was teaching a unit on songs from early America. She asked her children to sing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.“ Two of the children refused to sing it because their parents were into the Confederate thing. They fly a Conferderate flag and have a statue of a Confederate soldier in their front yard. But, my wife also had the class sing “Dixie” since it was a song of the South. She asked the little girls to participate in class and sing the “Battle Hymn” like the rest of the children were doing. My wife gets an angry phone call at home on a Sunday from the father because she wanted his little girl to participate with the rest of the class singing the song that he had taught her was a symbol of the Republic and was offensive to him. As offended as I have been all these years that this angry father would call my house and yell at my wife for teaching a music lesson that included both of those songs, the man has a right to his opinion.

I am white. But, my paternal grandmother’s last name was Freeman. She had a grandfather that was the result of an affair between a plantation owner’s son and a house slave. So, the resulting son was a free man in North Carolina. He was my ancestor. My father has darker skin and very coarse hair, even all these generations later. I detest slavery and what my grandmother probably experienced at the hands of her owners in North Carolina. But, I also have many other sad stories from the Irish side of my family. Many of them were persecuted and hung because they were poor Irish. I have a great, great grandmother on my dad’s side that was a Creek Indian who married one of the Irish ancestors. They were treated horribly. People shot many of them in feuds. The trail of tears is a horrible time in history, but it is a time of history and it is remembered by people who descended from the Indians who were marched across the country and their lands taken away.

So, even though I didn’t grow up black, I do understand my history. I didn’t have any ancestors who faught in the Civil War. They lived in the “Free State of Winston,“ which was an Alabama county that declared independence from Alabama during the war and became neutral in the war. But, I’m proud of my heritage and talk about it often.

The people who had ancestors who died in the Civil War did not fight in the war themselves. They had ancestors who died horrible deaths for what they believed in. They suffered. They died, and they deserve to be remembered. Anyone who would take that right away from the descendants of those who died in the Civil War are not Americans. They do not understand the freedoms that many have fought and died for. This whole debate makes me very sad. I’m sorry that the Confederate flag is offensive to some. But, you should not force your beliefs on others just because you are offended by it.

“"Controversy”“

Why isn’t that with most blacks it is all about them? Ever consider how the people and relatives who’s graves you desecrated feel?

I wonder if Mr “"we’re one nation under God”“ means that he will now advocate for the disbanding of all race hate groups like the NAACP, the Black caucus et al?? Or is he just another one way hypocrite?

The UDC does have the right to place th flags where they want in the cemetery because as the Mayor of Auburn pointed out it is deeded property. Meaning private. The descendants of these people have the right to put whatever they want on their own private property. They city is only responsible for the upkeep and any maitnenence work that has to be done.

Whatever happened to freedom of speech? Why do people who want to remember those who died in the Civil War not have the right to express their opinions? Sometimes our opinions differ. Sometimes different opinions get heated. But, both sides need to understand that we all have a right to our opinion and no one has the right to take that away from us, whether they are offended or not. I am greatly offended by the KKK. I am greatly offended by those who support abortion. I am greatly offended by vulgar language. But, at this point in history, people who hold those views are allowed to express them publicly. I find it detestable that a city councilman wants to take away the rights of some individuals just because they disagree and are offended. I also find it slightly sad that we have a city councilman who does not speak clear English and cannot articulate his opinions without showing anger.

Quote from article: “Dowdell says if people want to commemorate history, they should do it on their own private property.“

Okay fine. Let’s remember this sage wisdom the next time someone wants a statue of MLK to go up on public property. Or a road named after him.