The Fuel Of Hatred

Propaganda is the fuel of hatred

03/18/08

Dear editor:

You know, I almost could sympathize with where Jeannie Babb Taylor is coming from, until I noticed the assumption that my heritage is nothing more than hatred. Yet, in her article, she said “It is natural that we want to honor and defend our Confederate ancestors — who probably never even owned slaves, and fought valiantly for what they believed was right.”

I see how she can translate our heritage, and the St. Andrew’s flag, as being representative of hatred. But like all other Confederate enthusiasts would also mention, I will have to reflect upon what the United States flag represents, if the St. Andrew’s flag represents hatred.

For one, if the St. Andrew’s flag was created for racist people, then the United States flag was created for slave owners, racists, murderers, rapists, frauds, drug abusers and so on. But, I think we are mature enough not to actually be led into believing that this is who the United States flag represents. There are qualities that certain people have in society called maturity and respect. That is what we apply when reviewing the brutal history of the United States flag, and who it actually represents today.

It is an act of discrimination to imply that the flag of a past nation is a symbol of evil without giving the same justice to not only the United States flag, but also the flags of all countries. When a person executes hatred toward the flag of one people without applying the same maturity and respect toward the sentimental relic of those people, it is an obviously concealed hatred attack upon those people. That does not just include white Southerners, but includes many Northerners, numerous foreigners, and a selection of respectable minorities who wish to honor their Southern heritage.

It is strange how mixed children of any ethnic lineages can honor their Confederate heritage as well as any additional heritage, though many grown blacks, whites and Latinos cannot have the will to be more understanding and considerate of an opposing heritage. To me, it reflects the peace-seeking spirituality of these children that I have been noticing and their ability to deny any self-pride or prejudice, but rather employing righteous thinking and understanding to be able to respect not just the heritage of one people, but also the heritage of many people. It is disappointing that many grown people are not capable of these great qualities, but instead acquire qualities of selfish pride and prejudice.

In Taylor’s article, she states, “Does the Confederate battle flag represent heritage or hatred? The answer is yes. It represents a heritage that included hatred.” If this is true, then a majority of African flags represent many a heritage that include hatreds such as slavery. But do we really want to argue about which race, which countries and which cultures are guilty of what? Or is it better to be “understanding” that we are all guilty and admit to our faults, while recognizing that we should respect our neighbors because their heritage is no better or no worse than our own in many aspects?

It is obvious when someone is not out to make peace, but rather to give birth to more years of extended hatred by claiming that the heritage of a specific people represents hate. What really represents hate is a person who would imply this. But, I will be forgiving of what has been stated and said to create further instigation of hatred upon society. And, I will not hate Taylor myself. I would rather she be more aware of what intentions may lie within her unconsciousness, where evil seems to dwell in us all when not realizing it.

I will say that the St. Andrew’s flag should not be to blame, but specific people who fly it should be the ones to blame, depending on the individual opinion. It is the same with pitbulls who have been abused, and cannot conform to the surroundings of people, but are instead a threat. People would place accusations upon the dog itself, but rather their blame should be placed upon its abuser.

The same goes for the abusers of our flag. The same goes for a government. We wouldn’t blame “the” government on our problems, and burn down the White House, Congress or the House of Representatives. That would be the same as burning our flag. That does not solve the problem, when the problem is a human being, not a materialistic object. Destruction toward some objects becomes offensive if that object is sentimental to some people. In our case, that would be millions of people.

As for the issue of Ringgold and the St. Andrew’s flag, I do see supremacist intentions within the Confederate ranks. But we must identify the cause of this supremacy. That would be the hatred from the opposition. You see, the only reason why white Confederates defend the flying of the St. Andrew’s flag, where it does not accurately belong, is because they are offended by the opposition playing their own racial card toward not the Confederate flag, but toward white Southerners. Then, we must ask why the minorities are playing their concealed racial card. Simply because the way the flag is defended is unconsciously seen to them as a racial statement, rather than a statement of honor and history.

Therefore, it is not just minorities or whites to blame. It is specific racist minorities, and specific racist whites to blame, though the rest of us should not have to suffer for the prejudice from all sides of the racial spectrum. Those who want our Confederate heritage to be honored and not hated should not have to be subject to the results of what racist Confederates do. And, minorities who want to be respectful toward their neighbors and live in peace should not have to be subject to the results of what racist minorities instigate.

I believe Confederates will be more considerate toward minorities if minorities did not show such hatred toward the heritage of Southern people. The Confederates will not choose to take down their symbols as long as minorities are attacking them in the first place. Minorities will continue to attack as long as they are taught anti-Southern propaganda, rather than being taught and considering the entire story of that history from all sides of the war, including the reasons for allegiance by certain individuals.

Fighting Confederate heritage does not solve the problem but further fuels it. Teaching minorities all of the “bad” aspects of white Southerners, excluding the good, and while excluding the bad aspects about the North and their own races, will only provide more fuel to put on the hatred for many decades to come.

The way to end the concealed racial war, the war to preserve our heritage, the war between cultures, the war between regions, is by teaching people to better understand in order to come to better terms of respect, rather than to teach the propaganda that anti-Southerners began writing after the war and are still writing. Propaganda is the fuel of hatred.

To all minority citizens, I will say that we must be aware of who feeds this propaganda, from the Confederate side or the anti-Southern side. It is they who cause us to be offended by one another, which leads to hatred. This applies to those who attack Confederate heritage or the black race and so on, rather than teaching the truth — without propaganda — in order to bring our minds to a better understanding.

I could add more in reply about our history and the current including the future, but I will stop there.

Brad Weaver, Odenville, Ala.

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