FLAG: It's all about history

For my ancestors, the Civil War was not about slavery. My ancestors did not own slaves. They were farmers born in South Carolina who fought to protect their land, their families and their livelihood. Some proudly named their children after Jefferson Davis or Robert E. Lee. When General Sherman stormed through the South, his armies destroyed property and lives. Much of our family history was destroyed when courthouses in the South were burned by the Union army.

The Confederate Battle Flag is an integral part of the history of the South. The first flag of the Confederate Army was abandoned because it looked too similar to the Union flag and confused many of the soldiers. The Battle Flag was actually the second Confederate flag. It wasn’t until many decades later that it became associated with white extremists and other “nut jobs.”

I agree that the U.S. and state flags should fly over our state capitals, but I see nothing wrong with the Confederate Battle Flag displayed as part of a Confederate memorial.

I remember Michelle Obama said in 2007, “Barack would have to change our history and our traditions.” And sure enough, it is happening right before our eyes. History serves as an important reminder of our past. And yes, history even serves as a reminder of mistakes we do not want to repeat.

Will removing the Confederate Battle Flag end there? Now we are hearing that war memorials should also be removed. And then what comes next? Do we remove the World War II Memorial because some find that offensive? Do we eliminate songs like “Battle Hymn of the Republic” or “Dixie?” Do we destroy the film, “Gone with the Wind” because it deals with the Confederacy? Or do we remove C.S.A. gravestones marking the burial locations of Confederate soldiers? Perhaps Arlington Cemetery is “offensive” because it is located on land given up by Robert E. Lee?

A few months ago, the Irvine campus of the University of California removed the U.S. flag because some found it “offensive.” Really? The Christian flag that is found in so many of our churches is no doubt offensive to non-Christians. Maybe we should ban that flag as well?

Perhaps it is time to rename Fort Sherman and Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. After all, General Sherman was not beloved by Confederates and thus his name is offensive to some. Perhaps we could rename the main street of town after Mr. Hagadone, and the fort could be renamed Fort Kootenai or something generic to the area? Ridiculous? Absolutely. We do not need to “change our history and our traditions.” We need to learn from our past. We should honor and respect our ancestors, many of whom died for what they believed.

What happened in Charleston, S.C., was tragic and affected all of us. We were sickened when we heard the news that nine people were killed in a church. But like when Sgt. Moore was killed in Coeur d’Alene, our community came together. We need to come together as a nation, but removing the Confederate Battle Flag isn’t going to make that happen. Flags don’t kill people. Bad people kill our loved ones. Sometimes those bad people are white, or black, or Hispanic, or Asian, or some other ethnicity.

CYNTHIA KIRKLEY

Post Falls