I shouldn't have to say this...

I understand the Confederate flag has been engrained into the culture of many people, particularly in the south. I understand it is a point of honor for some people because they believe it stands for "redneck pride". I also understand the Confederate flag is the primary symbol of one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history. It flew over the heads of men marching to defend the institution of slavery. I contend there were many factors involved in the Civil War, but the primary concern of the Confederacy was to maintain slavery in the south. The Confederate flag is one of the most identifiable images of the conflict; to deny that is pure ignorance.

Anger boils inside me when someone argues the Confederate flag has morphed into a symbol of something different, something more, than oppression and racism. Maybe there are other ideas attached to the flag, but it is utterly ridiculous to suggest that it is completely devoid of the deeply-rooted cultural implications under which it has always flown.

I understand having pride in where you come from, but I challenge you to look critically at the symbol behind which you stand. If you saw a Nazi flag flying over a government building, you would rightly associate that government with a period of terror, oppression, and the senseless, systematic obliteration of a specific group of people. Pause before you claim the Confederate flag is different. People of African descent were mistreated, beaten, lynched. The destruction of people was backed by economic and political motives. There is no denying African-Americans continue to suffer at the hands of a system pretending it was fixed decades ago.

Yes, progress has been made, but there is still much work to do. A large part of that work involves looking critically at the manner in which we discuss these issues and searching for concrete steps to improve the quality of life for all U.S. citizens. Removing the Confederate flag from government buildings is an important and powerful step. It symbolizes a shift in rhetoric and a recognition that tradition for tradition's sake must be examined. Fly the flag yourself if you must; you have freedom of expression. But please acknowledge what the flag symbolizes for others and take it into consideration before you shrug it off as people being "too sensitive" when it comes to "redneck pride".