After last week’s tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, significant focus has been on Confederate Flag often visible in the South. Many have expressed the strong opinion that the flag should be removed from both public and private venues. While this Blog believes the Confederate Flag can be divisive, attacking inanimate objects and denigrating freedom of speech is a slippery slope that has potential negative consequences that far outstripped potential benefits.
Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young has impeccable Civil Rights credentials including marching with Dr. Martin Luther King. He points out in the video below that; “The problems we face don’t have anything to do with the flag. The fact is that 93 percent of the black people killed are killed by other black people. So if black lives matter, let us start believing that we matter.” Look for Mr. Young to be attacked by Progressives for not towing the Leftists line.
Today’s society often deflects from addressing complex problems. When faced with significant challenges, society may seek simple solutions that include attacking symbols, rather than addressing underlying causes for the problems. A high profile murder likely leads to the opportunity to promote gun-control. The death of an African-American at the hands of the police will lead to an indictment of the entire police force. A racist attack, such as occurred in Charleston, focuses on the Confederate Flag. Similar to any of these simplistic solutions, banning the Confederate Flag will not eliminate racism.
Ambassador Andrew Young is to be commended for his desire to seek real solutions to social problems that affect various parts of our society. President Obama would do well to bring in clear-thinking people like Young to his cabinet instead of the divisive radicals he has often brought into his Administration.
Filed under: Racism Tagged: Andrew Young, Atlanta, Charleston, civil rights, Confederate, Flag, Mayor, Racism, Young
