Slavery, or Something More?

What does this flag truly represent?

I don't know how many of you live around Gettysburg, but tomorrow is a pretty big day for my little town. Tomorrow afternoon, at the western edge of the Gettysburg battlefield, proud modern-day Confederates will assemble and host "Confederate Flag Day". They wish to "...revere the history of our families of the South and of America, and with that we wish to keep our history alive and our heritage along with that,” (Gary Casteel of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, interview with ABC 27 News) The Sons of Confederate Veterans claim that they want to remember where they came from, and teach those who don't understand what the flag truly stands for.

These men are really stepping out! Already many professors in surrounding universities are protesting, and planning on having a counter-rally to protest this event. The main reason they protest is that they don't believe in supporting a flag that once stood on the grounds of rebellion and slavery.

What's the point of being reminded of such a terrible time period in our history? Why will these men proudly wave a flag that caused so much suffering and is today considered an expression of racism? These are just a few of the arguments raised against the Confederate flag. Maybe you agree and want to stand with the protesters, and maybe you are joining those who are waving it tomorrow. 
While I won't be attending the event, I stand with the Confederate flag, and here's why:

1) I believe that flags are a way to be unique in a united country. Nobody wants to be the same as everyone else; I've seen that in my big family. All of us live in the same small house, yet each of us is unique. That's the same for modern-day Confederate flags. Yes, they were begun to represent a war that killed hundreds of thousands. I'm not dismissing all that. I just want us to see past the war. The South surrendered. The war is over, and has been for 150 years. Why, then, are we still considering the South/their flag to be the losers of the Civil War?

2) The Confederate flag is a way to help men like Casteel remember what their fathers fought for, and what they can learn from their experiences. Isn't that what history is all about? Learning from our mistakes? 

3) Those protesting the Confederate flag say that it supports/remembers the terrible actions of slavery and secession. But, as Casteel also mentions in his interview (Click here to read the whole article), the American flag also boasts things that we're not proud of (Japanese internment camps, the segregation of blacks, the horrible conditions of factories and political scandals, to name a few) so why don't we tear down the American flag, too? Of course, we won't do that, since it supports so much more than just the evil of this country. These terrible actions quite possibly have helped make this nation the great one that it is. But I believe that also goes for the Confederate flag. Yes, it was started on rocky ground over slavery, but today it is a tool to remember the past that is worth learning from, and appreciating it for the Southern culture it represents. 

Now, of course, there will be some exceptions to these 3 points. The shooting in South Carolina that started this whole thing last June is definitely not to be watered down. That was terrible. However, shouldn't we learn from the hatred that occurred and make sure that the flag is upheld with love toward a unique South? And Yes, I'm sure there will be at least one attending tomorrow that is still angry and ready for another war. But just as with the American flag, the evils are overcome to see the good in it. Our history needs to be remembered. Without the Confederate flag reminding us where we came from in a time period of uncontrolled rage, how do we know we won't start another war? 

Please don't get me wrong, I do NOT support slavery or secession, I stand with Lincoln and the North. However, I believe we should hear the Confederate's points of view, and accept our Southern brothers back into equality again, without exlcuding their culture or their flag.

In my heart tomorrow, I'll be supporting the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Gettysburg, waving their flag. And in my other hand, I'll be waving Old Glory, cause that's the way the Confederate flag is meant to be waved today: Side-by-side with the American flag; showing loyalty to our country, yet staying uniquely the South.

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break, our bonds of affection."
Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (Before the Civil War)

Sources: 

http://abc27.com/2016/02/12/group-plans-confederate-flag-day-in-gettysburg/

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/counter-event_planned_for_conf.html