http://www.historynet.com/letters-from-readers-october-2006-civil-war-times.htm From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:12:48 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.historynet.com/letters-from-readers-october-2006-civil-war-times.htm/comment-page-1#comment-32154 Lou Messina Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:55:36 +0000 #comment-32154 During the summer of Sept.9 2008, I happened to read an opinion in our newspaper. Acually it was two rebuttles to a woman from the South who is now living here in my hometown of New York. She was appearantly being harassed by her neighbors because she was flying a Confederate battle flag. This caused her to write an editorial in the newspaper. When I read the two rebuttles I said to myself, "How ignorant can these two men be?" They were chastising her and were basically calling her a racist. Being very well educated in the Civil War, I came to her defense in an editorial. I challenged these two men to show me anywhere in the annals of the war where the Confederate flags were made deliberatly to persecute and oppress another race. I told them that the flags were battlefield markers to let everyone know who was on the battlefield, nothing more nothing less. I also stated how I fly all my Confederate flags with pride. I also stated that I fly all my Union flags, Revolution flags and My Israeli flag. So I asked, what does that make me? If you wish to see the whole editorial that was published, I will send it to you. I was then rebuttled by yet another man who basically called me a racist. He stated that those flags were evil and an oppression to a race. I said to myself, "If this is the case, then our own American flag should not be flown because it was a sign of oppression to our American Indians." It's ridiculous isn't it? If you go by this man's opinion. This little spat of ours made its way all the way to Texas. And a man from Texas came to my defense. To me, all this is a petty thing. With what is happening in the world right now is far more pressing. Our rights are being taken away, our privicay is being taken away, our economy is a disgrace, the Government allowing the oil companies to ravage us. These are the things that we the people need to stand up against and do something about it! So, lets not wonder why someone is flying a piece of cloth. If you want to stop racisim, teach your children not to hate, teach them to love. there is no difference between all the races, God loves us all. During the summer of Sept.9 2008, I happened to read an opinion in our newspaper. Acually it was two rebuttles to a woman from the South who is now living here in my hometown of New York. She was appearantly being harassed by her neighbors because she was flying a Confederate battle flag. This caused her to write an editorial in the newspaper. When I read the two rebuttles I said to myself, "How ignorant can these two men be?" They were chastising her and were basically calling her a racist. Being very well educated in the Civil War, I came to her defense in an editorial. I challenged these two men to show me anywhere in the annals of the war where the Confederate flags were made deliberatly to persecute and oppress another race. I told them that the flags were battlefield markers to let everyone know who was on the battlefield, nothing more nothing less. I also stated how I fly all my Confederate flags with pride. I also stated that I fly all my Union flags, Revolution flags and My Israeli flag. So I asked, what does that make me? If you wish to see the whole editorial that was published, I will send it to you. I was then rebuttled by yet another man who basically called me a racist. He stated that those flags were evil and an oppression to a race. I said to myself, "If this is the case, then our own American flag should not be flown because it was a sign of oppression to our American Indians." It's ridiculous isn't it? If you go by this man's opinion. This little spat of ours made its way all the way to Texas. And a man from Texas came to my defense. To me, all this is a petty thing. With what is happening in the world right now is far more pressing. Our rights are being taken away, our privicay is being taken away, our economy is a disgrace, the Government allowing the oil companies to ravage us. These are the things that we the people need to stand up against and do something about it! So, lets not wonder why someone is flying a piece of cloth. If you want to stop racisim, teach your children not to hate, teach them to love. there is no difference between all the races, God loves us all.

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