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The Rebel Flag: Hate or Heritage

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The Rebel Flag: Hate or Heritage
The Rebel Flag: Hate or Heritage For many years now, the people who reside in the southern part of the United States have been in the heat of a major debate. This great argument is about whether or not the Confederate flag should be allowed to fly in public areas. Many people argue the rebel flag is a symbol of bigotry and racism in the United States. Others argue that the flag is a symbol of Southern pride and a sign of where we come from. The flags meaning is rooted deep in the history of our country. The rebel flag is a symbol of Southern heritage and is in no way, shape, or form a symbol of racism and hatred. When the Confederate flag first came in to existence, it was used as a symbol of the thirteen states that broke away from the United States. The first flag of the Confederacy was flown on March 5, 1861. The designer of the flag was not even a southerner; it was designed by a Prussian artist named Nichola Marschall. This was the same man who designed the uniforms for the Confederate army. The first place that it was flown was the capital of the Confederacy, Montgomery, Alabama. The flag consists of a blue x, thirteen stars, and a red background. The stars symbolize the thirteen states that broke away. The x represents the division between the northern and southern states. The colors on the flag, which are the same on the American flag, are used to represent the pride that the Southerners had to be from the South. The flag was designed to represent a certain area of the world. It has nothing to do with racism or slavery. Even to this day the Confederate flag is used all throughout the South. Some Southern state flags use the Confederate flag as a base for their flags; some even have a Confederate flag in the design. The state flag of Mississippi has Confederate flag in its design. The top right corner of the flag, where the stars would be on the American flag, there is the symbol of the Confederacy. Until the year 2001, the flag that represents the


Cited: "Confederate Flag History." Civil War. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. <http://www.civilwar.com/resources/313-flags/150182-confederate-flag-history.html>. NORTH CAROLINA DIVISION OF SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, Petitioner v. JANICE FAULKNER, COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES, Respondent. North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. 15 Sept. 1998. North Carolina Court of Appeals, 29 Dec. 1998. Web. 25 Apr. 2011. <http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/coa/opinions/1998/971563-1.htm>. Pressberg, Jason. "Historic Meaning of the Confederate Flag Still Strong." The Pendulum. Elon University. Web. 27 April 2011. <http://www.elon.edu/e- web/pendulum/issues/2005/04_07/opinions/flag.xhtml>. Sarfaty, Galit. "A Forgotten Past." Welcome to Digitas! Harvard University. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.digitas.harvard.edu/~perspy/old/issues/1997/mar/past.html>.
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