James Spears, the Grand Titan of the largest Ku Klux Klan in the country, recently objected to the removal of the Confederate flag from statehouse grounds, state flags, etc. He said this flag is a part of white people’s culture.
True, the Confederate flag is a part of white people’s culture — the culture of white privilege that enslaved blacks, deprived them of voting rights, ownership of land and education, and murdered them without accountability. The Confederate flag cost six million American lives during the Civil War. Further, Spears and others claim the rebel flag honors the memory of their ancestors who fought for the Confederacy and against the United States.
The Confederate flag brings to mind another flag of privilege — Arian white privilege. Under the Nazi flag, the Swastika, Jews, Slavs and other nationalities were enslaved, deprived of voting rights, ownership of property and killed without accountability. Six million Jews alone were killed.
Fortunately, the children and grandchildren of Hitler’s soldiers do not claim the Nazi flag honors the memory of their ancestors. They would rather forget the atrocities committed under their banner.
Gerald Montroy
O’Fallon
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