Since the horrific killings of the church goers in Charleston, SC—the event has been used as a spring-board in the attempt to remove: the Confederate flag from all public buildings, statues and paintings of Confederate heroes, send the Dukes of Hazzard car to an automobile crushing machine, remove firearms from society, outlaw the whistling or humming of Dixie, and declare blacks an endangered species—but only if killed by whites. The slaughter of blacks by blacks seems to be a ho-hum event.
Again—the killing of the folks in Charleston was a senseless horrific crime. But, attempting to make political or social gains on the blood of these people is at best an ethical and moral offense. Even the president used his funeral speech to rail against guns and Southern historical symbols—but, he did sing Amazing Grace.
The argument regarding the Confederate flag centers on the claim the flag is a symbol which is threatening and offensive to blacks—and the flag causes America to be a fragmented society. Really—isn’t it the goal of many blacks to separate themselves, dress differently, name their off-spring differently, and wield their skin color like a tool in order to receive some benefit or compensation for the mistreatment of their ancestors. Strangely, when one gets off the back of one’s front, achieves an education, becomes gainfully employed, marries before fathering a gaggle of offspring, and augments the concept of personal responsibility into one’s life—the perceived weight of white supremacy seems to disappear.
The incongruity of all the outcries to remove the Confederate flag is these same people will be the first to deny hundreds of thousands of white folks died in a war to set their ancestors free. When this fact is presented, suddenly the Civil War becomes about something else—not slavery. Not surprisingly, many of the people who want to have it both ways have never taken a high school or college American history course and couldn’t start to explain the realities or underlying causes of the Civil War.
As to placing further restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms—what NET effect would it have on the number of murders in the United States? Does any governmental agency have a breakdown on the number of legal firearms used in the murderous carnage within the inner cities? I would wager the only legal firearms used in inner city killings occur when a law enforcement individual uses his or her firearm to kill some street thug. Personal firearms are the last line of defense for some folks in the inner cities—and as cops become more hesitant to lose their careers by defending inner city residents—the need for personal protection will only grow. Many black organizations realize the folly of restricting Second Amendment rights to own a firearm, and actively speak out regarding the right to bear arms. They – like black conservatives – are maligned and belittled by grievance minded blacks and gun opponents.
If every Confederate flag could be gathered and burned it would have no impact at all on the plight of the black community. The Confederate flag is merely a distraction designed to deflect from black’s self-inflicted problems. The mainstream of society has no authority to force young black girls to keep their clothes on—nor do we have the power to make young black boys keep their pants zipped up any more than we can control the reproduction habits of canines.
Random acts of violence occur—and at a much higher rate of blacks killing, raping, or bludgeoning whites than the reverse. Few people want to discuss or acknowledge this disgusting variance—but the reality cannot be denied. Then when a rare occurrence of violence is perpetrated on blacks by a white individual—it is somehow an earth changing event. Perhaps a little consistency of thought, compassion, and application of law for all people would be a good starting point if there is actually a goal of bringing all Americans together as one people—rather than fragmented, isolated tribes—each with their own agenda. I suspect there is no such corporate desire!
Have a good week. Bill Shuey is a freelance writer from North Carolina.
