Heavy on My Heart

I would much rather be writing about books this morning. I do not like controversy and I do not like confrontations. So, this is probably the last time I’ll mention what is going on with the Confederate flag that many southern states and retailers are hastening to take down. These observations and thoughts are purely my own. I do not plan to argue with anybody. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I’m not trying to change anybody’s mind; I couldn’t, anyway.

Charleston handled their tragedy in the correct and exemplary way. With prayer! No rioting in the streets, destroying businesses, further killings or hate-filled language while the cameras rolled. The city of Charleston is a shining example of love and forgiveness.

It is my conviction that no flag nor symbol caused Dylann Roof to kill nine innocent people who had met to worship in their church. No one thing nor person nor symbol caused such madness; no one but Dylann Roof. He chose to do so. Perhaps he was taking a mind altering drug? I don’t know; I’ve read that he was but, in any event, he chose to take the drug.

So, what are we going to do about that Confederate flag? Erase it from memory? Make sure it will never surface anywhere any more? Will it become unlawful to own one? Will anybody who has one go to jail or have to pay a fine? What will we do about the American Civil War in which thousands of brave Americans died, fighting for what they believed was right? How about “Six Flags Over Texas?” Will that now have to become “Five Flags Over Texas”? Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, the United States of America; these are the six flags. Are we sure we agree with the history of these countries? Maybe one of those flags would be hateful to some? Funny how the mention of these flags doesn’t seem to have made any difference to people who go to Six Flags to have fun.

The flag of South Carolina is a part of history–our history. Why can’t we look at that flag and remember the brave Americans who suffered during that terrible time of division? Why can’t we look at it and say, “We have come a long way down the road toward understanding, equality, and compassion in 150 years.”

Who are these loud and clammoring voices who insist on taking down the Confederate flag? That flag was hard fought for, many lives were lost, many brave men marched behind it, following a leader who commanded the respect of even his enemies. Now, the flag is coming down faster than snow melts in May, without a shot being fired.

What part of American history is going to succumb next to political correctness? Will history books be further re-written to wipe out all memory of the Civil War and the flag? By the way, who determines what is politically correct and what is not? Isn’t political correctness thinking sort of a mob mentality? Why the rush to comply with whoever or whatever said the Confederate flag had to come down?

So, anyhow, those are my thoughts. I don’t want to cause further division. I just want us to maybe stop and think for ourselves. The Confederate flag was the first to fall to political correctness this week but it wasn’t the last. Now statues of Southern heroes are coming down. What travesty! Who benefits from this? Will this bring about reconciliation? Seems to me it is causing a lot of resentment and more division. Americans do not need to be divided again! We need to remember that we are Americans with diverse pasts that have come together as one country. There should never have been a controversy about the Confederate flag. It has waved on its state flagpoles for a long time. Those statues and commemorations have stood for more than a century. They are not inciting anybody to violence. As I remember, there was no Confederate flag in Baltimore nor Boston. Did a Confederate flag flying in Chicago cause the deaths that occurred there this month? I doubt it. Our country does not need further division. We need prayer. I believe that only God’s love can heal the breach that once again threatens to tear us apart. And God’s love is the only thing that can.