Ed Henderson wrote:
The Confederate Battle Flag is incorporated into the designs of two state flags, Mississippi and my own state of Georgia. Additionally the State Legislature of Alabama and South Carolina choose to fly the flag beneath the state flag. In all cases this display has generated controversy and debate. Regarded by many as source of souther heritage and history, the flag has been co-opted by hate groups and has been used as a symbol of repression & violence against minorities, particularly the African-American community.
At the same time, the same flag has been used by Southerners, proud of their heritage, embarassed a bit by being "beaten" during what they called "the War Between the States" ("...it t'ant a Civil War"!), and as a symbol of part of America's history that somehow we're all letting go at the sake of "political correctness".
And true to many's feelings, and as we saw together during the Olympics, the "South will rise again!"
I have been to many ceremonies in the South whereby not only our nation's flag has been presented, but also the Flag of the Southern Conferderacy, to which some Scouts and Scouters equally pay homage to by saluting or removing their hats.
While I choose to stand without paying respect, I have NEVER been the object of anything but respect when asked "why didn't you salute?".
My military status has nothing to do with it. It is the same as respect for a faith other than your own. I strongly SUPPORT the retention of the Confederate flag amoung those units that choose to DISPLAY IT PROPERLY, behind or under the flag of the United States of America. As Ed mentioned, we have taken this "flag thing" a little too far when some citizens demanded it be taken down from their state capitols in South Carolina and Alabama.
Reminds me of a short story.
I'm a good friend of a woman that lives in the same complex of apartments and townhomes as Jessi and I live. She used to live on one of our main streets in. Her next door neighbor was a person whom owned a Confederate battle flag and displayed it proudly each and every day outside his home. Rhonda asked the man to please stop displaying that flag because she found it highly offensive and that she has a lot of Black friends that refused to come by her home as a result of their not "being confortable" with that flag. The man, definant and correct in his viewpoint that "you can fly whatever flag you choose on your property; this is my property and I choose to show the Stars and Bars!", started having loud parties, out front and which several of the partiers there stated rather offensive comments to Rhonda and her friends next door.
Finally, Rhonda had enough. She decided to hold a party of her own and called up one of her friends that lived in an adjacent town. "Bring your flag", she said to the other woman. Later that evening, several girls showed up in front of Rhonda's home with a Gay Rights pink flag and they displayed it on the front porch of Rhonda's home. They drank and told off-color stories about men and generally did the same thing that the "rebels" next door had been doing.
The next day, she told me, the Confederate flag came down. And stayed down.
The official position of the Boy Scouts is that none of our patches should incorporate the actual battle flag and terms like "Dixie Fellowship" are discouraged. Both sides of the argument can make valid points and I anticipate that the debate will continue for many years.
This was accomphished by action of the BSA's National Executive Board in either 1992 or 1993 (I don't have immediate reference to the exact year), and was fully implemented by those Councils, particularily those in the old Southeast and South Central Regions that summer. Part of the "action" called for Area and Regional Directors to "personally insure that we are emphasizing the correct and only message: that Scouting is for ALL boys and those adults whom meet our membership and leadership standards". There were a lot of visits by Area Directors and Regional Directors during that summer, and I believe it was in 1992 because of the Jamboree year that coming year and my summer visit to a camp whereby I saw the Regional Director of Program of the Southeast Region and shared a bench with him for about an hour or so.
And Jon Dixon wanted to know:
How long has this been the case? I have a patch from the 2nd Manassas Battlefield Trail with the battle flag on it, as well as a medal from the Manassas Battlefield Trails for which the suspending ribbon is the battle flag (I decided several years ago to discontinue wearing the medal as it could be found offensive by some). Does anyone know whether the patch and medal have been changed?
The BSA's policy does not apply to organizations OUTSIDE the BSA. The Manasses Battlefield Trails Committee and other "confederate trails" people were informed of the BSA's decision and it did affect medal and patch sales to a certain extent, primarily because of the feeling you have when wearing the medal on a Boy Scout uniform shirt. Some have switched designs to a blue and gray medal, while others make the medal available along with a small message stating that "some people may find the wearing of this medal offensive. Please exercise tolerance for all" or something like that.
The Confederate Battle Flag, like it's counterparts during all of our previous battles, from the time we were little English colonies to the present POW/MIA flag, are all outward and visual reminders of whom we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. I would offer no restrictions on the usage of that flag than I would the flag symbolizing Pureto Rican's desire to become our 51st State; of African-Americans wanting to tie their racial and physical history to that of "mother Africa"; or of those brave men and women risking life and limb to defend our nation --- as long as it is done with RESPECT and HONOR for all.
So, NO, we should not have "Rebel Patrols" with the flag emblem as their patrol medallion, but there's no reason why "Johnnie Reb" can't be on a patrol disk or flag; we shouldn't have a "Dixie Fellowship" but we should have a "Ol' South Fellowship" sometimes; and we shouldn't try to erase HISTORY...our combined history...just because it makes some people feel bad or uncontforable. It should make us all feel that way, for at least we KNOW WHY it makes us feel that way and we're doing things to make it better together as a result. When you erase history, you also remove some of the feelings and benefits from that period of time...nobody recalls it, so you stop or modify doing it.
We had four black boys to run down and kill a white couple, out for a evening spin, on a Kentucky state highway, just because they were displaying the emblem of their high school. Nothing racial was spoken. No "signs" were displayed.
Todd County High School was known for YEARS as "The Rebels". Blacks and whites both displayed the "rebel flag" proudly outside their homes. Now, they face changing the mascot of their proud high school...one in which Blacks and Whites attended for years and before now, the issue has never come up for discussion.
Sometimes, I think, we forget just how far we've come.
Sometimes, I think, we forget that coming far isn't enough if we don't take --and teach-- along our children.
Settummanque!