The Confederate Flag Is a Symbol of Racism

http://www.lib.odu.edu... The above source tells you exactly why I did not site. It was generalized information. I think it is important to point out that your argumentation was on the basis that I did not cite the generalized facts I said from prior knowledge. In that case, it is very important to note that deciding if the confederate flag was or was not racist does not come from the argument of if I did or did not cite something correctly. In regards to all of your citation comments, I disagree, but find it is better to move on then reason about the citation reasons that you otherwise think are correct. First, I want to disagree with my opponents first argument. I made the anti-slavery argument because that was my opponents main reason in the first round. However, the Confederacy rebelled over other reasons besides disagreeing with anti-slavery. They seceded for financial reasons, as they wanted to repel northern aggression and invasion [1]. I will cover more of this topic in the paragraphs following. Secondly, I would like to point out I did not, in anyway, state the American Flag was used to represent slavery. Your comment was false and you accused me of something I never said. Although I did, in my argumentation, say that it was present during the time of slavery, I never said it was promoting slavery. Neither does the Confederate flag. That brings me to my third point. The Confederate Battle Flag was never a National Flag of the Confederacy. It was carried into battle by several armies such as the Army Of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee. In fact, the flag was similar to the United States flag. At the time, there was still feelings of allegiance to the original US flag, and popular opinion was lining up in support of a flag that was similar to the familiar United States flag [2]. The only reason a separate flag was made because it would cause confusion on the battlefield [2]. My opponent even said that it cannot be said it represents slavery. If I decided my opponent was, in fact, correct, then the Confederate Flag was based off of it, therefore not symbolizing racism. I am disregarding your argument that the American flag was and is a symbol of the United States during its entire history after the slaves were freed. First of all, the reason the American flag was still flown was because the Confederacy lost. Secondly, I never stated that it was a symbol if racism. My opponent is insufficiently analyzing my arguments. I do agree that the North made an abolitionist movement before the South. However, my statement that all slaves were freed before the North is valid and true information that we can take into account. Regarding my opponents comment about how my comment about racial unity was quite offensive, my opponent insufficiently analyzed my argumentation. I was aware that African American people of higher rankings could own slaves. However, I wanted to point out that African Americans were being treated more fair in the Southern army than the North financially and status wise in the army. Racial unity and everyone siding with the CSA was not my point. In fact, it was far from it. Lastly, Northern states were enforcing political dominance over states[3]. That was one reason for secession. Now, after getting historical disagreement out of the way, the Confederate flag was not a sign of racism. Rather than a symbol of racism, it was a sign of unity over political dominance and invasion from other states. The GOP was anti-southern. For the first time in the nation"s history, a political party was based on location rather than just different views. The south was demonized. Their future of political influence was questioned because they had slaves [3]. In the 1830s, the US government passed tariff essentially forcing the South to buy products from the North. Meanwhile, the South had to compete against the global market. The tariff laws were written in such a way as to force the South to enrich the North [3]. Nullification and other "state sovereignty" rights were essentially run down, ignored, or made impossible " this means the original government the South agreed to did not exist. The strong central government idea had become more powerful than the state-sovereignty idea. Refusing new slave states to be created was essentially a political move that destroyed Southern influence, while northern influences could continue to grow and get more of an influence in congress. The North was soon to completely overpower the North in the federal government. The South rightly believed that there simply was not a reason for the South to need the North. Since they were being politically isolated and economically exploited, they believed there was nothing keeping them to stay in the North. They also believed that leaving the Union at any time was their contractual right [3]. The South seceded for many different reasons, and not the myth of just anti-slavery. In conclusion, I want to make a comment on your last statement. "...tend to come from the perspective of a white person who bears the flag rather than a person of color who sees it." I find this a very generalized comment that was targeted at my ethnicity and find it is a very degrading comment and hope that anyone who reads it would disregard that. I am taking my personal experiences and relationships out of this argumentation, and using my arguments on the basis of factual evidence. 1) http://www.rulen.com... 2) http://www.sonofthesouth.net... 3)http://www.capitalisminstitute.org...