Debate: Is the confederate flag racist? or is it heritage?
Side: Yes its racest

PART 2The Alabama Ordinances of Secession:"WHEREAS, the election of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin to the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States of America, by a sectional party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions [slavery] and to the peace and security of the people of the State of Alabama""Every free white person who, after the date aforesaid, may be born within the territory of this State, or may be born outside of that territory, of a father or mother who then was a citizen of this State, shall be a citizen thereof.""So, also, every person who, by birth or naturalization, was a citizen of the United States of America, or of any slaveholding State of North America, and who, within twelve months after the date of the Ordinance of Secession, shall come to reside in this State""But if such person was born in a foreign State or country, or in a non-slaveholding State, he or she shall take the oath of allegiance to this State""in no case shall citizenship extend to any person who is not a free white person, except those provided for in the first section of this ordinance." [only free black citizens already in the state are allowed to be citizens in the new state]"the navigable waters of this State shall remain forever highways, free to the citizens of this State, and of such States as may unite with the State of Alabama in a Southern Slaveholding Confederacy.""That all vessels built in Alabama or elsewhere, one-third of which shall be owned by a citizen or citizens of Alabama, or of any other slaveholding State of the late Federal Union, and commanded by a citizen thereof, and no other, shall be registered as vessels of Alabama, under the authority of the Collector of the Port aforesaid.""That this Convention will proceed to elect, by ballot, one Deputy from each Congressional District in this State, and two Deputies from the State at large, at twelve o'clock, meridian, on Friday, the 18th of January instant, who shall be authorized to meet in Convention such Deputies as may be appointed by the other slaveholding States who may secede from the Federal Union"FLORIDA DECLARATION OF CAUSES:"The nullification of these laws [return of fugitives and slaves] by the Legislatures of two thirds of the non slaveholding States important as it is in itself is additionally as is furnishing evidence of an open disregard of constitutional obligation, and of the rights and interests of the slaveholding States and of a deep and inveterate hostility to the people of these States.""By the agency of a large proportion of the members from the non slaveholding States books have been published and circulated amongst us the direct tendency and avowed purpose of which is to excite [slave] insurrection and servile war with all their attendant horrors.""A President has recently been elected [Lincoln], an obscure and illiterate man without experience in public affairs or any general reputation mainly if not exclusively on account of a settled and often proclaimed hostility to our institutions [slavery] and a fixed purpose to abolish them.""It is denied that it is the purpose of the party soon to enter into the possession of the powers of the Federal Government to abolish slavery by any direct legislative act.""This has never been charged by any one. But it has been announced by all the leading men and presses of the party that the ultimate accomplishment of this result [abolishing slavery] is its settled purpose and great central principle.""That no more slave States shall be admitted into the confederacy and that the slaves from their rapid increase (the highest evidence of the humanity of their owners will become value less.""What must be the condition of the slaves themselves when their number becomes so large that their labor will be of no value to their owners.""Their natural tendency every where shown where the race has existed to idleness vagrancy and crime increased by an inability to procure subsistence.""Can any thing be more impudently false than the pretense that this state of things is to be brought about from considerations of humanity to the slaves.""It is in so many words saying to you we will not burn you at the stake but we will torture you to death by a slow fire we will not confiscate your property [slaves] and consign you to a residence and equality with the african but that destiny certainly awaits your children – and you must quietly submit or we will force you to submission – men who can hesitate to resist such aggressions are slaves already and deserve their destiny.""The members of the Republican party has denied that the party will oppose the admission of any new state where slavery shall be tolerated. But on the contrary they declare that on this point they will make no concession or compromise. It is manifest that they will not because to do so would be the dissolution of the party.""Additional territory is generally only acquired by conquest or purchase. In either case the slaveholding States contribute at least this equal proportion of men or money – we think much more than an equal proportion.""Last and not least it has been proclaimed that the election of a President is an authoritative approval of all the principles [abolition] avowed by the person elected and by the party convention which nominated him."CORRECTION: I used the wrong link for Louisiana - it should have pointed hereAddress of George Williamson, Commissioner from Louisiana to the Texas Secession Convention"She was impelled to this action to preserve her honor, her safety, her property and the free institutions [slavery] so sacred to her people.""The people of Louisiana were unwilling to endanger their liberties and property [slaves] by submission to the despotism of a single tyrant, or the canting tyranny of pharisaical majorities.""Louisiana looks to the formation of a Southern confederacy to preserve the blessings of African slavery""both States have large areas of fertile, uncultivated lands, peculiarly adapted to slave labor""and they are both so deeply interested in African slavery that it may be said to be absolutely necessary to their existence, and is the keystone to the arch of their prosperity.""The people of Louisiana would consider it a most fatal blow to African slavery, if Texas either did not secede or having seceded should not join her destinies to theirs in a Southern Confederacy.""If she remains in the union the abolitionists would continue their work of incendiarism and murder.""with abolition treachery would leave her unprotected frontier to the murderous inroads of hostile savages.""A professedly friendly federal administration gave Texas no substantial protection against the Indians or abolitionists, and what must she look for from an administration avowedly inimical and supported by no vote within her borders.""As a separate republic, Louisiana remembers too well the whisperings of European diplomacy for the abolition of slavery in the times of annexation not to be apprehensive of bolder demonstrations from the same quarter and the North in this country.""The people of the slaveholding States are bound together by the same necessity and determination to preserve African slavery.""The isolation of any one of them from the others would make her a theatre for abolition emissaries from the North and from Europe.""Her existence would be one of constant peril to herself and of imminent danger to other neighboring slave-holding communities.""taking it as the basis of our new government we hope to form a slave-holding confederacy that will secure to us and our remotest posterity the great blessings its authors designed in the Federal Union.""With the social balance wheel of slavery to regulate its machinery, we may fondly indulge the hope that our Southern government will be perpetual."Constitution of the Confederate States of America:"No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed.""The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states, and shall have the right of transit and sojourn in any state of this Confederacy, with their slaves and other property: and the right of property in said slaves shall not be thereby impaired.""In all such territory, the institution of negro slavery as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected by Congress, and by the territorial government: and the inhabitants of the several Confederate States and Territories, shall have the right to take to such territory any slaves lawfully held by them in any of the states or territories of the Confederate states."Negative attitudes towards slavery conveniently arose in the north just as industries shifted in a direction that slave labor wasn't suited for. Hmm.Also incorrect - the absence of northern slavery was largely a result of the wars with Britain (including the Earl of Dunmore proclamation) and increasing religious sentiment (e.g. the Quakers)I reiterate, though, that not having slaves is not the same thing as slaves being banned- they weren't.Wrong again...The year each of the northern states abolished slavery (though implementation was at times gradual):1777 - Vermont - ref1780 - Pennsylvania - ref1780 - Massachusetts - ref1783 - New Hampshire - ref1784 - Connecticut - ref1784 - Rhode Island - ref1799 - New York - ref1802 - Ohio (admitted as free state) - ref1804 - New Jersey - ref1816 - Indiana (admitted as free state) - ref1818 - Illinois (admitted as free state) - ref1820 - Maine (admitted as free state) - ref1837 - Michigan (admitted as free state) - ref1846 - Iowa (admitted as free state) - ref1848 - Wisconsin (admitted as free state) ref1858 - Minnesota (admitted as free state) refI'm bowing out, but not conceding, and leaving the last word to you.Then I submit it to a more earnest and/or capable future debater.I maintain, however, that it is perfectly acceptable as a symbol of ones heritage.It's a symbol of the Confederacy's determination toward racial slavery - if people want to claim that as their heritage, go for it.Nor is it appropriate to label it a hate symbol, by any stretch.Easier to debate arguments not made I guess...