What's in a Flag?

I am not sure what makes me more excited to see The Dukes of Hazzard movie, Stifler and Johnny Knoxville together at last, the acting debut of the soulful crooner that is Jessica Simpson, or car chases, car chases and more car chases. It's a Duke's movie, it has to be all about that car. The car will be out running pokey's, jumping over bridges and glistening in the sun like only that orange beauty can. The big V-8 engine, the classic car body and of course the big Confederate flag on the roof. What? A friggin Confederate flag?!!

For the life of me, I cannot figure out our nation's fixation with that flag. I see it on bandannas, as window stickers, as tattoos and in some rare cases, blowing in the wind on capitol buildings (Georgia, until a couple of years ago). Now call me naive, but didn't the Confederacy lose? Now call me crazy, but isn't that a good things for everyone in this country (especially if your skin isn't milky white)? Now stop calling me names, and really stop with the flag already!

I am not historically illiterate enough to break the Civil War down as simply as "the North was fighting for the freedom of slave, while the South was fighting to keep slaves" (even though this is exactly how it was presented to me in High School). I know that there was competition between North and South economically and socially. I know that the South felt under-represented and under-appreciated. I know that Honest Abe freed the slaves for as much as a political slap to the South as an act of conscience. However, I also know that there was a war that divided this country and one side had a law ABOLISHING the institution of slavery, while the other seemed a long, long way away from such a law. So as a result, a funny thing happens when I see the Confederate flag, I see racism. I see murder. I see destroyed families. I see a divided nation. I hear things too (maybe it's time for my check-up?). I hear "they ain't really human after all", "They're just a bunch of savages", "Who really cares about the niggers anyway?". And those things make me angry. From content to angry in 1 second and all it takes is one flag.

The US legacy in race relations is really poor. From slavery, to Jim Crowe, to "separate but equal", to the Dixiecrats. Our nation has been broken by racism. It still is. This is why our neighborhoods are separated, our churches are separated, our upper class remains white and why middle America doesn't like Allen Iverson. It's also why the Confederate flag still waves. I don't claim to be without faults. I have said many racist things. I have feared the "other" as much as anyone else. I still battle a desire to stick to "where I belong". But I choose to say no to that. I pray for the strength to not be ruled by my fears. Our legacy is poor, we cannot forget that, but we can choose to stop celebrating it.

(numbers 3-5 on my top five are still coming, I just woke up this morning with this on my heart)