I grew up in Walton, a small town in upstate New York. This morning, I was reminded of a visit one year ago that highlighted some of the most wonderful things about the town and growing up there: Mom’s lemon meringue pie cooling on the porch, skipping rocks in the creek with my then-four year old nephew, and holding hands with my two year old nephew when we went to pet the donkey across the road. It was a privilege to share the fresh food, crisp air, and bucolic beauty with another generation.
What a surprise, then, to end the day thinking of a post in a Facebook group dedicated to “Things I remember about Walton.” A classmate posted the Salon article about a decision taken by the Delaware County Fair board. Not only will they allow the sale of Confederate flags, but one member of the board stated, “[t]he more of them, the better.”
Why do I care? I live far away and will not be able to attend this year. But this fair, my friends, was the yearly highlight of my young life. It brings thousands of people to my small town. There are animals to admire, funnel cakes to eat, and Ferris Wheels to ride. It brings in valuable revenue to an economically depressed small town. I want people to be able to preserve the small town way of life that offered so much during my formative years. I want to know a place where people leave their doors unlocked, borrow the proverbial (and actual) cup of sugar, and watch each other’s children.
The discussion on the Facebook post unfortunately turned to accusations of bullying and prejudice, and only one person answered my question regarding why the Confederate flag was valuable to her. Most arguments, when not degenerating to name calling, talked about heritage. I felt these lacked strength, not only coming from Northerners, but in contrast to the renunciation of the flag’s heritage by Representative Jenny Horne (R-SC), a descendant of Jefferson Davis.
This flag was revived in the 1960s by Southerners opposed to desegregation. The flag did, indeed, stand for racist beliefs and attitudes. And, without getting into the actual politics of the Civil War in great depth, secession was heavily influenced by the desire of businessmen to make money without Federal regulation. Much of this money was made pre-war through the exploitation of slaves; post-war, children were often victims of the same exploitation. It is surprising that people from my working class town would want to support a flag championed by the rich guys. I remember many resentful comments growing up about the arrogance of “City people” who came up from New York City to visit their second homes.
I visited Nuremburg last year. Having spoken at some length to a German colleague about how she had learned about World War II, I was interested to see how the war and Nazism were portrayed in the historic halls and museums of Nuremburg. German children are taught that Nazism and in particular the Holocaust were the result of an excess of nationalism and the vain search for someone to blame for the economic hardships in Germany following the First World War. Nazi flags and memorabilia are banned or restricted in a number of European countries, including Germany. In France, it is illegal to display Nazi flags, uniforms and insignia in public, unless for the purpose of a historical film, show or spectacle.
Nazism was about more than about the extermination of Jewish people, but the symbols offend and threaten many and draw direct attention to that execrable crime against humanity.. Confederacy was not only about slavery, but the flat offends and threatens many, and it is used by a number of hate groups as a rallying point for their acts.
The fact of the matter is that the sight of the flag is hurtful to many people, even in a community where 95 per cent of citizens are Caucasian. Why would one choose an object – and encourage “the more, the better” – that hurts others? We don’t teach our children to tell others they are ugly; we teach them to find positive comments like “you’re such a good rock-skipper!”
I hope the leaders of my town reconsider their decision to encourage more Confederate flags. Small towns like Walton, nestled in the foothills of the Catskills and brimming with the delights of nature and neighborliness, have so much to offer visitors. I hope these leaders use the Delaware County Fair to highlight the best of small town America, rather than a small minded slice. If you go, look out for my mother’s lemon meringue pie in the home economics tent, and be sure to pet the donkeys.
What a surprise, then, to end the day thinking of a post in a Facebook group dedicated to “Things I remember about Walton.” A classmate posted the Salon article about a decision taken by the Delaware County Fair board. Not only will they allow the sale of Confederate flags, but one member of the board stated, “[t]he more of them, the better.”
Why do I care? I live far away and will not be able to attend this year. But this fair, my friends, was the yearly highlight of my young life. It brings thousands of people to my small town. There are animals to admire, funnel cakes to eat, and Ferris Wheels to ride. It brings in valuable revenue to an economically depressed small town. I want people to be able to preserve the small town way of life that offered so much during my formative years. I want to know a place where people leave their doors unlocked, borrow the proverbial (and actual) cup of sugar, and watch each other’s children.
The discussion on the Facebook post unfortunately turned to accusations of bullying and prejudice, and only one person answered my question regarding why the Confederate flag was valuable to her. Most arguments, when not degenerating to name calling, talked about heritage. I felt these lacked strength, not only coming from Northerners, but in contrast to the renunciation of the flag’s heritage by Representative Jenny Horne (R-SC), a descendant of Jefferson Davis.
This flag was revived in the 1960s by Southerners opposed to desegregation. The flag did, indeed, stand for racist beliefs and attitudes. And, without getting into the actual politics of the Civil War in great depth, secession was heavily influenced by the desire of businessmen to make money without Federal regulation. Much of this money was made pre-war through the exploitation of slaves; post-war, children were often victims of the same exploitation. It is surprising that people from my working class town would want to support a flag championed by the rich guys. I remember many resentful comments growing up about the arrogance of “City people” who came up from New York City to visit their second homes.
I visited Nuremburg last year. Having spoken at some length to a German colleague about how she had learned about World War II, I was interested to see how the war and Nazism were portrayed in the historic halls and museums of Nuremburg. German children are taught that Nazism and in particular the Holocaust were the result of an excess of nationalism and the vain search for someone to blame for the economic hardships in Germany following the First World War. Nazi flags and memorabilia are banned or restricted in a number of European countries, including Germany. In France, it is illegal to display Nazi flags, uniforms and insignia in public, unless for the purpose of a historical film, show or spectacle.
Nazism was about more than about the extermination of Jewish people, but the symbols offend and threaten many and draw direct attention to that execrable crime against humanity.. Confederacy was not only about slavery, but the flat offends and threatens many, and it is used by a number of hate groups as a rallying point for their acts.
The fact of the matter is that the sight of the flag is hurtful to many people, even in a community where 95 per cent of citizens are Caucasian. Why would one choose an object – and encourage “the more, the better” – that hurts others? We don’t teach our children to tell others they are ugly; we teach them to find positive comments like “you’re such a good rock-skipper!”
I hope the leaders of my town reconsider their decision to encourage more Confederate flags. Small towns like Walton, nestled in the foothills of the Catskills and brimming with the delights of nature and neighborliness, have so much to offer visitors. I hope these leaders use the Delaware County Fair to highlight the best of small town America, rather than a small minded slice. If you go, look out for my mother’s lemon meringue pie in the home economics tent, and be sure to pet the donkeys.
1 comment:
I conpletely agree Catherine. In fact most people do not even know that the flag they fly was actually the flag of the Confederate Navy for most of the war. It was the official flag of the Confederacy for less than two years from May 1, 1863 – March 4, 1865. W.T. Thompson, the flag's designer, referred to his design as "The White Man's Flag". In referring to the white field that comprised a large part of the flag's design elements, Thompson stated that its color symbolized the "supremacy of the white man. As a people we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race; a white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause."
—William T. Thompson (April 23, 1863), Daily Morning News
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