The confederate flag raises its ugly head

The confederate flag controversy is annoying and tends to distract us from the killing of innocent black people by racist individuals. But to actually look at the flag controversy it is worth noting that there is an issue here. The Southern Cross is a battle flag that is mistaken for the official flag of the Confederate States of America (CSA), a nation that was formed when several southern states broke off from the United States of America. That started the US Civil War that lasted about four years and cost this country more American lives than any other war in our nations history.

To begin with, the Southern Cross was only a battle flag and not an official flag of the CSA.

The first official flag of the CSA was the "The Stars and Bars:"

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Later in the war, the Southern Cross was incorporated into a new CSA

flag:

And later, they decided the new flag looked too much like a surrender flag so  the final CSA flag:

The flag of controversy is the Southern Cross battle flag. It is usually used to represent the CSA. While many southerners claim this flag represent their "heritage" it also represent the past. The CSA was an attempt by several southern states to be independent of the US government. That society was dependent on slaves for its economy and no amount of "heritage" can erase that fact. The CSA was dependent on slaves for its economic success. Just recently the

The CSA was an attempt to create a separate government from the north. That alone is not racism. Attempts at succession are not rare in the world of the 19th century or the last 20th century. It was a failed government and refusing to let go of that dream shows a real resistance from the reality that that government did FAIL. Now the federal government is forcing that flag down from the officials offices of South Carolina,in  the south.

In today's society this is not the only group of people to hang on to a dead dream. In Wichita the city government has agreed to adopt the South Vietnam( Republic of Vietnam) government, at the request of Vietnam Veteran groups who refuse to acknowledge the loss of that government after the fall of Saigon. Like those who dream of a CSA, the dream of a revival of the Republic of Vietnam. 

But that is not going to happen either.

It is time to give up this foolishness and except reality. There is no CSA and their is no Republic of Vietnam. So let's get on with reality.

 Today's Vietnam flag:

-សតិវ​ អតុ