Recently our national heritage and identity has come under attack.
The Dunklin-Democrat (a newspaper based out of Missouri), has reported that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has ordered the lowering of two confederate flags from their historical sites at Fort Davidson and the Missouri Confederate Memorial site. This should be an outrage to all citizens.
Presidential candidate, Dick Gephardt said, “My own personal feeling is that the Confederate flag no longer has a place flying anytime, anywhere in our great nation.”
Wait! Allow me to digress for just a moment. It is important to dispense with your predispositions with what we refer to as the Civil War. Every time you see the word Confederate or see discussion of the Confederate flag, you need not jump back and scream evil. If you can get past what you have been told to think, perhaps we can achieve a mutual understanding.
Just as it is imperative that other countries know their history, it is equally important for us to know our heritage.
Why, you may ask? So we do not forget the terrible events that have taken place. So we can remember the shining moments in our history that set us apart from mediocrity.
There have been times in our history that we look back and wonder what our leaders were thinking, but we do not erase what they did, nor can we.
Placing another individual under slavery is atrocious. That is why we need to keep the flags where they stand. We need to remember what others went through to preserve this wonderful nation.
Allow me to ask you, what pain did you suffer for the great union of states? You did not take part in these battles, did you?
During the Civil War, most families experienced the pain of losing friends and loved ones in battles. Whether Union or Confederate, they were willing to die for what they believed in and that should not be forgotten, even 140 years later.
This should increase our individual desire to see history examined.
As for Gephardt, if we as a nation want a president that is oblivious to the need to remember the sacrifices made to mold such a great country, then he would be a good choice.
The remark he made is a great window to his ignorance of understanding about what makes a great country succeed.
Contrary to popular opinion, nationalism in our country is not a bad thing.
An understanding of our history as a nation is what will propel this nation forward in social advances. Knowing what struggles we have persevered will cause us to revere this nation more and more.
The flags must stay in place for historical significance, not in remembrance of slavery. We must come to grips with our history and embrace it so we may learn from it and advance.

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