Published: July 02, 2009 07:06 pm      

Decision rejecting flag brochure was right one

It was recently reported that Mr. Ed Taylor was quite upset that his efforts on behalf of the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization to have a brochure on the history of the Confederate flag placed in classrooms of Allegany County were thwarted, or sent packing back to the dark side of humanity, one might say. (“History of racial tension not behind nixing of Confederate flag brochures,” June 10 Times-News)

I would like to voice an emphatic “Thank you” to the school board for not permitting such a divisive brochure to be distributed to students.

While Mr. Taylor may be too obtuse to register in his mind that the Confederate flag is considered an offensive symbol for many people, the school board has taken an appropriate stance on this controversial issue.

Mr. Taylor has a right to his own opinion and can cling to a revisionist history by saying, as quoted in the Times-News: “I’m tired of hearing that these soldiers fought for slavery.”

The truth of the matter is that those soldiers were indeed fighting for slavery, and it is justifiable to refer to them for what they were: traitors to our nation.

You can try all you want to pass off the euphemism of “States’ rights” as the rationale for the Civil War, but the continuation and expansion of slavery was at the heart of the matter.

Mr. Taylor may want to put up monuments to acknowledge the dishonor of those traitors, but it does not give him the right to put into classrooms his version of an ignoble symbol of racism.

The Board of Education was correct in turning down Mr. Taylor, just as they should in the future turn down attempts by anyone who wants to promote controversial issues that are inflammatory or degrading.

If the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization can have their material on a racist symbol presented to students, then the door is open for one and all. Should Nazi symbols, gay bashing, anti-Semitism, or any other hateful and demeaning tripe represented as being of educational value be permitted?

In a country that abides by the principles of the Constitution and the concept of inclusiveness, the answer is a resounding “no.”

Given that the Confederate flag is without question a potent symbol of racial oppression, it should categorically be banned from public schools throughout our nation. Fairness and decency demand nothing less.

To Mr. Taylor: I am not in the least bit bothered that you are out $420 for your offensive actions. Your mind-set needs to be challenged at every point, and I encourage you to take your case to the State Board of Education.

Just because there is a segment of our population here in western Maryland that persists in the enamoring of racist symbols does not mean that the rest of our state remains mired in a similarly repugnant state of mind.

Please, act on your threat and take the opportunity to find out how others downstate feel about the Confederate flag and your misguided efforts to promote it.

The Cumberland Times-News said as a prelude to their article on the flag brochures that “History of racial tension not behind nixing of Confederate flag brochures.”

I would maintain that just the opposite is the case: without a doubt, racial tensions and racial sensitivities are completely sufficient and necessary reasons for nixing the brochures.

We need to go one step further, and demand that all Confederate flag symbols in schools be nixed in the name of the right thing to do, the decent thing to do.

To the new superintendent of schools, can we at last bring our community into the larger world of acceptable behavior?

Jeffrey Davis

Swanton