Natalie Falemaka

11/17/15
B3 University of Utah Writing

The Debate on the Confederate flag at US State Capitol Buildings

Its called Southern Pride! If you are an American, two great wars come to mind, the
American Revolution and the Civil War. Although these wars occurred hundreds of years before
our birth, their debates of justice still occurs today. One issue is the Confederate flag flown up in
some southern states capitol buildings in the USA. The Confederate flag was a flag made during
the Civil War after a secession of the southern states from the United States. After President
Abraham Lincoln won the Civil War, the south had to revise its living since slavery was no
longer allowed a right and freedom. However, the southern flag during those times is still in
debate of whether or not it should continue to be hanged at state capitol buildings. Some people
believe its a states choice. Others believe it should be removed with these specific reasons. The
Confederate flag should be removed from all state capitol buildings in the United States because
it represents another country, portrays the history of slavery in America which is against the 13th
Amendment, and it qualifies injustice of a large population like the Nazi flag.
The Confederate flag should be removed from all state capitol buildings in the United
States because it represents another country, not the US. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina
seceded, the first state to ever officially secede from the United States. Four months later,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana seceded as well. Later Virginia
(except for its northwestern counties, which broke away and formed the Union-loyal state of
West Virginia), Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee joined them (Turley, 2015, para. 3).

All of which are southern states of the United States of America. What is the meaning of secede?
According to Oxford dictionary, a dictionary that provides current definitions of English words
as they are used today, (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2015, para. 7) to secede means to withdraw
formally from membership in a federal union, an alliance, or a political or religious organization
(Turley, 2015). The word withdraw is the key word. In other words, to secede means to leave. In
this case, it means to leave a federal union, a country, which the southern states did to the United
States. As a result of their seceding, the Civil War occurred. During the Civil War, the southern
states was in the process of making a new government. They were making a new country called
the Confederate States of America. In the Confederate States of America, the confederate flag
was born which symbol is still known to this day. The Confederate flag is a rectangular shape
including stripes, stars, and the same colors as the American flag, red, white, and blue. However,
the confederate flag has an x-shape of the stars with a mostly red background. The issue of the
confederate flag waved high at any state capitol in the United States is that it represents a
different country. The state capitols are where the state legislatures meet up for state affairs
including federal affairs. The establishment of each state capitol building is not only a
representation of the state but also the United States as a country. For the flag to be a part of
another country and waved at a US government building contradicts the representation of the
United States as a nation. Its like having China fly the Australian flag at their Capital building to
represent the people of China, ridiculous and pointless.
The Confederate flag should be removed from all state capitol buildings in the United
States because it portrays the history of slavery in America. After the north won the Civil War
from the south, one of the conditions they made in the United States is the abolishment of slavery
which was later included in the Constitution of the United States of America as the 13th

Amendment. It reads Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
any place subject to their jurisdiction" (Ourdocuments.gov, 2015, para. 1). A year before the 13th
Amendment, in 1863 President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring
all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof
shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever
free (Ourdocuments.gov, 2015, para. 2). Some have argued that the flag has nothing to do with
slavery since it was only seen as a battle field flag. There were even some slaves who were freed
that fought in the Confederate army. However, the flag still represents for slavery. The main
reason southern seceded was due to the election of 1860. In this election, Abraham Lincoln was
elected President of the United States of America. He was also a Virginian who was against
slavery. The south did not know what was to come of slavery with Abraham Lincoln as their
President. However, the Republican Party was united in opposing any further extension of
slavery (Bryan, 2013, para. 12). There were already debates on removing slavery in the white
house when he took office. In addition, there were set rules that the north did not followed from
the south concerning slavery. For example, the north was not returning runaway slaves to the
south as a law passed from the south to the north. For the Southern elite, seceding in December
1860 was akin to a football team walking off of the field because they were behind 10-3 in the
second quarter (Bryan, 2013, para. 14). In other words, the south had to secede because their
whole lifestyle with slavery was on the verge of becoming extinct. This proves the point that the
south was trying to protect slavery including on the battle field. The Confederate flag, as a battle
flag then, still represents the idea of not abolishing slavery which is now abolished in the United
States. For the Confederate flag to be waved at any state capitol building shows the illegal belief

of slavery should still be practice. It defiles the 13 Amendment in the Constitution of America
and makes the winning of the Civil War a joke. Another point is that the state capitol building is
to represent the people as a government facility. Those freed slaves passed from generation to
generation are now US citizens today. The Confederate flag waved at these capitol buildings not
only makes the Civil War a joke but also the state capitol itself since its not representing entirely
the people.
The Confederate flag should be removed from all state capitol buildings in the United
States because it qualifies injustice of a large population group like the Nazi flag. During the
Holocaust, Between five and six million Jews (Projetaladin.org, n.d., para. 3) were killed. This
however is only the recording of deaths in the Holocaust meaning theres more than those
numbers. There is the possibility of not everyone being a recorded Jew was a Jew. The
Holocaust was a horrific event done to the Jewish and any other non-German populations by the
Nazis during the World Wars. Because of the Nazis action, the display of the Nazi flag was
removed all across Europe from any official government facilities. Similarly, this should be the
same result as the Confederate flag in Americas government facilities. Research shows that the
American slave trade, the process by which people were acquired and sold into slavery, resulted
in the death of 5 million people or more (Greenberg, 2014, para. 5). This is the same recorded
results as the deceased Jewish population in the Holocaust with the same possibility of its
numbers being more than what was recorded. The Confederate flag like the Nazi flag were part
of the elimination and mistreatment of large populations and its high death rates. One of which
we know were from Africa who today are labeled African American. In the United States today,
Those who identified only as African American made up 13.2% of the U.S. population-over
41.7 million people (Cdc.gov, 2015, para. 8). The US government is to protect the people. Many

of the US people are African-American. For a Confederate flag to be waved at a state capitol
building, a government facility, tells the people the government is not willing to protect its entire
people since its willing to support slavery against them. The state capitol buildings also come
off as a supporter of the process for the elimination of a large amount of a population. Its not
saying We protect the people, but really saying We support what the Nazis did.
There are debates that the Confederate flag at a state capitol building should be up to the
state. States should be free to choose on that matter. However, the state also has the responsibility
to represent its people. Most of the southern population is African- American. For state capitol
buildings to fly the Confederate flag shows that the state is against the majority of its people.
There are also points where the Confederate flag represents Southern pride meaning pride in
the ancestors that fought in the Civil War in the south. A soldiers life dying for its country has
the upmost respect in the US country. However, research shows for the Confederate army
approximately 620,000 soldiers died from combat, accident, starvation, and disease during the
Civil War (Civilwar.org, n.d., para. 4). The death of those who died from the slavery in the
south is 8 times the number, but only the recorded deaths of slaves. The arguments of the
Confederate lives matter therefore continue to fly the Confederate flag does not dismiss the fact
that those slaves and their lives matter as well. The Confederate flag cannot replace those lives as
well. The flag to be remove from these capitol buildings doesnt derive the people from their
right of the First Amendment of freedom of speech. The people have that right. However, as a
citizen of the United States, it is essential for the US government to represent and protect its
entire population and it needs to show that. The Confederate flag, to the people, does not show
that.

In conclusion, the Confederate flag should be removed from all state capitol buildings in
the US country. The state capitol building should represent the US nation, not a different country.
The Confederate flag represents the same choice as the Nazi flag with the elimination of large
population groups and should hold the same consequences and accountability as the Nazi flag.
The Confederate flag is against the Constitution, the law of US soil. Although the people can
freely have the flag in their property due the First Amendment, the state capitol should represent
its people and it cannot with the Confederate flag.