African-American Woman Claims The Confederate Flag ‘Represents Freedom’ And Insists ‘Slavery Was A Choice’
With the heated debate about the future of the Confederate flag thundering on, an African-American woman has waded into the argument claiming that the Confederate flag “represents freedom” and that “slavery was a choice.”
In the aftermath of Dylann Roof’s murderous rampage in Charleston, S.C., the Confederate flag is once again courting controversy because of the subsequent photos showing the killer posing with the flag.
Retailers including Wal-Mart, Sears, eBay, and Amazon said they would no longer sell products bearing the flag, and popular 1980s TV show the Dukes of Hazzard has been pulled by TV Land simply because of its deception of the Confederate flag painted prominently upon the roof of the show’s famous 1969 Dodge Charger- the General Lee.
A decision which led John Schneider to query in Time Magazine, “Are people who grew up watching the show now suddenly racists. Will they have to go through a detox and a 12-step program to kick their Dukes habit? ‘Hi… My name is John. I’m a Dukesoholic.'”
“Those who seek to malign the show because the famous car it featured had a Confederate flag painted on the roof are missing the point. I am saddened that one angry and misguided individual can cause one of the most beloved television shows in the history of the medium to suddenly be seen in this light.”
The Inquisitr reported that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. opened up in a recent interview, discussing his strong opinions about the Confederate flag and his support to remove it
“I think it’s offensive to an entire race. It does nothing for anybody to be there flying, so I don’t see any reason. It belongs in the history books and that’s about it.”
Yet according to a recent poll by CNN, the majority of the American public views the Confederate flag as a symbol of Southern pride more than one of racism.
A sentiment that African American Karen Cooper firmly believes in. Salon reports that Karen is a member of the Virginia Flaggers, a group that rejects the belief that the Confederate flag symbolises nothing but racism and hate.
The Virginia Flaggers call the Confederate flag their “battle weapon” against “their enemies who worship ignorance, historical revisionism and political correctness.”
The ardent Tea Party supporter who was born in New York and currently lives in Virginia believes the Confederate flag represents freedom and stresses she feels “more welcome in the South because the races are all together.”
“I actually think that it represents freedom, it represents a people who stood up to tyranny. I’m not advocating slavery or think that, you know, it was right. It wasn’t, and none of my friends think it was.”
“It was just something that happened. It didn’t just happen in the South, it happened worldwide.”
Cooper also believes slavery is “a choice.”
“I say that because of what Patrick Henry said: ‘Give me liberty or give me death.’ To me, if we had went back to that kind of slavery, no I couldn’t do it. Give me death.”
As the battle for the future of the Confederate flag rages on, Cooper is proud to keep flying the flag she believes symbolises freedom for all.
“I know what people think about when they see the battle flag — the KKK, racism, bringing slavery back — so I knew it would be something for people to see a black woman with the battle flag.”
[Images Via The Independent]
