YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

IS THE Confederate battle flag a symbol of hate? Although there
are certain connotations that have been improperly associated
with the Confederate flag, there are still many people within the
American population who display it to show pride in their
heritage.

Heritage, not hate.

The Confederate States of America was a compilation of
southern states that seceded from the United States of
America. Following the formation of this new government, the
grievances between the North and South produced hostility
and warfare.

Our differences divided us as a nation. Yet during that period,
there arose a certain Southern solidarity that people cannot
forget.

A liberal federal judge has banned the display of Confederate
flags in cemeteries near our area. Could he, not the
Southerners who revere the flag, be the prejudiced one?

Only two days out of 365 in a year are people allowed to fly
the Confederate battle flag in Point Lookout in Maryland. There
have been many appeals, but the judge concluded that it
"could" cause hateful uprisings and counter-actions to prevent
the flag from flying.

So much for those who died during the Civil War bravely
fighting for the South. 3,300 Confederate soldiers died at Point
Lookout Cemetery, and the flag would commemorate their lives
and their deaths.

Although many people do not understand or agree with what
the Confederate States of America stood for, these men gave
their lives and had the courage to stand up for what they
believed in.

In fact, Confederates fought for the ideals expressed in the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution--states'
rights, no taxation without fair representation and freedom from
oppressive government.

They weren't fighting for hate. They weren't fighting to destroy
a race.

They were fighting to preserve the government that they had
chosen--the Confederate States of America--the government
that allowed them to preserve their own way of life.

Fact: The overwhelming majority of Southerners never owned
slaves. Slavery as an institution was fading, and making way
for more pragmatic agricultural practices, including the use of
immigrant labor.

Too many people today do not agree with what Southern
soldiers stood for, often basing their opinion on faulty history or
willful ignorance. That doesn't mean that we should respect the
soldiers from Dixie any less.

Ignorance has turned the South's past into a history of hate. I
have grown up in the South. I am not racist. I consider myself to
be an open-minded person.

I do have Dixie Pride, though.

I grew up in a Civil War town that has a Confederate Cemetery
in the middle of it. There's even a store called "Lee's Outpost."

Yes, there are people who live in Fredericksburg who consider
the Confederate flag as a symbol of hatred and racism.
However, they do not know what it is truly about.

The war between the states was a time when brother fought
against brother. It was a time when people didn't have the
choice to be passive.

Ultimately, regardless of one's feelings about the flag, banning
the Confederate flag is unconstitutional under the Bill of Rights.
Flying the flag is considered a form of speech--and if it is legal
to burn an American flag, it should be legal without question to
fly the Confederate one.

I do own a Confederate flag. I'm a Southerner, proud of my
heritage, and I take pride in the fact that my ancestors rose to
the occasion and fought for their form of government.

They did not give their lives to protect slavery in the South.
They did not die to keep African-Americans from sharing the
same liberties and freedoms that they were blessed with. They
believed they were fighting for their families, homes and states
against an oppressive government in the North.

The book "The South Was Right" provides many facts to
support this.

In the end, it almost doesn't matter why they fought. We claim to
be a nation that believes in freedom of speech, where
everyone can have their own beliefs and not be looked down
on for it.

Are we or aren't we?

What makes this country great is that we have the right to make
up our own minds about things. People are asked if they
believe in freedom of speech. They reply, "Yes, of course I
believe in freedom of speech."

Yet when they don't agree with the speech, sometimes they
contradict themselves.

As a nation with millions of citizens, we will never agree on
any principles or ideas as a whole--except for the fact that
freedom cannot be replaced, and rights cannot be sacrificed.

So why should the Confederate flag be an exception? Free
speech applies to everyone, and Southerners have great
reasons to be proud of their past.

BUFFY RIPLEY is a sophomore at Virginia Commonwealth
University.