the statues and the flag

THE STATUES AND THE FLAG
when i was growing  up in the south in southern arkansas
i really dont remember no statues
anywhere
im sure they were there but i just dont recall them

now i do recall the flag
the confederate flag

after high school after dropping out of college
ok so i flunked out from lack of effort
i worked at a bag making factory
had a red maverick car
put the concederate flag on the front license plate

it never crossed my mind that this was rascist
it was the time of rebelling against things
the tv show the rebel was coming to an end
i felt like a rebel
rebelling against things

when i drove around with that flag i never
thought about my white heritage
the civil war
whether it would be offensive to folks
i saw it as part of the times
rebelling against authority

im sure the black folks around there didnt quite
see it that way though
im sure they felt much different about that flag

so
keeping my southern heritage in mind
my relatives fought in the civil war
some died fighting
for the cause
yes
some were slave owners

what was the cause
it was to fight to maintain slavery
why
because
the civil war no matter what folks say
was all about economics
pure economics

the problem was
that economics was built on the backs of slaves
the institution of slavery held up the economy
in the south

if it was removed
the souths economy would collapse

thats what the war was about
economics
slavery

anything else spouted as a reason is wrong

there are  a few folks who will say that slavery is ok
if they do they dont belong here

so now fast forward to today
the flag the confederate flag the one i drove around with for at
least a year on my car
the statues
i guess the only one that i feel questionable about is robert e lee
it could have easily been a general for the union
but
he chose to go with his southern roots

now
ive thought about it a lot
sitting here today if i was asked i would say i would not fight for the south
but
that was over a hundred years ago
ive thought about this a lot now
discussed it with historical brother and my rainwater brother
my guess is
had i lived in southern arkansas during the civil war
i would have probably fought for the south

if i say otherwise
i would be lying

today if it happened with my present belief systems
i would not be a supportive of the rebel cause

so with this perspective
my 2017 perspective
i would not be a rebel supporter

now in 2017
there are three people

a relative who is a historian a black historian
a black writer and friend
a black friend who lives there in the deep part of southern arkansas

i would ask them
should the confederate flag be flown
should those statues those confederate statues be placed on
public property like colleges and courthouses

all three of them would say the same i thing

no
no
no

so
i have to go with those folks
those folks who represent a group that has been so severely affected
and
by the historian who truly understands what this all means
what the real truth is

so for karen and louise
for you and our kids
i say this

they need to all come down
general lee opposed them
he understood what they meant
they belong in the historical settings
like  museums

its time
that we all move forward

take then down

the organicgreen doctor