Defenders of the Confederate flag, swastikas, and other symbols say that images don't hurt people; people hurt people...

Last week, many of us were intrigued by the news snippets covering the South Carolina legislature's heated debate around removing the confederate flag from the state capitol grounds. While many of us have waited for South Carolina to join the 21st century and remove the flag, there were serious defenders of the flag within the legislature and in many northern cities. The arguments ranged from supporting the flag because it is a symbol of state's rights to Southern pride. (Note: if you're really looking for a symbol of state's rights, why not fly the flag of a state college or board of education? There is no greater symbol of state control than education.) Ultimately, many argued that flags don't hurt people; people hurt people.

And, over the weekend, a non-profit organization flew swastikas over Lido beach in Long Island in an effort  to reclaim the symbol as one of peace rather than one of Nazi hatred. Click here to see the story.

What are your thoughts about the removal of the Confederate flag?  Is it censorship or justice to prohibit the displaying of images that might be hurtful to some but a source of pride for others?
 

As usual, I look forward to hearing from you (and you know that I will respond).

Natalie Holder