A past we would do well to remember

I thank you, Mr. Clay, for keeping an eye on our collective virtue.

I believe, however, your inclusion of The Vista Pub after the KKK and John Birch Society was, at the very least, ill-conceived.

According to my research, Memorial Day started after the Civil War to promote reconciliation between the North and South; thus we hung the Confederate flag, the Union flag, and the current United States flag all at the same time. We feel this was a fitting tribute to the history of Memorial Day, as well as all the fallen soldiers of the United States, no matter which flag they have fallen under.

The Confederate flag represents a past we would do well to remember, and if this public discussion educates someone who would never have known, then it was worth the effort. I thank you again, Mr. Clay, for taking the time remind us of our past.

We also fly pirate flags, though we don't condone the practice.

Ryan Ross
The Vista Pub
Brookings

Dear Mr. Ross:

In response to Ryan Ross, re: the Vista Pub reasoning for displaying the Confederate War flag with the U.S. flag. The "Dixie" flag represents a group of people who were willing to kill and die for the right to own other people. Would you give the same prominence to the Flag of the Third Reich of the Nazi regime? It represents a similar concept of racial purity and white supremaism.

I encourage you to revisit your decision to display the Confederate War Flag. It is a painful reminder of racial hatred and a reminder that there are still people who believe that owning human beings is okay. Because of this, human slavery is still practiced in many parts of the world in the form of the sex trafficking of women and children. A look at some tomato fields in Florida reveals that the slave trade is still being practiced with lackluster efforts to curtail it.

It's sad that 146 years have passed since the end of the Civil War and we're still having to confront racism and slavery.

BTW: The Confederation of States refused to acknowledge Memorial Day until after World War 1 when it was changed to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war to protect our freedoms. The Confederate cause was never about protecting the freedom of all people.

Gordon Clay
TheCitizensWhoCare.org