The First Amendment extends to all, even a self-proclaimed “Pure Redneck”


It’s becoming increasingly clear that many are focusing too much on symbols to determine the mindset or belief system of another.  While being born and raised in the south and experiencing racism first-hand, I know for a fact that a flag does not represent who you are.  It’s time we all took a step back and take a breath.

While it is true that many southern group that promote racism carries around the Confederate Flag and to people born into times as I was, seeing that flag does raise a lot of suspicions, but suspicions does not make for truth.  Many African-Americans, Hispanics and poor Whites know this first hand because it is that same suspicion that gets us followed around the stores when we go shopping.  It’s that same suspicion which causes us to lose out on a good job or an opportunity to advance our lives and the lives of our families.  We know this suspicion oh too well. 

The article by Associated Press writer Jeff Barnard titled Ore. bus driver suspended for Confederate flag, provides us with a much clearer and expanded picture of this suspicion.  Mr. Ken Webber has the God-given and Constitutional right to display his pride in any shape of form that he deems necessary as long as it does not infringe on the rights of another.  Flying a flag on his own privately held vehicle is no good cause to deny him his rights.  While I think that his action may be very insensitive, it is not illegal and nor should he be forced to forsake it.  In this article it is written that “Webber said flying the flag had nothing to do with racism, extremist groups or politics” which should be good enough for anyone.  While I can understand the schools wish for civility and why they may choose to enact a policy where "It's about displaying symbols on school property that were racist, or had a potential to be seen as racist might be a better way to say that School Superintendent Ben Bergreen  was quoted as saying".  It is simply a matter of perception and may not have any basis in reality.

There is one quote by Mr. Webber that I have to take offense to and it was him saying "I work for what I have. I support my family. It's just who I am. I'm a redneck," Webber said. "It's a way of life."   I take offense because working for what you have and supporting your family does not make you a redneck.  If that is the case then we all who do the same would proudly wear that same manicure, I will not.  Displays to me, are only ways to show your pride in one thing or another.  We display the American Flag because we are proud to be an American.  We fly an Armed Forces Flag because we are proud of being in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard.  We fly our state flag because we are proud of residing in that state.  These flag or any insignia does not make us who we are and no one should be limited to another’s perception of what they think we stand for.

American men and women fight for our freedoms everyday and those before us have fought for equal rights and justice for all.  Not a few and not a section but for every single breathing person under the species of human being.  The Supreme Court just recently ruled to give uncaring, so-called Christian people the right to picket at service families funerals and if they have that right, surely Mr. Webber has the right to fly his flag.  If Mr. Webber had done or does anything that tramples on the rights of another then yes, this is something that he must be held responsible for but if his actions does not really infringe on the rights of another, leave it alone.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement were not about the rights of blacks only.  It was an awakening for all of America to come to grips with the rights of every single human being on the face of this earth.  We all have rights and it’s time we honor them

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