Although it has been almost 200 years since the Civil War – the war that shook the United States to its core and divided the north and the south between each other in bloody battle after bloody battle – aspects from the war are still being debated today.

Although the southern states that seceded are a part of the United States, many citizens of the south are debating the right to wave the confederate flag.

After the horrible slaughter on June 17, in Charleston, S.C. – when a Dylann Roof killed nine goers of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church – the media, as well as many citizens across the United States began to debate the use of the confederate flag after Roof was seen posing with in pictures that he took of himself, which also features the shooter holding guns.

The debate about the flag has spurned input from all sides of the argument.

Those who are against the flag have discussed how the flag is a symbol of racism and oppression. Specifically, those who are against the flag argue that it’s racist to have the flag flying in the certain capital buildings in the south. Furthermore, others who are against the confederate flag argue that the flag, a symbol of rebellion against the United States, shouldn’t be raised or flown, as it’s a representation of what goes against the principals of the United States.

On the other spectrum of the argument, many believe that the flag should be able to fly freely. Those who support the confederate flag argue that it’s a symbol of states’ rights against government control and tyranny. Additionally, those who support the confederate flag also believe that the flag is a symbol of southern heritage, and it should be allowed to fly in order to support their heritage.

What’s truly confusing about the supporters of the confederate flag are those around the United States who support the flag are not limited to just occupants of the south. Even in my own hometown, which is 30 minutes east of Decatur, there are residents who support the confederate flag – although some of these people have never even lived in the south before once in their life. So, while there is support for the confederate flag, it can be assumed that much of this support if misguided, with many people who claim to support the flag have no true idea about what the flag actually stands for.

Although the nation-wide debate against the confederate flag has become an immensely important topic, some claim that the purpose of the confederate flag is just the media’s way of distracting citizens of the United States against bigger issues. Specifically, many members of the African American community claim that, by raising more concerns about the confederate flag than the shootings that have occurred in predominantly African American churches across the south, the media is distracting the citizens of the United States away from the killings.

However, although there are many different points of view concerning the use of the confederate flag, it’s important to remember that it is a symbol of racial suppression, and it should not be flown.