The American Flag Needs To Come Down, Too!

By Mick Dumdell

Let’s Take A Stab At It!

Finally driving the Confederate Flag out of existence is good thing, but it is only a small step in the right direction.  That flag only flew for about four years in 13 states. But think about this: There was slavery in the border states under the American Flag for the duration of the Civil War. Not to mention all of the time leading up to the Civil War. This means that for almost 76 years, the national flag of slavery was the American Flag.  No slave on any slave ship ever looked up out of a dark, damp hold and saw the Confederate Flag flying on the mast.  No, they saw an American Flag.

The border states of Maryland, Missouri, Delaware, and Kentucky remained with the Union, and thus, their slaves were not included in the Emancipation Proclamation. Tennessee, which was fully occupied by 1863 was also not included. Further, the state of West Virginia was admitted to the Union during the war, as a slave state!

This means that it was the American Flag which flew over the heads of slaves in those 6 states during the time of the Civil War. Further, slavery was not abolished in Kentucky until December 1865. That was eight months after the war ended. It took the 13th Amendment to end slavery in Kentucky!

How can we blame the Confederate Flag for Freddie Gray’s death, when the only flag that ever flew over the slaves of that state was the American Flag? How can we blame the Confederate Flag for the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, when the only flag that ever flew over the slaves of that state was the American Flag!

Give Me A Brake!

Look at the picture above. That man is a slave in Kentucky who is operating a hemp brake. He remained a slave eight months after the Civil War ended. The only flag which ever flew over him was the American Flag.

We have driven down the racist banner of the slave states. Now is the time to replace the American Flag. Imagine the impact of that! Imagine what racial healing there would be if the entire nation was forced to admit to its centuries of racism, and take down its flag. Let’s not stop at some drunk trailer park rednecks, Lynyrd Skynyrd fans, and NASCAR devotees down South. Let’s heal the entire nation!

Yours very truly,

Mick “Spin” Dumdell