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Jesse Gordon on Civil RightsEditor-in-chief, OnTheIssues.org |
Buchanan’s view that gay marriage is “immoral” and therefore that it should be banned indicates a basic misunderstanding of civil rights. He can think it’s immoral and I wouldn’t oppose him; but when he says it should be banned BECAUSE he thinks it’s immoral, then I oppose him in every way possible. Buchanan’s position here indicates that his basic viewpoint is that the majority morality should supercede individual rights. That’s the REAL issue of gay marriage, as far as I’m concerned -- not anything to do at all with sex or morality.
A: The controversy is not about whether it was a valid flag of the Confederacy. It’s disingenuous to pretend that that’s really the issue. The controversy is about whether it’s right for an official state office to fly a flag which indicates support for the oppression of blacks.
No one denies you the right to personally fly the flag of your choice in your home. For that matter, no one denies you the right to argue for the suppression of the rights of blacks. But should a state government be allowed to make the same statement, with the same implications?
All the confederate flags I’ve seen in official places in the South have been carefully placed as part of “Civil War Memorials.” I think that’s a reasonable compromise-the Confederate flag can fly on the lawn (but not on the roof) of city halls, where there’s a plaque about the Civil War. That acknowledges history while not expressing explicit state support of the confederacy.