Saturday, July 11, 2015

Honest Debate and the Confederate Flag

Every tragedy does not require a knee-jerk public policy response such as further limitations on gun rights or the demonization and banning of a flag. Honest people should have the ability to engage in honest debate. Unfortunately the political environment in which we currently find ourselves pits us against each other rather than encouraging interaction and the sharing of ideas.

The Confederate flag controversy is yet another example of how advocacy in America is now accomplished. There is little or no tolerance for an intellectually honest debate. There is little or no consideration for the other side of an argument as advocates would rather shut down debate through name-calling, smearing, and insults.

Consider the following:
  • If you think the Confederate flag controversy is overblown, you are labeled a racist and pro-slavery.
  • If you don’t buy into the global warming propaganda, you are a denier, a dissenter, and/or you are pro-pollution.
  • If you believe marriage is defined as between one woman and one man, you are intolerant, a homophobe, and/or a Christian zealot.
  • If you believe the life of an unborn baby requires some consideration in the abortion debate, you are waging a war on women, telling women what to do with their own bodies, and/or encouraging back-alley abortions. Note: I never hear pro-lifers claim that pro-choicers are waging a war on the unborn!
  • If you oppose throwing more good money after bad in our public school system, you are opposed to educating the children and/or a teacher-hater!
  • If you want to repeal Obamacare, you want to deny healthcare to others and/or you are an “evil-monger”.
  • If you oppose affirmative action, you are a bigot.
  • If you want to reform Social Security, you are depicted in television advertisements as pushing grandma over a cliff in a wheelchair.
  • If you are opposed to amnesty for illegal immigrants or you want the border enforced, you are a racist and/or a xenophobe.
  • If you believe in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, you are cold-blooded.
  • If you are a member of the Tea Party movement, you are an obstructionist, an anarchist, a radical, and/or a racist. According to Democrat Congresswoman Maxine Waters, you are also damned to eternal damnation as she once eloquently said, “The Tea Party can go straight to hell!”
  • If you are opposed to going to war, you are an isolationist.
  • If you are an advocate for going to war, you are a war-monger!
  • If you oppose raising the debt ceiling, you hate cops, firefighters, and teachers!
  • If you oppose raising the minimum wage, you are heartless!
  • If you are an advocate for welfare reform, you are callous and cruel!

Back to the Confederate flag: The flag is known as “the rebel flag” NOT “the pro-slavery flag”! It represents the rebellion of the southern states’ against the northern states which was waging war against the South in order to force them to remain in the union!

I will concede that if you asked 100 people, "what is the first thing that comes to mind when they see the confederate flag?", it is likely that “slavery” ends up as the #1 response. However, I am willing to bet that you would likely see “rebel flag” or "rebellion" as a close #2. Other responses might include “Kid Rock”, “Alabama”, “the Civil War”, “the South”, “pick-up truck with a gun rack”, “redneck”, etc. (Click here to read a recent CNN/ORC poll.)

How about we try taking a breath and starting a dialogue with each other rather than resorting to name-calling reminiscent of the fourth grade playground?

See page 65 of my book Pritical Thinking for more.