More than just the Confederate flag should come down
More than just the Confederate flag should come down
They are taking down the Confederate flag. Well then, the American flag, British flag and just about every banner in the world has to come down, too, most all stand for racism.
Read the history of slavery on the Internet and learn the unbelievable truth.
Starting with our American flag, those 13 stripes in our flag symbolizes the 13 colonies. The colonies, both north and south, held slaves for more than 200 years. When Betsy Ross sewed our first American flag, it waved above slave auctions for 80 years before the Confederacy was formed. Who do you think picked all that tobacco in those early fields? Africans did, under the lash.
And remember, 13 stars on our U.S. flag were rebel states, another symbol of racism.
George Washington had many slaves, the signers of the Declaration of Independence owned them, too — talk about hypocrisy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote our declaration of freedom he was looking out the window at his 200 slaves.
Twelve U.S. presidents owned them, and President Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who fought against slavery, had a slave.
The American flag has to come down, 13 stars and all the stripes stand for slavery, same as the rebel flag.
By the way, there were 12 slaves on the Mayflower. They served the turkey at the first Thanksgiving —really.
In England, in the year 1086, the Domesday book recorded that “10 percent of England were slaves.” For 700 years, the English kept this enslavement going, even Queen Elizabeth I encouraged it. In the 1700s, Britain became the center of the triangular trade route. During this time, more than 3.4 million slaves were transported to Britain on cruel slave ships.
The British flag has to come down, the Union Jack has symbolized enslavement for centuries.
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, landed in the New World and started rounding up the natives and putting them in chains. To the patrons of his second voyage, Columbus wrote: “I shall give you as many slaves as you order to be shipped.” He is blamed rightly for being the first West Indies slave trader. He started widespread genocide, a real bad guy. His Spanish flag should be banished.
Ancient Greece, the pillar of our world, rested on slavery. Democracy, philosophy, the roots of our literature grew out of it. Socrates and Plato could not have lived without it. Pull down that Greek flag.
Mexico, Japan, Portugal, even Canada, all had a slave trade. Ban all their banners.
When you pull down the Confederate flag, a lot more should come down with it, starting with our own.
Dennis Gregory
Kona
Why not have a ‘pyromania’ tax?
Residents can breathe a sigh of relief that we didn’t go up in flames on yet another biannual pyro fest. I’m sure the creatures we share this island with are happy that it is over, too. And don’t forget the great people who do their best to keep these gunpowder holidays from burning up our islands — the firefighters.
At what cost are these fires put out? Since most people seem to feel clueless, hikers should pay the costs of being rescued. Why not add the cost of fire control to each package of fireworks?
Portions of this “pyromania” tax could finance firefighting costs and animal control when our pets run away in fear for their lives.
Then, when the damage is done, we don’t have to wonder who is going to pay for it.
Steve Snyder
Kalaoa