by Jordan Cooper
The ungodliness of trepidation is something that riddled the citizens of South Carolina, General Assembly, and now our Governor –to approve a bill to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from The South Carolina State House.
The only thing that can defeat trepidation is truth: The Confederate Flag is not a symbol of hate and institutional racism. It is one of the official flags of the previous national government we were under historically.
There were some loathsome people during that era and we should remember not to be that way.
The Confederate Flag is a monument for the monumental progress that was planned before we fully committed to matrimony with the modern day United States.
The truth remains that ‘bad’ grade we made in one of our academic classes will never get off of our educational records.
The truth remains that shot, pitch, or ball that was dropped will never be taken off the statistics.
The truth remains those bleak album sales that platinum-plaque winning artist had at one time will never be detached from their musical bibliography.
Larger than that, there will always be a scandal somewhere.
From the UNC Cheating Scandal to Milli Vanilli.
There is always a tale behind the tape.
The tapes in our lives are our times’ past.
Above all, progress and remediation is recorded at all times.
Pitfalls can help us perform better the next time around.
Our land’s past is a gem and it will never be unscathed no
matter how precious it is.
The Confederate Battle Flag was not just for a season in our lives.
It is a flag that is an irremovable dimension of our state’s history that is a very necessary symbol but misunderstood.
Its rise was based on economic freedom, civil liberty, and a roomy relationship away from Washington that was desired.
Yes, there were bigots, white supremacists, and classists as we have still today.
And, our complete history is paramount to Carolina’s upbringing– and America’s continual chaperoning of our concerns through our union.
It remains true that when we look on statehouse grounds in South Carolina with the names on the edifices that are there; we can see what this state is about.
George Washington was our most prominent founding father who wanted slavery abolished near the end of his life’s term.
Strom Thurmond was a segregationist turned father of an African-American baby.
Ben Tillman was a founder of one of the top public universities in America.
And lastly, there is a monument for a race that has made irreplaceable gifts to South Carolina.
However, the official flag of our last public national government will now be enshrouded in a museum that has only a fraction of the amount of visitors the State House has yearly.
The ephemeral emotions that made a timeless article be put in the back of a museum is pulling us away from our state’s illustrious history.
It is time to make some objective adjustments to help this state and others thrive in the time ahead.
Yet, as we say it is not about the 99 percent or the 1 percent. It is about the total collective history of the United States that we all share.
We together are that 100% and need to stick together for the times to come.
Editor’s Note from Dr. E.: Jordan is a young man from South Carolina. This is one of his first op ed’s at The Moderate Voice. This is some of his bio: A USC-[Columbia, South Carolina] Graduate with a degree in History with a concentration in North America, a Cognate in Philosophy, and continued graduate studies in Philosophy. First Black to serve in the Gov. and Lt. Gov’s office in S.C. as a Constituent Correspondent and Special Assistant (Haley/Bauer). First black to serve in the Inspector General’s Office in S.C. (Haley),and first black to serve on staff on a GOP presidential campaign in S.C. (Perry 2012) as Director of Youth Outreach for SC. Lastly, the youngest black to be on a gubernatorial campaign staff in America as Black Outreach Director. (Jindal 2003)