I agree that Texas should allow the Confederate flag license
plate design. There is quite the
controversy over this and the message that is being sent by allowing this
license plate designed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Some refer to it as an embarrassing time in
Texas history that is better left alone.
Others say it signifies a sad time in Texas history. African-Americans feel betrayed and violated
by the plates, as one of the biggest reasons for the Civil War was that the
southern states believed that holding slaves as personal property was
acceptable. The northern states believed
slavery should be abolished.
Putting all this aside, the Civil War is part of our
history. We cannot change that. It is what it is, and we have all come
together as the great 50 states of the United States of America. We clearly have seen through our northern and
southern differences of the past and come together as one. Why should any veteran or son of a veteran be
denied their right to display their support for their loved ones because the
reasoning for the war was ugly? These
sons were not there nor did they have any control over the reasoning for a war
that happened over 100 year ago. All veterans who fight for a cause on behalf
of the majority deserve a display of respect.
Denying these individuals the right to display their support of veterans
who fought for a justified cause of the day would be a violation of their 1st
Amendment right of freedom of speech and expression.
It seems that everyone is always looking for a prejudice,
even when it’s not there. If we look at
the license plate as a display of respect for those who lost their lives fighting
for a cause that helped form US history to make it the great place that it is
today, maybe its symbolism wouldn't be so grim.
Everything happens for a reason, and had it not been for the strong
statement made by the Confederacy causing the war that changed it all, who
knows where we would be today. Let’s not
think so heavily. Keep things in their
intended perspective.
On Tuesday, August 5, 2014, Brenda Sikkema posted a blog on her blog site BSikkema GOVT 2306 Blog titled, “Revealing the True Meaning Behind the Confederate License Plate Debate”. In her blog post Brenda discussed the controversy surrounding the confederate license plate designed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which is whether or not Texas should allow these designs.
ReplyDeleteBrenda’s argument is that the confederate license plates design should be allowed in Texas since the design is more of a symbol of respect for those who fought in the Civil War. She states that, “If we look at the license plate as a display of respect for those who lost their lives fighting for a cause that helped form US history to make it the great place that it is today, maybe its symbolism wouldn't be so grim”. I agree with her in that the design should be seen as a sign of respect for veterans and family members of veterans who fought in the Civil War. However, there are those who wish to have the confederate license plate in order to promote their support for the morals that the south once stood for. For instance, there are those who believe that the south will “rise again” and who think that things should be how they were in Texas before the Civil War. Therefore, I can also understand those, such as some African Americans, who feel that the confederate license plate is a sign of betrayal.
Although, I do think it would be a bit extreme to ban confederate license plates completely. Brenda believes that Texans should view these license plates as a way of supporting an important event that led to Texas abolishing slavery and becoming the state that it is today. I agree with her in that people should view the confederate plates as a positive way to show support for veterans who fought in the Civil War. As she said, people seem to always be focusing on the negative side of things, such as accusing the confederate license plates of being a form of prejudice. When in reality the plates are simply a way for Texans to promote their history and show respect to those who partook in the Civil War.