My favorite newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune, had an article in it Aug. 18 about the Confederate flag being used in Utah's parades. It reminded me of a lively discussion I generated last year before Veterans Day at my local VFW post about whether it should be allowed in our parade.
I was against it because, as a former high school history teacher, I reminded my students that soldiers like us representing the United States of America had fought in our bloodiest war against soldiers who carried that flag. Confederates did not want to be part of our country and were fighting to maintain the hateful practice of enslaving other human beings, which they justified under the guise of states’ rights.
If we are going to carry the flag of our former enemies in our parades, then why not the flag of the Viet Cong, the Rising Sun of the Japanese, the Nazi swastika, the British Union Jack, the Spanish Real, or the colors of ISIS, the Taliban, North Korea and the kaiser. Oh, and let us not forget the Mexican battle standard.
Luciano S. Martinez, Murray
