(Editorial) Flag lawsuit has no value for citizens

Published 5:15 am Sunday, July 19, 2015

A lawsuit filed by Cullman attorney Melvin Hasting challenging Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s authority to order the removal of Confederate flags from the Capitol grounds is sadly refueling an issue that overshadows the greater potential of our state.

Mr. Hasting’s suit also contends the Alabama Historical Commission and the governor, who stands as an ex officio member of the commission, are responsible for protecting historical artifacts and the history of the state. The suit names various monuments and burial sites as examples of sites that should be protected.

Many die-hard Confederate flag supporters have taken to social media praising Mr. Hasting for his stand — we respect those opinions because this newspaper is a staunch supporter of the First Amendment. Using that same freedom to express an opinion, we believe Mr. Hasting, who has previously sought public office, is taking advantage of a highly volatile issue to thrust his name into the public spotlight.

The argument over long-standing monuments and other historical sites is not related to the Confederate flags that hovered around the Capitol.

As we have previously stated in this space, the flag became a symbol of racism and resistance to the nation’s constitutional guarantee of equality for all citizens. Many leaders of Deep South states resisted the truth of the Civil Rights movement and hoisted this one version of the Confederate flag over state buildings.

The message was defiance against the law of the nation and African American citizens who long lived in a society that deprived them of equality and other rights.

Gov. Bentley, a Republican in his second and final term, did not overreach his power. He simply put an end to a lingering and painful symbol that has been carried by the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups who seek to intimidate and torment citizens they view as unequal in society.

Many will argue that the flag is nothing more than a symbol of heritage, a tribute to those who served the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Nonetheless, this flag was stained with racism when governors and lawmakers in southern states chose to ignore the rights of a large segment of people they served. The Civil Rights Movement was a long and bitter struggle that cost the lives of many innocent people who sought to attain what America promises all of its citizens.

The lawsuit initiated by Mr. Hasting is an unnecessary and ill-advised effort to rekindle a fire that was appropriately stamped out by the governor.

Alabamians do not have to forget or lose their history. But our population is diverse and not all tied to the romanticized lost cause of the Confederacy. Monuments and graveyards may be valuable, solid reminders of the state’s history, but the Confederate flag has no place on the official grounds of government, which represents all citizens.