Playing at Rebellion

The big flap over the Confederate battle flag in the wake of the Charleston massacre last week is somewhat ludicrous and at the same time ominous.  The maniac whose hatred was nourished by the white supremacist propaganda which is still ubiquitous in the south is shown in many selfies waving the symbol of southern resistance.  As a kid growing up in New York, my trips to and through the south were an eye opening experience.  Virtually every pickup truck had a gun rack and a confederate flag emblazoned on the rear window.   The southern states had been defeated for over 100 years, but were (and are) still waving the symbols of their rebellion, much as a child will keep fighting parental authority long after the curfew has fallen.   The fact a 21 year old in 2015 is still breathing in the hatred and intolerance associated with slavery and its aftermath gives the lie to those who would have us believe that a color blind America is reality.  That President Obama used the N word in an interview and was subjected to endless dissection of his motives is another indication we have not yet moved beyond the judgement of people based on the color of their skin.