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America's flag is Stars and Stripes, not Stars and Bars

Re: Brooksville history cut and resewn to fit a flag , Feb. 9 letter to the editor:

Editor: Please be advised that the Confederate flag is a symbol of a dead nation and should be treated as such.

On the other hand, the flag of the United States of America (Old Glory, Stars and Stripes), our national colors, is representative of a living and viable nation.

As long as that is true, we shall continue to present widows and next-of-kin with "the Colors" - unless, of course, when their loved one is buried they prefer the "Stars and Bars" to be placed over them.

I guess the question is: Which do you prefer to rest under?

Don't forget blacks fought under Confederate flag too

Re: Brooksville history cut and resewn to fit a flag , Feb. 9 letter to the editor:

Editor: I must say, Richard Howell's renderings for historical inaccuracies is overwhelming, especially when one considers the number of reference books available on Hernando County history.

Mr. Howell's interpretations of the reasons people of all races took part in the War Between the States is clearly one of bias, born of limited exposure to accurate historical content and promulgated by narrow-sighted individuals such as those NAACP members who are grasping at straws to maintain their very existence.

Mr. Howell should accept the fact that tens of thousands of his fellow African-Americans served in various capacities with his so-called "rebels" and served under the very flag he has mislabeled. Fact is, if black Southern Americans had not willingly served in the Confederate states' cause, many leading scholars believe the war would have ended much sooner.

It would serve Mr. Howell's community far better if he took the time to understand his own race's history, rather than seeking to espouse bigotry from either ignorance or personal gain.

In this month, we honor all black Americans, even those who have been conveniently forgotten by their own.

Rebel flag is part of our history, so learn from it

Re: Brooksville history cut and resewn to fit a flag , Feb. 9 letter to the editor:

Editor: To all who are offended by the so-called "rebel" flag, loosen up. Right or wrong, it still is part of our country's history.

You can eliminate flags and banners and history like it never happened. But what a shame. History should be taught so we can learn from our errors.

Enjoy life.

Reasons Civil War was fought are complex, varied

Re: Brooksville history cut and resewn to fit a flag , Feb. 9 letter to the editor:

Editor: Pity poor Richard Howell. He either slept during history class or did not attend. Even if he does not believe secession was legal for the South, does he honestly think more than 300,000 Southerners went to war because they were racists? How flattering! He only wishes that either the North or the South cared enough about the plight of the black man. Sorry, only John Brown and a few followers did.

Mr. Howell crows "racist" and "painful" rhetoric. He should visit a library or enroll in a U.S. history course before he preaches what is inclusive and why people went to war.

I invite Mr. Howell and all readers to view the documentary Black Confederates to be shown Feb. 17 at the Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting. This program will be at the Brooksville Country Club starting at 6 p.m.

I also hope Mr. Howell is not trying to change the name of our city or perhaps explore a political career.

[Last modified February 15, 2005, 01:16:18]