Only People Teach Hate

Does the removal of the Confederate Flag really solve anything? Are we really naïve enough to believe  that any flag or symbol causes people to hate?

Flags don’t teach hate, people teach hate. Here is an example of what I’m talking about.

I was fishing one afternoon about 20 years ago with a white co-worker we were great friends. We babysit each others kids, went to sporting events together, loaned each other money.

One afternoon after his air-shift he took me fishing at his uncle’s house. After about hour his uncle arrives at the house with his 6-year old grandson.  When they exit the car, the grandson runs over and hugs my friend, excited to see him then smiles and politely speaks to me. Then he goes to the house.

After a few minutes he comes back. And as polite and friendly as he was when we met, he looked at me and said Pau-Pau said he don’t like Ni**ers.

My friend quickly responded taking the little boy up to the house. I couldn’t hear the conversation but when my friend returned we left. All my said was “man I’m sorry” and offered me a beer.

I really thought my friend was one of the good guys until years later.  His true colors came out when his daughter, who happened to grow up with my daughter, started dating a black kid who she eventually married.

He quickly disowned his daughter, grandson and divorced his wife because she didn’t take his position.

When his daughter and my daughter told me about it his reaction to her dating the boy, I wanted to give him the benefit of doubt.

I suggested maybe he just didn’t like the boy and race had nothing to do with it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There is no way my friend who I coached little league baseball with could be prejudice.

She just laughed and hugged me and told me her daddy was the biggest bigots she knew.

Racism is taught! And it is usually taught at an early age. And it’s not just taught by white people.

Flags don’t make people hate, people make people hate.