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As I write my husband and his father are outside in a fierce ping-pong tourney verses the energetic and trained staff of the hotel. We packed the car up a few days earlier putting Grandma comfortably in the front seat and the rest of us situated between luggage, coolers, and our supply of road trip music- including Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Album. No, you did not misread that. We actually listen, on purpose, to chipmunks sing about cookies and salvation in the middle of August. It has become one of those family traditions that is so eagerly anticipated and dreaded at the very same time.

The town we are visiting is one that in all reality I never need visit again. The common mixing of one particular phrase with an icon of American history frustrates me. Let me be more specific. I have seen, repeatedly, the words painted boldly on the wall of a store side: For God and Country.
Next to these words, lingering somewhere on that same wall is a Confederate flag.
Although immediately I must admit I got onto my soapbox I decided to do a bit of research about the Confederate flag before blogging my thoughts.
I can see only that God would be in complete disagreement with His name being scripted above a Confederate flag. And, I am not pleased with the ideals of freedom and opportunity being associated with a symbol that reminds many of only oppression.

I was able to read on the Internet the perspective that the Confederate flag to many is a symbol of heritage representing pride in ancestors who survived the years of war and poverty. I would need to hear a great many arguments on this side to understand. For me, when I see the Confederate flag displayed I think only of a history of slavery, the establishment of Jim Crow laws, and a century of racial segregation. I do not think of pride, freedom, family, unity, heritage, honor, dignity, and I certainly do not think of it as a symbol that goes with the words: For God and Country.

Most likely the shop owners are good and decent people. Most likely they mean no harm or ill intent to others. But, I have to wonder that if my son were to drive by that shop if he would feel welcome to enter. I have to wonder if there is a message, whether it is meant or not, that would hit my son in his spirit about his country, his God, and where his value is in both. And, for that matter the sons and daughters of countless others that may drive by and wonder the same thing.

My family has decided that tonight we are all going to settle down together in our little hotel, watch some TV, play a board game and eat an apple pie. This for me would be a much better image to have painted on a wall that says, “For God and Country.”

A family. A child. A symbol of freedom. A symbol of compassion. A symbol of love. Or at least a picture of an apple pie, which I have a feeling God would like much better than a flag anyway.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.