Editor, The Smithfield Times:

Confederate monuments, statues, flags and other memorials honoring that dark side of American history should not be displayed in a public square.

The truth is, the Confederacy was a treasonous attempt by several states to rebel against these United States. No man can please two masters. He may love one; but he shall hate the other.

The same can be said by being a subject of two different nations. If alleged U.S. citizens love the Confederacy, then they must acknowledge and declare their disdain and hatred of these United States. Also they must declare they are not patriots who pledge allegiance to her.

Thus the question I would propose to supporters of Confederate flags and memorials: Has our beloved nation, these United States, become something you abhor? Be truthful and own your disrespect toward our beloved country.

I am seeing a narrative from several local leaders and outstanding citizens of the privileged class attempting to define the perspective and reaction of minorities’ thoughts, positions and course concerning these monuments. We and all minorities did not appreciate, need or ask for disguised supremist attempts to define our position.

Perhaps a surprise to our fellow citizens of privilege, we minorities can narrate our own experiences, struggles, stories and desired destinies. It is offensive and appalling to most minorities and to me when someone who is not Black, brown, Asian, Arab, Muslim, etc., takes it upon their exclusive idea of self to deceptively explain other ethnic groups’ motives, intent and endeavors. Often, and I find it true in this case, these privileged citizens and some leaders are trying to disguise their disdain and hate toward others.

These privileged antagonists create bogus issues to promote their supremacist agenda. They want to promote misinformation about many minority groups. They want to misdirect attention of honest Americans who may be sympathetic to minority issues. Members of this biased, privileged group spread blatant lies about minorities in general. They want to discredit Black Americans and other minorities’ efforts to pursue and attain the American dream.

I hear them trying to characterize and label the Black Lives Matter organization as a terrorist group. That is a lie. In reality, where most of us live, the organization was founded by three young and loosely connected West Coast African American women. The motive to form BLM was in response to several high-profile shootings of unarmed African and Latino Americans. In biased eyes, it doesn’t take much to become a terrorist group.

Imagine being a part of the privileged and ask yourselves, as citizens, what you expect of the promise made by these United States of America. That answer is the same pursuit, the same goal that Black Americans and all minority groups of this great country want. I ask you, and likely most Americans ask you, to not become lost in the deceitful fog created by those veiled supremacists who want to deny fellow citizens of the promise made by this nation.

By keeping symbolic reminders of that horrid and traitorous nation of the past, the supporters wishing to maintain the Confederate legacy are the real terrorists to our beloved country, the United States of America.

 

Charles Bryan

Smithfield