Debate Over Confederate Flag

William F. Buckley’s question and answer commentary (Jan. 19) was full of big-sounding words, but short on basic truths. The basic truth is that a lot of Americans find the Confederate flag to be appalling and they are looking carefully at politicians’ reaction to this flag. If the GOP bungles this, they can expect single-digit support among all who believe the South was dead wrong in its so-called war.

JAMES O. CLEMENT

Long Beach

*

Let’s just allow South Carolina to secede from the Union since it refuses to give up on the Confederacy, and good riddance to Sen. Strom Thurmond.

FRANCES LONGMIRE

Los Angeles

*

Bill Press should review his history lessons more thoroughly (Commentary, Jan. 19); the Confederate flag is about freedom, not slavery. If you want to get technical, there were slaves in the North also during the Civil War. Does that make the U.S. flag a symbol of slavery also?

Let the people of South Carolina decide for themselves. A lot of fine people died so their state could remain a free, sovereign state. It makes me sick to see how far some people are willing to go during a presidential election. Just a political issue, you bet.

BLAIR BROWNE

Anaheim

*

Some of my ancestors fought with the Union Army against the Confederate South during the U.S. Civil War. They and hundreds of thousands of other Americans paid a terrible price for the right to take down the Confederate war flag. When Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, he and his army forfeited forever the right to fly that flag over American soil.

The refusal of many Southerners to accept the fact that they lost the war is one of this country’s biggest problems. When South Carolina flies that repugnant standard over American soil, they insult and demean the memory of my ancestors who fought and sacrificed to keep the country whole.

ALAN D. BUCKLEY

Newbury Park

*

How ironic, a century and a half ago the Republican Party was specifically established to oppose slavery, but today the two leading candidates for the Republican nomination for president do not even have the courage to oppose the Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina capitol building. Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, has been profoundly dishonored.

STEVE MILLS

Glendale