To the editor:

This letter is in regard to the Confederate flag being flown in our city’s Fourth of July parade. While the response has been mostly negative, I do not believe members of our community understand how horrible this particular action was.

The Confederate flag has always been an image of hate, and forever will be. There is no “Southern Pride” connotation attributed to it whatsoever. It no longer represents an army of men who fought for what they believed in, but rather a new generation of bigots who support outdated values and prejudice under the guise of “heritage.”

The article states that 4.5 percent of Delaware’s population is black or African-American. Even if the flyers of the flag claim to not hold racist beliefs, why would they choose to make such a statement knowing very well it would alienate and disrespect a portion of our city’s residents?

The rebel flag we commonly see never officially represented the Confederate States of America but has seemingly grown to be a misguided symbol of pride for some Americans. And to the members of the Delaware community who view the flag in reverence or even in indifference: You live in Ohio, home of great Union leaders such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Rutherford B. Hayes (born here in Delaware). Do not tarnish the legacy of these men, and many like them, who have shaped this great country and state because you have perceived ties to a backward and degrading part of our nation’s history.

Collin Wittig

Delaware