Cumberland Times-News

Archive

March 21, 2008

Problem may be a lack of education on both sides

After reading the article about the incidents at Fort Hill School I tried to locate an email address for Mr. Stephen Lewis, principal of Fort hill School. Since that information was not available, I would like you to pass my thoughts on to him if you would.

I, for one, do not believe the entire problem is just the white kids, I am sure plenty of the black kids got to shout out a few taunts and insults, and perhaps they even started insulting the kids displaying the Confederate Flag. As I read the article the idea of blacks insulting the white kids becomes more prominent as we read the comments of the black adults.

Let's ask these white kids and tell both sides of the story. I for one cannot see how banning the Confederate Battle Flag will help anyone. The same underlying problems will still be there. The same group of trouble makers will still be attending school regardless if they are black or white.

It is just my opinion that the problem lies in the lack of education for both sides. Perhaps a little extra research assignment required of both sides regarding Black Confederates might help educate the students and parents alike?

Perhaps other research projects should cover slavery in the North, the New England slave trade, the Black codes of the North and the constitution of both the United States and The Confederate States, abuses of all races and segregation under the U.S. Flag. Perhaps somewhere in their studies they will discover the official flag of the KKK and other hate groups is not the Confederate Battle flag but the United States Flag.

If the above research and education projects are assigned to all students involved, a group I belong to will be more than happy to grade the papers based on historical fact.

Don't ban the flag, educate the ignorant!

George Purvis, vice president
Southern Heritage Advancement
Preservation and Education
southernheritageadvancementpreservationeducation.com

Text Only