Editor,

I find it sad that the response of American Legion proponents and fair leaders to the reaction of the appearance of the Confederate flag in the Whidbey Island Fair parade primarily falls along the lines that they regret that “people were offended” and that flying a flag so symbolic of trashing the civil rights of a segment of our population is okay because it is a matter of “free speech.”

To go further and liken that in any way to the flying of the rainbow flags in the Queer Pride Parade only serves to highlight the disconnect and insensitivity involved. The two flags have completely the opposite symbolic weight. The rainbow flag and the Queer Pride Parade is all about proclaiming and supporting inclusivity and respect for human beings across all lines and divisions, seeing their humanity and acknowledging that we all stand equally deserving of the protections and rights granted to all citizens of this nation. The Confederate flag on the other hand stands for just the opposite — the fight to preserve slavery, white supremacy, segregation, the denial of voting rights, the prospering of certain classes and segments of society from impoverishment, abuse, and unequal justice doled out towards others.

The two flags could not be more antithetical in meaning. Yes, you may want to remember and celebrate the sacrifices of your ancestors but that should not include continuing to perpetuate value systems and symbols that we members of the human species have had centuries to recognize as oppressive, unjust, and in fact un-Christian, among other things. I can only hope that those whose response to the negative reaction toward the inclusion of the flag in the parade will grow into a deeper awareness and more sensitive understanding than a seemingly token response of regret that “some people were offended.”

REBECCA CLEARY

Langley