John:

I understand and agree with most of what you say. However, do we not diminish the real issues of equality when we parry about a flag? And, if we banish it from all use, it still does not remove the prejudice and hatred for which it stood. Lastly, how do we teach the next generations about that history if we sanitize it because some may be offended. I am a member of the Baby Boomer Generation. I am 65 and grew up during the evolution of the Civil Rights movement. I knew about slavery, I knew about the culture. However, reading that in history books did nothing for me. I grew up in a section of my city that was all Italian Immigrants. I attended Catholic School in that neighborhood. Needless to say, my experience with black people was next to nothing. Then,we took a family vacation and drove to Florida. This was before I95 so we took many local roads through the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. It was there that I learned about the prejudice and hate. It was there that I saw blacks living in shacks that would not be suitable for my dog. It was there that I saw the Whites Only signs and could not comprehend that people could treat other human beings that way. That changed my life. I spent my summers during high school in the deep south registering voters. In college I was active in the Civil Rights movement. MLK became a hero to me. His concept of non-violent protest became a mantra for me. I went on to law school and, needless to say, continued to remain active in the movement. I am retired now, but I am proud to say that I spent and continue to spend pro bono time for various causes. Lastly, I look at young African Americans today and I wonder if they truly understand or can appreciate the progress made by their ancestors. Instead of building on that progress, they seem more comcerned about symbols