The removal of the confederate flag from the Williamson County seal is a nonsensical move. It seems as though an aura of confusion combined with an ignorance of our great history has bewildered the Williamson County Board of Commissioners and task force. Without taking into consideration all possible outcomes, the council’s decision to remove the historical confederate flag is deplorable.

A pattern has been observed across our entire country in recent years. So many things of cultural and historical significance are being deleted from history because people are ignorantly equating them with racism. This is very unfortunate. Amalgamating hate, discrimination, and racism with the confederate flag on the Williamson county seal is a case in point. The real confederate flag has nothing to do with racism. It does not stand against civil rights for all Americans. It is unfortunate and saddening that great historical things that are part of our proud history are tossed aside because people say they are tied to racism and discrimination.

Aside from a clear lack of understanding of history, what everyone is disregarding is the financial impact and cost of removing the flag from the seal. According to the reports and estimations of the task force, it will cost $27,300 to remove the seal from all county properties. Additionally, $95,900 will be required to replace the seal with a new one. During such tight and difficult economic times caused by a pandemic where every state in the country is facing a budget deficit, such measures should not be taken. It is against the broader interest of the public.

Among the commissioners of the county who voted, there are a substantial number of commissioners who believe their constituents do not want the removal of the confederate flag from the county seal. How long will it be before someone wants to change the other quadrants of the seal as well, for instance by claiming that the Bible in the lower left section is an unfair endorsement of religion, or the farm animals in the lower right are offensive to vegans who oppose animal imprisonment? 

The task force’s findings reveal that merely 52% of the people voted in the favor of the removal of the confederate flag from the seal, and nearly 43% voted against the change. Results of the survey are ambivalent at best, showing a stark contrast of opinion among the people of the county. One cannot ignore the considerable percentage of people of the county who have voted against it. While many chose to abstain from participating in the vote, they noted “concerns about county debt should outweigh this as a priority.”

In addition, the confederate flag on the seal specifically symbolizes the battle of Franklin, which makes it historically significant and provides a draw for tourism. 

No doubt there’s resentment among people across the country towards discrimination and every form of prejudice, therefore we should be making decisions that combat and impact these things. Instead of taking irrelevant and unproductive measures, we should divert our energies and efforts to making strides that will directly improve the life of every citizen.

It should be understood that the removal of the confederate flag is not the current solution for any problem. For this reason, the removal of the confederate flag should not be approved. Progressive societies do not abandon their history. This act is extremely counter-productive as the flag is a symbol of heritage, not hate. Moreover, Confederate soldiers fought for the rights of the state, not for the right to practice slavery. A long-term appropriate strategy should be focused to make society more equitable, rather than distorting the history and heritage.