Quit trying to silence everything that offends you

To the editor:

After reading "A confounding tale of two Confederate flags" (Aug. 12) by columnist Scott Saalman, I found myself wanting to go out and buy a Confederate flag.

We hear about "safe" spaces on college campuses and speakers with opposing views being shouted down and even barred from speaking. Historic monuments are being vandalized and torn down to appease the offended. Even religious symbols spark outrage and court challenges.

This may be a generational difference. I grew up hearing "sticks and stones can break your bones but words (and images) will never hurt you." I watched the riots and racial divide being played out on TV during the '60s and '70s and truly believed that was all behind us. 

In the guest columnist's last two paragraphs he notices that the offending flags are no longer being displayed and wonders if his "flag-shaming social media post" accomplished that. What if the flags were removed because the business or home owner was threatened? Would Mr. Saalman be happy about that?

I admit that I'm truly offended by people that are always offended by something.

I don't believe after 150 years that the guards at Andresonville are still around. When my dad (Hawaiian born) was going through Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning in the 1940s, two of his sisters who were much darker, were denied entry into a Georgia restaurant. I'm really not offended by something that happened 80 years ago.

I believe I'd rather have a neighbor displaying the Confederate flag than one that wants to silence everything that offends him.

—Grayson Goodness

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