Abstract
This paper discusses and analyzes reasons why the Confederate flag is a symbol of controversy in the US. The paper argues that individuals ought to be allowed to wear or display symbols containing the Confederate flag motif as a simple matter of their free speech rights, both on and off school campuses, or in any other venue.

From the Paper
"While it may seem that a 150-year old symbol of a nation which no longer officially exists could not possibly continue to be a source of controversy in the present day, that is exactly the case in the U.S. today, where the issue of the display of the Confederate flag has been an intermittent source of debate for many years. My thesis is that individuals ought to be allowed to wear or display symbols containing the Confederate flag motif as a simple matter of their free speech rights, both on and off school campuses, or in any other venue. The Confederate flag controversy has generally taken a back seat in the..."

Tags:confederate, free speech, mascot

Abstract
This paper examines the issue of the display of the Confederate flag, an intermittent source of debate in the US for many years. The paper takes a particular look at one case in the late 1990s when controversy over the display of the flag on top of the South Carolina State House in Columbia led to a nationwide boycott instigated by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) against the state. The paper then makes the argument that individuals ought to be allowed to wear or display symbols containing the Confederate flag motif as a simple matter of their free speech rights, both on and off school campuses, or in any other venue.

From the Paper
"In 2006, the Southern Legal Resource Center, a nonprofit civil rights group, filed suit to permit several students at a high school in Knoxville, Tennessee to wear Confederate flag images on clothing. Racial tensions at the school nearly resulted in violent altercations at one point, resulting in a temporary lockdown. The students involved in the suit complained that black students were permitted to wear images of Malcolm X and related symbols without undergoing the same restrictions as the white students, thus raising the familiar argument of the double standard (Watson.) The Southern Legal Resource Center, which focuses on such cases, is also involved in a similar case in Texas, where several students at a high school near Dallas sued for the right to carry purses with the Confederate flag symbol on them, after they had been banned by administration officials. It seem clear that the dispute between administration policies and student rights is a heated one, and has implications beyond that of one particular symbol which some may find offensive. If students are in fact to be prepared for assuming the full rights and responsibilities of adulthood, as has often been argued, it seems reasonable to respect their rights on such a seemingly trivial matter."

Tags:Dixie icon south, free speech, campus college student expression NAACP

Abstract
This paper discusses the Confederate battle flag, also known as the "Southern Cross," and which was originally known as the Beauregard flag. The paper discusses how the southern General P.G.T. Beauregard came up with the symbol and how its meaning has evolved over time. The paper focuses on the controversy that the flag has created and how this controversy has only deepened with time.

From the Paper
"This is why the symbol of the Confederate battle flag is still relevant today. Many southerners still see it as a symbol of their independence while many blacks and non-southern whites see it as a symbol that glorifies hatred and slavery. Both groups have solid arguments. On one hand, the Ku Klux Klan and other racist organizations use the Confederate battle flag as their flag because it is associated with a time in which black people were enslaved in the south. On the other hand, slavery was legal in the United States from 1776 to 1865 under the United States flag, not the Confederate flag. Furthermore, all slaves were brought to America on Northern ships. Slavery was legal in the United States long before General Beauregard came up with the design for the Confederate battle flag. He envisioned the design of the flag as a means of distinguishing his troops, not to glorify slavery. Despite this, however, racist groups have since appropriated the flag and they are the ones who have made it a symbol of racism and hatred."

Tags:slavery racism Beauregard, southern cross

Abstract
Since 1956 the Georgia State flag has had the Confederate emblem incorporated into it. This remains a contentious issue in the state that considers itself both to be the heart of Dixie and also the heart of the new, enlightened, progressive South. This paper examines the history leading up to the current protests over the state flag and the particular tenure of the most recent debates, ending with arguments over why the flag should remain.

From the Paper
"The flag was raised in part as a measure of defiance against Civil Rights laws, but also to commemorate the Civil War centennial. In 1962 it was an act of defiance toward a federal government forcing an end to the segregated South. But now, for many in the state it is no longer a symbol of slavery, which is something for the history books, or segregation, which too is being pushed into the history books as well. The flag for these Georgians is not a symbol of slavery but of loyalty to a shared heritage only they can truly understand (Buckley B7). It is also an emblem of the fact that the South still possesses a local and distinct sense of identity that has been lost to the homogenizing forces of mass media and modern culture in so much of the rest of the country (Los Angeles Times A18)."

Tags:Reconstruction, Civil, War, James, Wright

Abstract
The paper discusses how the American flag has been a symbol of freedom and liberation to many, however, others have viewed it as a symbol of oppression and conflict. The paper relates that in the Vietnam era of the 1960s, it became popular to burn the flag, symbolic of the anger felt by those who were against the war and were frustrated with United States politics. The paper notes that Norman Thomas disagreed with burning the flag and instead thought, "If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it" (Martin 178). The paper discusses how historically, many key events have occurred that have represented the fight for freedom and shedding of the past and its flaws, such as the American Revolution, Shay's rebellion, the Mexican War, the abolitionist movement, and the Civil War.

From the Paper
"The American flag has been a symbol of freedom and liberation to many, however, others have viewed it as a symbol of oppression and conflict. In the Vietnam era of the 1960s, it became popular to burn the flag, symbolic..."

Tags:immigration, flag, history

Abstract
This paper provides a thorough analysis of the landmark case involving flag desecration, Texas V. Johnson, and the idea of flag desecration as fighting words. In order to argue for the recognition of flag desecration as fighting words, which are federally recognized elements of speech that by their very utterance incite a breech of the peace, the author first makes a clear and concise argument for flag desecration as symbolic speech.

From the Paper
"In 1892, New York Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy wrote a few heartfelt words into his prayer book. The short prayer was to express his appreciation of the freedoms provided for in his beloved country, America. Today we know that short prayer to be the Pledge of Allegiance. For more than one hundred years, American school children, new American citizens and men and women of the military have recited the patriotic prayer to show their loyalty to America. And although the recitors of the "pledge" face an American flag, the pledge is not of allegiance to the flag, but to the United States of America. In fact, Bellamy wrote that while thinking of the pledge his emphasis was on "the republic for which it stands." (Baer) We may further understand that the republic by his definition, is synonymous with America."

Tags:amendment, burning, desecration, fighting, first, flag, johnson, law, mass, media, speech, symbolic, texas, words

Abstract
This paper details two laws that were passed in order to legislate correct respect for the American flag. The laws mentioned are the Flag Code and the Flag Protection Act. The laws are discussed and their importance examined.

From the Paper
"Does the idea of watching someone burn the United States Flag make you cringe or would you hardly bat an eye at the thought? Would you consider yourself more "patriotic" for defending the integrity of the Flag itself or the principles upon which it was founded? Patriotism seems to historically have been linked with the poignant symbolism of the U.S. Flag, and the whole issue can be an emotional topic for many people. For military members, it probably brings to mind visions of hordes of tearful airmen singing "Proud to Be an American" during the last week of Basic Military Training. But regardless of what memories the Flag resurrects in each of us, no one can deny that knowing and demonstrating the proper display of respect for the U.S. Flag is an important aspect of being an American--and this is the central issue that this paper will address. The two key events that shaped the current situation were the enactment of the Flag Code and the Flag Protection Act."

Tags:11th, act, americans, burning, civil, code, court, flag, johnson, military, protection, rights, september, supreme, texas

Abstract
This paper reviews a court case involving flag burning and free speech as examined by author Robert Goldstein, who frames the issue of flag burning as a symbolic fight over a symbol. The author points out the positions of Justices William Brennan and Antonin Scalia and Chief Justice William Rehnquist. The paper includes several analyses of the significance and implications of the case.

From the Paper
In the case of Texas v Johnson, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the state of Texas could not prosecute Gregory Lee Johnson for burning the flag without violating the First Amendment."

Tags:Robert Goldstein, Flag Burning

Abstract
This paper discusses the acrimonious and interminable battle over an official Canadian flag, which has been an illuminating chapter in the history of a young and still befuddled country. The paper asserts that this battle is evidence of a nation with an identity crisis, torn between two giants, the United States of America to its south and its colonizer, the United Kingdom. If there was one thing that united the various factions in this dispute it was disunity.

Tags:flag, canada, identity

Abstract
This paper takes a look at the cultural history of Texas going back to its origins as two different nations: Catholic Mexicans and independent American settlers. The paper describes the battle for the Republic of Texas and the symbolism in the Lone Start Flag.

From the Paper
"Texas is identified for a number of reasons throughout the United States. One of the most common reasons is because of the number of flags it was governed under throughout the years. For the fifteen years from 1821 to 1836, it was ruled under the reign of the Mexican government. This flag represented many aspects of life in Texas and Mexico. However, the two cultures and political ideas caused many conflicts, as did the distrust the Mexican people held for the American settlers. To begin with, the Americans and the Mexicans held two different sets of values. The Americans believed strongly in freedom of religion, while the Mexicans held a very strong belief in the Catholic Church. The Southern Texan settlers felt it was acceptable to own slaves, while the Mexican people were strongly opposed to this action. The Mexican people also had a long tradition of respect for authority, while the American settlers in Texas, emigrating from a new, independent nation, held little or no respect for authority. Another difference was in the human nature of the two cultures. The American people possessed an individualistic nature that was blunt and self-assertive. This clashed with the Mexican nature, which was subtle and secretive. These differences caused problems for two primary reasons. The first being that it is difficult to effectively govern people who posses such different opinions in values and different characteristics in human nature. The second is that the Mexican flag stood as a symbol over Texas. This symbol represented their control over the Texas settlers, which therefore enforced the Mexican values and personalities upon Texans. These differences were the beginning of the discontent towards the Mexican flag, its government, and its people. "

Tags:Flag, history, lone, politics, star, texas, Mexican, Mexico, American, settler, symbolism, Republic, of, texas, revolution, Santa, Anna, Gonzales