Editor, The Herald:

Karl Schmidt (“Confederate Flag A Convenient Scapegoat In Wake of Charleston Massacre,” Friday, June 26) has a point that quite a lot has been written about removing the Confederate battle flag as a result of a brutal murder.

However, I must disagree with him that the flag is not a symbol of hate or racism. The Confederate flag came into existence only because the South wanted to preserve its “peculiar institution” of slavery and was more than willing to spill blood keeping it. The Confederate flag is a symbol of those people who were in defiance of the U.S. government.

Having the flag flown in public buildings or as part of state flags gives an unwarranted legitimacy to the views of racists and other crackpots who haven’t quite gotten over the fact that the Civil War has been over for 150 years. Other than being carried by Civil War re-enactors, the proper place to fly it is on private property, where its display is protected by the First Amendment.

James Peca

Farmville