People comparing the Confederate Flag to the Swastika are making a really bad yet odd comparison.

Something many people don't realize is the Swastika derives from the Sanskrit word 'svastika' which means "good fortune" roughly translated in English. Hindus believe it to be a good luck charm against evil forces. The symbol itself represents the four directions of Brahma, which is akin to God in the Hindu religion. The four directions represent four objects of mankind's pursuit which in this case are natural order, wealth, desire and liberation. It is painted in many shrines.

To make a long story short, we in the West know that Adolf Hitler took that symbol, with his wrongful assumptions about the 'Aryan Race' and used it as his party's flag. Started the second World War, tried to kill all the Jews, lost, killed himself, the Allies won and there was much rejoicing.

The point I'm trying to make is that the Swastika was not always a symbol of hate and anti Semitism, and it still isn't. It's meaning was corrupted in the eyes of West, which is why it's frowned upon by most and even banned in Germany.

The stars and bars have a complex history as well. It was never officially adopted as the Confederate Flag as I should have mentioned earlier, rather it was the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. After the war, it was used by many pro segregationists and violent groups (the KKK being one) as a symbol of their beliefs.

But like the swastika, a symbol can evolve. In today's south there are probably people who still see it in a prejudiced and racist light. However I think the majority see it as a vehicle of southern pride and loyalty. I've seen blacks wear the colors as well. States rights and anti- big government are two other representations as well. To say it only represents oppression and bigotry is not only misleading, it is historically inaccurate and irresponsible.

It's not an dilemma to deal with. It will and should be removed from state and government buildings. But I'm going to play devil's advocate:

Where the hell was this outrage a year ago? Up until that shooting no one was talking about this. Not a soul. Now because some nutjob shot up a black church it's all of a sudden imperative we stop selling it and curse its name. I call that selective outrage and hypocrisy. Not only are gutless politicians using this as an opportunity for future votes, but it doesn't even get to the root of WHY Dylan Roof decided to do what he did. Even more ironically, sales of the Confederate Flag are up 3600% since Amazon announced it was banning it! FYI to all these idiots, it's not making people want the flag less.

We as a country have to decide what's more important. Hyper sensitivity to feelings and emotional sentiments or discussion. A well thought out dialogue that addresses the tragedy in a pragmatic responsible way. I don't pretend to know the answer, but there's a way to get it. And this is NOT it. Political posturing and bogus outrage over something with a far more multifaceted history than people realize is the exact opposite direction we need to take.

Hell if the blacks can make the n-word, once a supremely derogatory insult, into something positive, the same can be said for the flag despite it's controversial past.

But I don't expect much from today's populace. What's going on right now is just another example of my disappointment.