Unfriended

I have a Facebook page that I use to keep in touch with family and friends who are spread all across the country. And I am open to being friends with anyone in any part of the world. But I will not be harassed or belittled. And I think in the years I've had my Facebook page I have only unfriended someone a couple of times. Once it was someone obviously trying to scam me out of money. And once I had to block a man who was having trouble taking no for an answer. And being a person that finds writing helps me process and deal with things that are taking place in my life, that's what I'm doing.

I just unfriended another female over a disagreement on the Confederate flag. Okay, I didn't expect her to understand my take on it completely. I'm a person of color and she's not. I'm sure she's never been called a nigger nor been told to go back to her reservation. Yes I have Native blood and I am in no way ashamed of my mixed heritage. But I wasn't born on a reservation, just a nicer term for internment camp. And the times I've been called nigger during my life are too numerous to count. We all have our trials to endure and I do my best to endure mine with my head held high.

But this is what this woman said to me, "No the point is would you tear down the statue of liberty for something that gets started in present day or is it something historic to keep for all time...we'll recent times have destroyed the true meaning of that flag to the point people are willing to tare it down... That is my point... It was a battle flag not a flag for slavery...not everyone fighting for the south in the civil was was for slavery... A ton of southerners helped the enslaved get free." So she basically accused me of trying to destroy our country because I see the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism and oppression. And she refused to acknowledge any of my reasons as valid and talked down to me like I'm an ignorant child and she's going to school me. She kept insisting it's just a battle flag and has nothing to do with racism which is total bullshit.


But she's entitled to her opinion as I am entitled to mine. And I am entitled to have my opinion without my beliefs be attacked, without being accused of trying to destroy our country, without being talked down to like an ignorant child and with just a little common courtesy and respect. I thought we would come to agree to disagree. But as she continued to attack me, I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. And her statement up there that I copied and pasted was the last straw for me. I unfriended her and wished her a nice life.


Do I know it all? Hell no. I do my best to be open minded and grow a little more everyday. Do I know the complete history of the Confederate flag backwards, forwards and sideways? No. But it was obvious she didn't either. But I am not a child and I will not be talked to like one. My life experiences are not all pretty, but they are mine. I have not led a privileged sheltered life and I am grateful for that. It has made me a strong, independent woman and I don't need a friend like her. And all my love and gratitude to my true friends who stand by me even when I am being a little thick. It does happen occasionally.