Letters: Confederate flag only means hate to haters

July 10 was a sad day for South Carolina. Not because the Confederate flag was removed from the State House grounds, but because of the reason it was removed.

To call that flag a symbol of hate is a distortion of truth. It only represents a symbol of hate in the hearts and minds of people who hate. Sadly, people who harbor hate and rush to play the race card now will be motivated to choose their next target with ever more fervor. We are on a dangerous path as we attempt to deny, hide or change history.

As far as I know, even God Almighty hasn’t changed history, although he gives us the intelligence to learn from it and the guidance to improve from its lessons. The first step, after accepting facts, is to forgive and move forward with positive attitudes.

Unless and until those who hate and instill hatred in the minds of others, including their own children, get over perceived injustices, racism will continue to fester. Removing historical reminders and images may give a false sense of victory but will never solve our racial problems.