I am hurt, angry and disgusted that so much of America has jumped on the “Let’s hate the South, Southerners and all who like their Rebel flag” bandwagon.

It is refreshing to see the thousands of “flag riders” who peacefully protest the attempted systematic destruction of all things Southern.

There is vandalism of Southern monuments, calls for people to go onto the private property of other people and steal their flags; the NAACP has even called for the destruction of Stone Mountain Park, including sandblasting the generals from the side of the mountain, thus proving that the claim that, “We just think it should be in a museum” is a flat lie. Stone Mountain Park IS a museum.

The claim that the Rebel flag means racism just because sometimes the Klan and other such groups wave it around is just plain stupid because these groups use the American flag WAY more than the Rebel flag. MY Rebel flag means precisely what I say say it means – no more, no less.

It means to me Magnolia blossoms and honeysuckle smells, wading in the creek, June bugs and lightening bugs, feeling the cool grass under your feet on a hot day, people holding doors for others, saying “yes ma’m,” collard greens and butter beans.

I know that if these people keep pushing, the good ol’ boys are gonna push back … and it won’t be pretty.

Temy R. Beal

LaGrange