Letter to the Hon. Kenneth Braithwaite, Secretary of the Navy, and Admiral Michael Gilday , Chief of Naval Operations - Senator Duckworth Calls on Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Guard Bureau to Ban the Display of the Confederate Battle Flag

Letter

Dear Secretary Braithwaite and Admiral Gilday:

I write to request that the U.S. Department of the Navy (USN) prohibit public displays of the
Confederate Battle Flag and eliminate any honors that could reasonably be interpreted as
commemorating or celebrating any enemy force, foreign or domestic, that engaged in armed
conflict against the U.S. Armed Forces and sought to destroy the United States of America.

The Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (USMC), General David Berger,
eloquently described why the USMC would ban the public display of the Confederate Battle
Flag:

"I ask every Marine to understand that I fully accept my duty and responsibility to help build
this team. That means I must identify symbols or subcultures that degrade the cohesion that
combat demands of us. It is not enough to show up; we fight to win. Failure to accomplish our
assigned mission has never been an option for Marines.
In this vein, I have determined it is time to act to exclude from our Corps public displays of the
battle flag carried by the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. In doing so, I am
mindful that many people believe that flag to be a symbol of heritage or regional pride. But I
am also mindful of the feelings of pain and rejection of those who inherited the cultural memory
and present effects of the scourge of slavery in our country. My intent is not to judge the specific
meaning anyone ascribes to that symbol or declare someone's personally held view to be
incorrect. Rather, I am focused solely on building a uniquely capable warfighting team whose
members come from all walks of life and must learn to operate side-by-side. This symbol has
shown it has the power to inflame feelings of division. I cannot have that division inside our
Corps."

This action is long overdue. Honoring the "lost cause" of those who waged war against the
United States of America, or defending the right of an individual State to allow its residents to
own, sell and kill fellow Americans as property, has no place in our Nation, especially the U.S.
Armed Forces which waged a deadly war to eliminate the barbaric practice of slavery.

Critics of banning the public display of the Confederate Battle Flag may accuse me of seeking
to "erase" history. Nothing could be further from the truth. My own family has ancestors who
fought for the North as well as some who fought for the South. The Civil War tore apart my
family as it did so many others. Banning celebration is distinct from education. Remembering
our history and more importantly, learning lessons from that history to avoid future mistakes,
has nothing to do with displaying a symbol of past enemy forces, preserving statues that honor
enemy forces or insisting that we name installations or platforms after former commanders of such enemy forces.

Unfortunately, our education system has failed far too many of our Soldiers. These Americans
were taught that the Civil War was not about slavery and actually a war over "States' rights."
Textbooks and curriculums perpetuating this myth often fail to dig deeper and students are left
to wonder what rights States were willing to die for? The right to dance? If it was not a war
fought over a State's right to sanction the killing, owning and selling of African-Americans --
what was it about?

Of course, those who have studied the Civil War know that this narrative is a pernicious, deadly
myth perpetuated by those who failed in their effort to preserve slavery and tear apart our
Nation. Addressing that foundational deficiency in how we educate our children is beyond the
scope and mission of the USN. However, making sure every Soldier truly understands what the
Confederate Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia represents does fall squarely within
your purview. As does banning this divisive symbol which represents hatred and bigotry that no
American should aspire to glorify. Ignorance cannot be an excuse.

The USN should demonstrate moral leadership in acting swiftly to prohibit the public display
of the Confederate Battle Flag, rather than waiting on Congress to force such action. Thank you
in advance for your consideration of my urgent request.

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