There are many specious arguments you publish in your letter to the editor section, but the letter claiming the Confederate battle flag is a "part of Southern heritage" is beyond the pale ("Flag is an emblem of Southern culture," Sept. 16). It's like waving around a Nazi swastika flag and claiming it's "just a part of German heritage." There is only one reason to display the Confederate flag and that is racism, plain and simple.

In fact, if we were really being serious about history, we should remember that the Confederate flag stands for succession or, to give it the more correct name, treason. The Confederate battle flag and anything to do with the Confederacy is by definition treasonous. And as we all know — or should know — treason is the only crime mentioned in the Constitution and the punishment for that crime is death.

So if we're really going to follow the law on this one, any time someone pulls out a Confederate flag, they should be taken off to see the firing squad. And it would still be too good for them.

William Smith, Baltimore

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