Springfield, Missouri resident Jeffrey Tindle says his neighbors are wrong to complain about the Confederate flag and noose hanging outside his home, because it isn’t racist.

According to Raw Story, neighbors were shocked to see the pieces outside of Tindle’s house. On Monday, Justin Clopton told reporters his neighbor had gone too far. Pairing a noose with the Confederate flag sends a hateful message to those who pass through the neighborhood, he said.

Raw Story reports:

“In my opinion, it’s racist,” Clopton said. “I love the history of this country, but there is a lot of history of this country that is really despicable, and that noose represents bad things in the South. The way I look at it, a noose means lynching.”

Tindle sees things in a different light. He claims the noose was for his brother in an effort to teach him about knots. As for the flag, he says it’s merely a dedication to his American roots. He doesn’t believe his display represents racism, because he has African-Americans in his family.

“Representing my southern heritage and my southern pride,” Tindle insisted to the station as he hung the flag. “The Confederate flag, the rebel flag, whatever you choose to call it, it does not stand for racism at all. It stands for pride and heritage. We have African-Americans in our family we don’t hate them.”

And while the noose has been removed, Tindle vowed to leave the flag.

“Do all you can do to get it down because without some kind of a law it ain’t coming down,” he remarked.”

Tindle took the flag and noose down after reporters inquired, but hung the flag back up a few hours later.

SOURCE: Raw Story | VIDEO CREDIT: Inform

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