A poll released Nov. 5 shows some U.S. citizens believe students should be allowed to wear Confederate battle flags to school but not gay pride flags.
Public Policy Polling, which tracks public opinion, reported 43 percent of the respondents are in favor of students wearing the battle flag. Only 28 percent supported students wearing the gay pride flag.
In response to a question, “Do you think it’s more appropriate for high school students to wear gay pride flags or battle flags to school?” only 9 percent sided with gay pride flags while 38 percent supported wearing the battle flag.
The battle flag has, for many people, become synonymous with white supremacists groups. During the Civil War, the Confederate states used the battle flag to distinguish its troops from the Union ones. The flag of the Confederacy too closely resembled the U.S flag in color, so soldiers used the battle flag. Later, groups such as the Ku Klux Klan adopted it, permanently searing it in the world’s psyche as a symbol of racism.
The poll reported the findings of three questions about students wearing the battle flag and the gay pride flag. The majority of the respondents, 72 percent, are white. Hispanics made up 11 percent of the poll, while blacks made up 11 percent.
