The Flag of Treason

Last week, the unthinkable happened.

Well, I shouldn't describe it like that. Thousands of people thought about it enough to make it happen, millions of people supported it, and many observers had been warning about it for weeks. Clearly it was on people's minds. But that doesn't make it any less incredible.

The President of the United States instigated an armed coup and assault on Congress, specifically and explicitly to disrupt an otherwise boring procedural footnote in the process of replacing him as President. The Capitol building was invaded and sacked for the first time since 1814.

As I write this, many of the more visible insurrectionists have been arrested. What will become of them in our "white guys are always lone wolf victims when they do something bad" judicial system is unclear. It's also unclear what if any consequences will befall those who orchestrated this horrific event, from Trump and his inner circle to Senators Hawley and Cruz to the 140 House Republicans who still went along with the charade of objecting to a free and fair election after the attack was over to the right-wing media who repeated Trump's lies for the past half-decade to the social media moguls who did jack all about it for the entire time. All deserve to be held accountable for their disgraceful actions. Many deserve jail time.

But in all of the reporting of this crime against the country and the American people, there is one image that sticks in my mind the most and cuts the deepest. There is one image that makes my blood boil. And it is this:

Man carrying confederate flag past the Senate chamber

(Credit: © Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

I cannot begin to describe the level of rage I feel at that sight, and what it represents. It is, ultimately, the defining image of the coup.

What flag now?

To clarify, we are specifically talking about this flag:

What not everyone realizes, especially those who fly it, is that the Confederacy never flew that flag as its "national" flag. There were three flags of the Confederacy, only two of which included something similar to the flag above in the canton. In order:

1861:

1863:

1865:

All of those, however, ended up appearing too similar to the flag of the United States when viewed on the battlefield. Instead, A square version of the "X-cross with stars" was flown only by the confederate army, and in particular by the Army of Northern Virginia (commanded by General Robert E. Lee). A rectangular version was flown by portions of the navy.

This turns out to be particularly important: What most think of as the "Confederate Flag" was never a symbol of the rebel states. It was a symbol of the army and navy of the rebel states.

Let's refer to the constitution

The US Constitution defines only one crime outright, that of treason. Specifically, Article III Section 3:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.
The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.

Why is treason the only crime defined? Because in Europe at the time for the past several centuries it was common to define treason as "disagreed with the King in public," or whatever other excuse was convenient to apply it as a way to eliminate enemies of the King, and often their families as well. The authors of the Constitution were well aware of that practice and wanted to actively avoid that sort of abuse, so defined treason very narrowly, set a high standard for it, and limited the potential punishment for it to the individual in question.

What's that about levying war...

Refer back a few paragraphs and we noted that the "X-cross with stars" flag, or "Rebel flag," was specifically the military flag of the confederate rebels. That is, an organized, armed, funded military that actively attacked government military outposts and battalions, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

That is, an army that levied war against the United States.

That is, committed treason.

That is, from its initial use, the meaning of the "confederate flag." Treason. Specifically, treason in the name of upholding racial slavery. Whatever people today may try to wax poetic about "states rights," the leaders of the rebels minced no words in saying that the rebellion was specifically and explicitly about racial slavery.

We should recognize the rebel flag for what it is: A symbol of treason, committed to uphold racial slavery.

There is no doubt much positive to be said about the southern United States pre-Civil War. And much negative to be said, too. And the same unquestionably applies to the north. I do not begrudge someone a desire to embrace a heritage that is of mixed approval when viewed through a modern lens. After all, there is no culture in history, ever, that is without its less pleasant attributes that we would today condemn. Not even yours.

But that's not what the rebel flag represents. It does not represent "southern heritage." It represents treason in the name of racial slavery.

The flag of treason

That flag, specifically, was not a symbol of "southern heritage" during the Civil War, either. Its use as a symbol dates from the first half of the 20th century, when it was taken up as a rallying point against racial integration, in support of racist laws, and in otherwise perpetuating the "slavery junior" that was created after the Civil War.

That is a flag of racism and of treason. It has no other meaning on these shores. It has no other name I will acknowledge.

An estimated 320,000 American soldiers died fighting against the flag of treason. Over five bloody years, their sacrifice successfully kept the flag of treason out of Washington, DC.

And Donald Trump's supporters casually carried it past the portrait of Senator Charles Sumner. For those who don't know their history (like the man in that photo), Sumner was a pre-Civil War Senator from Massechusetts, an ardent anti-slavery advocate, and was beaten nearly to death on the Senator floor by South Carolina Congressman Preston Brooks for being vocally anti-slavery.

History has a way of rhyming.

There is no greater offense against the United States or the American people than to fly the flag of treason, except perhaps to do so in a government building.

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

The Army of Northern Virginia levied war against the United States. That is treason. Its flag is a symbol of treason in the name of racism. Nothing else. To fly it is to "adhere to" the Army of Northern Virginia and ally yourself with its treason and participate in it.

Those who participated in the coup assaulted (that is, levied war against) the United States. They attacked the central government building with clear intent to kidnap or kill elected government officials, and brutally murdered a law enforcement officer. (I guess Blue Lives only matter when they're killing black people.) That is an act of treason.

The man in that photo is guilty of treason. Period. There is no other word for it. Those who joined him in that outrageous act are guilty of treason.

There is no reconciliation or healing with traitors. There is no moving on. There is only accountability.

If you fly the flag of treason, you are a traitor and I will call you such. There are no exceptions. Treason is a crime, for which all should be held accountable.

Treason is not protected by the First Amendment.

When the Democratic demonstrators rioted and committed real crimes in the summer, they were released without punishment! What kind of double standards !?

As far as current events go, you have no proof that they were Trump supporters! Over there, Among Trump's supporters there could be people, professionals in their field, who know how to work in such conditions and commit provocations! I think the doors were opened for them to enter. I think the crimes that were committed there were committed to frame Trump and these peaceful demonstrators!

I recommend that you study this topic better. I understand that this may be difficult for you. You have an almost fascist state, where there has been no freedom of speech for a long time. The media around the world, including USA, are in bad hands. Trump could help you survive in the new world, and he will. Democrats have no resources and they are not competent. They have already been written off. They will no longer be able to obtain resources from their military bases around the world!