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Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS
I thought Kappa Alpha Order flew that flag because they were founded by Robert E. Lee. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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You are completely mistaken.
Some individuals choose to fly it because long before they were fraternity members, they regarded that flag as a sign of their Southern heritage.
However, the Confederate battle flag has never been an official symbol of KA. KA was founded after the Civil War, after Robert E. Lee had surrendered, and after Lee had been appointed president of Washington University. Lee accepted the fate of the Confederacy and worked with the US government after the war was lost.
In the Spring 2004 edition of the KA Journal, a clip was reprinted from the Spring 2001 issue about the Confederate battle flag. (This blurb is not available in the online edition, unfortunately.)
Matt Bonner, former KA Journal editor:
"The Confederate battle flag is an embattled emblem. Those who use it can no longer control the mesage sent out by its use and how they will be perceived. Regardless of how much our members have used the battle flag in the past, the fact remains that KA has never had any official/formal association with the Confederacy or the Confederate battle flag."
The association between KA and Robert E Lee has nothing to do with the civil war. It has everything to do with his personal conduct and example. This is summed up in his "Definition of a Gentleman" which can be found
here.
If you were going to associate any mention of Robert E. Lee with an organization's opinion of the Confederacy, or whatever issue you wish to insert, try setting your sights on Phi Mu. They consider him (with Jefferson Davis and Thomas Jackson) an honorary brother.
The current national president of KA (the Knight Commander), Ben Satcher, Jr has made it abundantly clear that he will not tolerate a KA chapter - collegiate or alumni - using the flag in the Order's name. His comments at Convivium 2006 were unmistakeable. If you really want to hear what the people at the top of KA think of that, their contact information is
here.
I hope this clears up your misconception.
To others on this thread: If you want to decry the Confederate battle flag as racist in and of itself, that is obviously your right. But the cry of "racism" whenever a discussion does not go your way, or you just don't care for someone, is going to become old and ineffective in short order.
Victor Ziegler
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