Are We Missing the Point: Lunch with Louden 6/25/15

The public fate of a confederate battle flag has conventional and social media on fire. In what appears to be a “tipping point” moment after the racially motivated mass murder in South Carolina, public sentiment has found widespread expression in #TakeItDown. Citizens of the United States have rights, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution, to engage in freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. The icon some consider a symbol of heritage is seen by others to be a symbol of a less than flattering moment in American history. In the aftermath of the massacre, Legislators elected to represent the citizens of States across America are discussing the public (not private) fate of that flag. Is that a violation of constitutional rights? Some very big business are getting in on the act, having decided to alter their product line to exclude that flag. Is this attention to the profit margin a violation of American constitutional rights? Many people say it is. Some of my best friends are outraged to the point of resigning themselves to a modern day civil war. They believe the constitution is dead. How is the constitution wounded when our elected do their jobs and profit makers do their jobs? IMHO there is a suspicious amount of drama in this conversation. It takes a lot of emotional capital (or baggage) to inspire war talk. But if this moment is what it takes for us to openly discuss and heal the wounds from the civil war, let's get started. What do you say? *** Visit https://www.facebook.com/LunchWithLouden for “homework” for the show. Join the conversation!