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Leave. Let’s let them leave, those who hold the Confederate battle flag high, who defend monuments to Rebel leaders who took up arms to defeat the Union in 1861.

Theirs is not a heritage to be celebrated. The Confederates were an alliance of states, banded together in rebellion against the United States, their mother country. Their military leaders were former U.S. officers who renounced their citizenship and resigned their commissions. They were traitors who committed treason. The monuments raised to commemorate them are vile celebrations of their loyalty to the cause of slavery and their betrayal of the Constitution they were sworn to uphold.

The memorialized generals rebelled against the United States, invaded our country and attacked and killed our citizens. This is the history some honor, of men who chose slavery over country.

Like Benedict Arnold, they are traitors all and to be scorned, not celebrated. They chose bondage for blacks over hope for humanity. They quit our nation to fight it in defense of owning Black people.

There is nothing good to say about them.

This pride in heritage and history is an honoring of traitors, of men who did not honor the stars and stripes but instead turned their back on the U.S. flag, our Constitution and our government.

Glorifying the history of Confederate leaders glorifies traitors. This is fact: by February 1861, months before Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office, seven states had seceded, had left the Union.

Those who today honor and uphold the actions of the Confederacy are anti-Federalists. They are against the United States.

It is time to reduce their choice, name their calling and have them live up to the heritage they hold so dear.

The facts are indisputable. Leaders in southern states, specific individuals, turned treasonously against their government, our government.

Leave. Their champions today need to leave the country, renounce their citizenship, go to a place where traitors and racists are welcome.

They don’t want to be here. I don’t want them here either.

They can take their flag, their monuments, their heritage and their convictions and go.

Good riddance to them.