An Inglewood store has had its supply of confederate flags depleted after a local woman took measures so others would not have to see the controversial symbol in the shop’s windows.
Heather Campbell says she was driving home along 9 Avenue Southeast on Monday night when she spotted a confederate flag in a window.
“It was jarring,” recalled Campbell, a resident of Inglewood. “I actually went back to check to make sure I actually saw what I thought I saw.”
Campbell says she returned to the store, Shoulder to Shoulder Militaria & Collectibles, on Wednesday to have a ‘neighbourly conversation’ with the owner.
“The conversation was not very neighbourly,” said Campbell. “He refused to take down the flag and I said ‘Okay, how much is it?’. He said $19.95. I asked him how many more he had. He said a dozen or so and I said ‘Okay, I’ll take that one and all the rest of them’.”
“I found myself the owner of an unfortunate number of confederate flags.”
Campbell says she placed the flags in a bag in her basement where they will remain for the foreseeable future. She has no plans for the flags.
“I don’t know of any reasonable purpose to have a confederate flag, a pretty unfortunate symbol of bigotry and hate, out.”
The owner of the store, who declined CTV Calgary’s interview request, claims the ‘Stars and Bars’ is a military flag and he can sell what he wants in his shop.
Frank Towers, an associate professor of history at the University of Calgary, says the flag, which was not the flag of confederacy but the flag of the army of Northern Virginia, has been a lightning rod for controversy at different times throughout its existence.
“It’s extremely controversial because, first of all, the confederacy fought to keep people enslaved for life,” explained Towers. “We have to remember this is treating people like a commodity, being able to buy and sell them.”
“Back in the 1950s and 60s, during the civil rights controversy, the flag is political. By the 70s and 80s, that stuff has faded a bit and it’s back to being a cool thing to have.” Towers points to the flags use in pop-culture including musician Tom Petty’s concert tours and the hood of the General Lee, the car in the Dukes of Hazzard television show.
In 2014, nine African-American churchgoers were murdered in an AME church in Charleston, South Carolina by a white man who was a vocal champion of the confederate flag who wrote of racial supremacy on social media and in his manifesto. Following the mass murder, South Carolina removed the confederate battle flag from its state house.
“We’re in a heightened, politically sensitive time because mass murderers kill people in the name of the confederate flag,” said Towers. “There are times when it gets really politicized. We’re in one of those times right now.”
“For people who’ve had it around, it’s just one of many fun flags and things they’ve got. They’re offended because they think they’re victims of political correctness.”
“For people who look at folks getting murdered in the name of that flag, they’re deeply offended by its casual display in public.”
Should the store continue to restock its supply of confederate flags, Campbell has no plans to make additional purchases.
“I live in Inglewood and those people are 35 kinds of awesome,” beamed Campbell. “I trust my neighbours and Inglewoodies, as most people know, are all sort of half-activists anyway. They will sort that out.”
“I don’t think I will ever have to purchase another one.”
