Jul 19, 2015 2 min read

I was moved by Gerald Fontana’s July 12 letter concerning the removal of the Confederate flag from many sites. If it’s true that it’s been removed because people view it as a racist symbol, then the stripes and 48 of the stars on the American flag will be next.

There is a group that would view the flag as racist – Native Americans, the only true Americans.

People whose ancestors were Lakota, Cherokee, Seminole, Sioux and others could view Old Glory as racist. Forty-eight of the 50 stars represent land that was stolen from them, and 13 of the stars represent the original colonies, where policies were created to remove Native Americans from their own lands and dismantle their culture.

I see no groups or politicians supporting a solid blue flag with only two stars. Why? Because it’s preposterous. As Southern curmudgeon Robert D. Raiford puts it, we live in the “United States of the Offended.” We should all get back to being Americans, and try to make this country as great as it once was and could be again.

Surving hardships like the Native Americans endured used to be at the heart and soul of our nation. We need to get that mentality back and run with it.

Frank Trapuzzano

Washington