Compared to the southern states, the Confederate flag isn’t seen that often in western New York, but some people do fly it.
A man named, Randy flies the flag above his pool at his home south of Buffalo.
“It's American culture and history. I just want to stand up for our ancestors and everybody else. It's a part of our history,” said Randy when asked why he flies it.
That history includes the Civil War. A history some would like to get past.
“It was a flag that was used to identify the Confederate Army and the purpose of that army was to keep people enslaved,” said Darius Pridgen, the president of the Buffalo Common Council.
When asked if the Confederate flag has anything to do with race, Randy said, “absolutely not.”
While the two people we interviewed may not agree on whether or not it's appropriate to fly the flag,
they do agree Americans have the right to fly it.
“It's a free country,” said Randy.
“People should be able to fly whatever they want to. However, when the do fly it, they must understand that other people feel that they are advertising and remembering the hate that went into the confederacy,” said Pridgen.
