Six Flags Removes Confederate And Other Historic Flags
Responding to the controversy surrounding Confederate iconography, the Six Flags on Friday decided to stop flying the Confederate flag along with other flags in its amusement parks at San Antonio, Arlington, and Georgia, according to reports.
"At Six Flags Over Texas, we strive every single day to make people happy and to create a fun, thrilling and safe family friendly experience for our guests. We always choose to focus on celebrating the things that unite us versus those that divide us. As such, we have changed the flag displays in our park to feature American flags," Sharon Parker, the Six Flags spokesperson said in a statement, according to reports.
Twitter was quick to react to the incident and came up mixed responses. While some criticized the decision, others welcomed it.
“Bad decision. Even took down the Texas state flag. Way to be swayed by cowards. Just rename the park. just made SF irrelevant,” a Twitter user named Elizabeth wrote.
“I don't think they were in any way promoting Confederate views. It was so clearly a reference to the history of Texas. Nothing more. ,” another Twitter user named TX wrote. Several similar tweets followed, some even asked people to boycott the park over the decision.
However, some others favored the decision and termed the move as correct. “It’s great to see six flags woken up, finally to reality. Confederate Flags are Bad,” Mary Frank wrote on Twitter.
Some other Twitter users too expressed their support on the decision.
Many Twitter users also made fun of the decision and asked if the theme park would continue to be known as “Six Flags”
The flags theme park was named after six nations that had at some time ruled over Texas. The flags of these states — Spain, France, Mexico the Confederate States of America and the United States of America were flown at Six Flags over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia. Reports said all flags of the respective states were replaced by the American flag.
The decision of the park came after a Unite to Right neo-Nazi rally turned violent as the car rammed into the crowd, killing one woman and injuring at least 19 others, reports said.
While the opponents of monuments of Confederacy see them as a racist symbol, those in its favor are of the opinion that they honor American history. However, the flags do not stir any controversy in Texas. Both left and right see the flags are seen as a representation of history, Reuters reported.
The park had previously said that white supremacists and neo-Nazis had adopted the battle flag which is different than the original Confederate flag they had at the park, according to reports.
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