Confederate Flag

Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-Ill.) was courageously patriotic in successfully persuading Senate members to reverse their vote and deny the United Daughters of the Confederacy a design patent that included the Confederate flag. In his criticism of the Senate’s action, Nat Hentoff (Column Left, Aug. 9) mistakenly argues the point that Sen. Moseley-Braun wants to “wish away” any offensive period in the history of this country. On the contrary, it is Hentoff’s infatuation with the Bill of Rights that wishes to deny that the government has any role to play when it comes to issues of history and morality.

Hopefully, Sen. Moseley-Braun has begun to sensitize the Senate to look at other moral issues such as mandatory minimum sentencing and the subversion of habeas corpus.

ELLIOT SEMMELMAN

Los Angeles

* Question for Sen. Moseley-Braun, who says the Confederate flag “is a symbol of division . . . “ and that it “has no place in our modern times . . . no place in our history”:

Will you also abolish our Stars and Stripes, which has flown not only in defense of slavery and white supremacy but has offended citizens past and present who have found it offensive?

I will continue to wave my Confederate flag, in memory of my ancestors who fought to repel a foreign invasion and to protect their home and family from harm.

DAVID LARSON

Glendora