In the ever growing drama on the corner of Water Avenue and Broad Street comes the public debate about what is or what is not a flag, Confederate or otherwise.

So, I checked old notes from history class and with a former classmate, who is much more an expert on the Civil War than I because that’s what he teaches — Old South history. There were seven major flags of the Confederacy: The Bonnie Blue flag, which was blue and had a single star. There  were two battle flags, the CSA Jack, which is commonly known as the Confederate flag with the stars in an x on a red field and the square version of that, known as the “Southern Cross.”

Gen. Robert E. Lee had a flag with two red and a white stripes and 13 stars on a field of blue. The first national flag was seven stars on a field of blue with two red stripes and a white one; the second national flag was the southern cross in an upper corner and a field of white. The third national flag was the southern cross in an upper corner and a field of white with one vertical red stripe at the end.

The photo elsewhere on this website in no way reflects any of these Confederate flags. First of all, there are too many stars. Although the bunting in the photo has holes in the top; that’s just for hanging. Bunting in red, white and blue is very popular as a patriotic decoration.

As to the greater issue of the construction workers’ actions: The guys were on their lunch hour when they made the sign last Friday and placed it on the crane. How many of you remember Johnny Leashore going to the radio station to spew his venom during this lunch hour when he worked for the state? If one shoe fits, then so should the other.

But here’s the real deal. All this drama on the corner takes our attention from the real needs our city has.  But I believe the good people of Selma recognize this type brouhaha and turn their attention to those other needs.