The Confederate Flag is a very controversial symbol. Many people believe that it is a symbol of racism and oppression while others think it is a symbol of southern pride. One of those people is Anthony Bauswell, who is a 18 year-old from Arkansas.
He wanted to join the Marines, but he was rejected because he has a Confederate Flag tattoo with the words “Southern Pride” on it. When Anthony’s recruiter saw the tattoo, he told Anthony that he was automatically disqualified. Anthony is hurt by the experience.
He stated that he feels bad that the government will not allow him to serve the country because of his tattoo. The Marine Corps has a policy that forbids people from having tattoo that can be deemed as racist, offensive or sexist. That is why the Confederate Flag tattoo is not allowed because it offends many people.
Anthony insists that he is not racist, and neither is the tattoo. He also stated that the reason he has “Southern Pride” on the tattoo is to show that it is not racist. The Marines have standards, and they have a right to reject someone if they feel that he or she has a racist tattoo.
