MAIL:

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I would like to comment on the Confederate flag in the window of Matthews Hall in the Yard. The Confederate flag is not a symbol of positive Southern spirit; it is a symbol of slavery and racism and expresses the desire for the South to return to its pre-Civil War state. People who display that flag should know the difference and find another way to express allegiance to their state and region.

Would Harvard's Jewish community stand by if a swastika were being displayed in someone's window? This is not a trite parallel. Both symbols stand for a hatred and violence that has not died.

In either case, I believe that not just the Black or Jewish community should be outraged, but the whole Harvard community. If this is supposed to be an institution of higher learning, we should never stand for racism, which always comes from ignorance.

Take the flag down.