Ethics of Racism in America: Confederate Flags and Language Analysis

This essay discusses the current state of racism in America, highlighting its historical roots and contemporary manifestations. It examines the impact of the Trump administration's policies and rhetoric on racial inequality, focusing on the experiences of Black Americans. The essay analyzes the ethical implications of the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism and the use of the "N" word, arguing that these perpetuate a history of violence and oppression. Drawing on Kant's theory of race and empirical studies, the essay emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of racism and its relationship to racial inequality, advocating for policies and actions that promote equity and justice. Desklib provides a platform for students to access similar essays and study resources.

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At the origin, racism is regarded as an ideology of racial discrimination whereby the
supposed biological or ethnic superiority of one or more racial groups is applied in order to
justify the inferior treatment or position of other ethnic groups in the society. Although race
may preferably be considered as ethically neutral, it has become highly saturated with
falsified implications which tend to disguise the actual worth of the character (St Jean &
Feagin, 2015). The following paper will discuss current situation of America in dealing with
racism. Additionally, it will shed light on the underlying factors related to racism and
implications of its conclusion. Lastly, it will analyse whether the ‘confederate flag’ of
America exhibits any kind of racism and whether the use of “N” world is ethical.
For over fifteen decades after the 13th Amendment had obliterated slavery in the
United States, majority of US inhabitants found prevalence of the slavery heritage chiefly on
the position of the Blacks in the American society. According to Huber (2016), the United
States has not been able to experience major progress towards racial inequality because of
scepticism, predominantly amongst the Blacks concerning to the implications whether the
Blacks will attain equal rights and privileges like the Whites. As per reports, President
Trump’s support in the 2016 campaign has clearly exhibited racial discrimination with high
xenophobia. Scholars have claimed the achievement of Trump as a consequence of economic
anxiety. However, it has been argued that while considering anti-immigrant sentiment, racism
is intensely linked to the support of Trump (Bobo, 2017). Meanwhile, comprehensive studies
have found that Blacks chiefly exhibit low-spirit regarding nation’s racial progress.
Pew’s report has mentioned that 56 per cent of Americans agree to the fact that
Trump’s governance has severely worsen the relations within the nation, while 28 per cent
has argued by claiming his progress towards improving racial linkages in the country.
According to studies, Trump has initiated his presidential campaign with a speech which
described Mexican immigrants as deviants or rapists with a prohibition on all Muslim

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population entering in the United States. Such a stance has been perceived as an ethical issue
in itself, thus worsening the racial situation of the country and immorally upholding its
slavery heritage (Trepagnier, 2017). Furthermore, Trump governance has making immoral
comments which are widely interpreted as racist or ethically insensitive while white
nationalists and neo-Nazis are directly holding rallies in the United States. Considering that
Trump is responsible for these racial issues, many Republican have been viewing racism as
well as racial relations as significant problem.
Taking into consideration America’s deep-seated social and racial discrimination, it
has been extensively claimed that people of colour chiefly the black Americans have been
facing acts of racism and disproportionately show higher likelihood to live in impoverished
neighbourhoods. However, Kant’s theory of race in relation to the attempt of understanding
the nature of hereditary principles use priori reason as well as inadequate empirical
knowledge Although, it is certain to note that the Trump administration has deliberately
harmed communities of colour by undermining their privileges, it is imperative to note that
America is only 5 decades segregated from the period when disparate treatment and prejudice
of the Blacks has been openly state-sanctioned. According to St Jean and Feagin (2015), in
the United States, the lived experiences of black and white mothers as well as children tend to
differ immensely. The Whites in the American society have been and will possibly continue
to be disparately valued and situated in the American society and thus they show likelihood
to live in chiefly different constructed settings which are greatly insusceptible to wealth as
educational attainments. The underlying causes of worsening racism in America relates to the
resolute and recurrent declarations through policies and actions claiming that places where
black people inhabited tend to be highly susceptible to receive less support and resource
(Trepagnier, 2017). Blacks in the United States have always been disproportionately
beleaguered by deprivation driven deviant acts and violence and are consequently under-

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policed yet excessively criminalised, preyed, devalued and exhausted. Comprehensive studies
have found fiendishly increased pressures and cost of the Blacks forced to navigate systems
as well as environmentally which that not only have been designed to equitably incorporate
as well as support but has been established in order to execute on the racial legacy of socio-
economically excluding them while simultaneously manipulating their communities.
The most argumentative of American emblems has been associated with the
Confederate flag which has been rooted in the history of racism and segregation in the South.
According to Strother, Piston and Ogorzalek (2017), regardless of recent efforts in
eliminating it from statehouses and vehicle license plates, the emblem has been accepted way
beyond its founding region. The Confederate flag’s representation at Trump election rallies in
2016 has often inscribed his name thus strengthening its association with “Make America
Great Again” brand of xenophobia and only appealed to number of privileged disaffected
white people. Meanwhile, many have claimed that Confederate flag in recent times have
reflected the 21st century arrogance through its American identity. Such an identity has only
paid attention to the fragmentary independence of the White settlers of Appalachia. Thus,
flying a confederate flag to underline grievances of the Whites is nothing but an unethical act
which reflects racism by different approach which tends to show act of redefining patriotism
of the country as the welfare of white Americans.
The notion that Whites cannot refer to the “N” word as the whole system had been
enforced by a vehement system of repression in which Black slaves who did not act in the
way the Whites wanted the Blacks to be beaten and devalued. The “N” word represents word
of violence and oppressions which must be reclaimed to understand the issue of moral and
ethics against the Blacks. Chae et al. (2015) have noted that Blacks have the right to have
their voices heard and their presence to be distinguished in every facet of the society.

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To conclude, instead of simply observing overt categorical hostility or explicit racist
actions, there is a dire need of developing a nuanced understanding of racism and ways in
which it operates and most importantly to what extent it relates to racial inequality in the
United States. The underlying causes of worsening racism in America relates to the resolute
and recurrent declarations through policies and actions.

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