Hello, my name is Byron Thomas. I'm the University of South Carolina Beaufort student, that refused to removed/take down my Confederate flag, from my dorm room window. I want to make one very strong point clear, I didn't do anything for attention. People think I did it for money, but I didn't earn a dime; and matter of fact people made money off me and my video. When people wanted to pay me, I turned it down, because I didn't want anyone thinking I was in it for the money (to be honest I probably should have taken it to help with my college education, but its all good). A lot of people assumed a lot of bad things, but If i didn't do my video, most likely my flag would have came down. I did my video because in my mind, I thought/believed that the American way is to fight for what you believe in. To be a MAN and stand up in your beliefs, and not back down. But unfortunately I learned that a lot of Americans want to dictate other Americans opinions or actions. That's why I love this great country, because we all have that freedom of free speech. I just don't understand why people want to take other peoples American rights away. Whether you like the Confederate flag or not, it was my right to keep my flag in my window. I'm saying this with full respect. Now people will argue that the Confederate flag is racist or not racist, but the way I see it only something with a beating heart can turn an object that can't say a word into a racist symbol. I sleep under my flag every night, and its never woke up and tried to hurt me because I'm black. If a group of people are being racist with their Confederate flag, that's THEIR flag not MINE because I'm not using/showing my flag as a racist symbol. Its a shame that this all started with some parents who assumed I was white and racist. That's a racist mind set, because why does every white person with a Confederate flag have to be viewed as a racist? America talks about racism against black, asian, and hispanic people; but why can't we ever talk about racism against white people? Martin Luther Kings dream was for everyone/every race not just Black Americans. Again, if one person is being racist with a symbol, don't judge someone off someone else's actions. Give people a chance. I know a lot of white people who are afraid to display their Confederate flags because people will judge them automatically as a racist. We don't like the racist ones who make a symbol bad either. The question is, why do we give the bad the power to dictate symbols? Why can't the light out shine the darkness? Well America, I'm not going to give the bad racist people the power to scare me away from symbols. That's why I didn't take my Confederate flag down because if I would have taken it down, It would have been a statement to me that my Confederate flag is racist. I'm not racist so my flag isn't going to get labeled as a racist symbol. I'm not a band-wagoner and I know tons of black people hate the Confederate flag (and have called me a disgrace to the black community and an Uncle Tom), but if I'm going to dislike something, I want to dislike something with my own knowledge and opinion. Just because your black, white, hispanic, asian, or whatever; doesn't mean you have to hate something because someone else your skin color/race hates it. We all have our own minds. I was taught that the Confederate flag was racist, but when I saw white people with the symbol. They never was mean to me. Matter of fact they was always very nice to me and became very great friends to me. I'm thinking "now wait a minute, ain't they suppose to hate me, since they are carrying a racist symbol???" My whole opinion changed and I was never again going to judge one persons actions on another. I would go to their house and their family would treat me with great respect and kindness. Its all about respect, if I respect you, hopefully you will respect me. America we just have to change for the better. I love America a lot and people say "why couldn'