Here at Those People, this month’s theme is origins. And in keeping with that theme, the shooting in Charleston took us right back to the origins of our nation when we saw images of Dylann Roof posing with the Confederate Flag.

So, let’s talk about the ol’ Stars and Bars.

As of today, the Confederate Flag still flies above Southern Carolina capitol building. A lot of people argue that it stands for nothing other than hatred, and that it should be taken down.

But across the Atlantic, our German friends have taken a more drastic route. After WWII, the Allied forces started a pretty serious denazification campaign:

Since then, Germany has upheld the decision that the dangers of Nazi ideology resurfacing outweigh any claim to ‘free speech’, and have banned all Nazi symbolism. Distributing Nazi symbols as propaganda can get you three years in prison.

Maybe the Germans have the right idea. Maybe Mitt Romney’s suggestion to voluntarily lower the flag in South Carolina, or Amazon pulling flags from the stores isn’t enough. Maybe we need to make it official.

So, should we enact a nationwide ban on the Confederate Flag?

We asked a few of our friends. Here’s what they had to say:

Shaun King

Justice Columnist at Dailykos
“Bring them down. Bring them all down!”

Sierra Mannie

Columnist at TIME.com
“…yes, white ancestors died defending their rights”

Dimitri Dube

Dallas Criminal/Civil Defense attorney
“…states and politicians can make the choice to reject these messages.”

…so, what do you think?

Let’s keep this conversation going. Tell us your stance by writing a Response below. We’ll promote the most interesting, insightful, and provocative ones.