Letter to Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense - Reps Lieu, Gallego and Brown Urge Dod to Ban Confederate Flags at Military Facilities

Letter

Dear Secretary Esper:

The United States Marine Corps recently banned public depictions of the Confederate flag. As Members of Congress who served on active duty, we request that you immediately order the entire Department of Defense to ban depictions of the Confederate flag in public and all work spaces at installations.

Last Friday, the Marine Corps stated: "The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps. Our history as a nation, and events like the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, highlight the divisiveness the use of the Confederate battle flag has had on our society. This presents a threat to our core values, unit cohesion, security, and good order and discipline." We could not agree more.

The Marine Corps stated that depictions of the Confederate flag are "unauthorized in public and work spaces aboard an installation," and "depictions of the Confederate flag via bumper sticker, clothing, mug, poster, flag etc. are banned from public and work spaces aboard an installation." We request that you extend the Marine Corps' ban of the Confederate flag to the entire Department of Defense.

Sincerely,

Source