To the Journal editor:

So it’s come to the point where an historic American flag, designed by an early feminist and suffragette, is unsuitable for use as a marketing gimmick by a U.S.-based international shoe company whose shoes are made in China, because the flag represents America’s racist past.

The root of the word slave is slav because so many Slavic people were enslaved during Medieval times.

Countless millions of people have been enslaved throughout history. Thomas Jefferson sent U.S. Marines to free enslaved American sailors held on the northern coast of Africa.

Portugal has the ignominious distinction of starting the Atlantic slave trade in the 15th century.

Englishman Sir John Hawkins captained the first slave ship from Africa to the Americas in 1562. The current British flag dates from 1801, but England didn’t officially ban slavery until 1833, so the current English flag is representative of its history of slavery.

Brazil received more African slaves than any other western country and was the last country in the western world to abolish slavery. The world celebrated Brazil by awarding the 2016 Olympics to Rio.

Has our education system so failed our youth that they are not aware the history of humanity is one of tyranny, servitude and misery? Do they really not know it took the establishment of the United States, founded on Judeo-Christian values, and the concepts of limited government, individual liberty, private property rights, and free enterprise to begin the process to end the practice of slavery?

Visiting a website that monitors youth culture such as campusreform.org and viewing videos of American college students speaking ill of their country can certainly leave one with that impression.

What is the future of a nation which teaches its citizens to hate itself? My guess is it’s probably not e pluribus unum.