Creek Speak | Page 48

nominee was approved or to prepare another nominee. The United States government is notorious for being slow, so overall this would improve the efficiency of government because less time would be wasted on arguments between the legislative and executive branches. Finally, another benefit to the new amendment is that it would prevent the Supreme Court from inadvertently delivering unfair decisions, such as in the case of United States v. Texas, where the justices ended up in a 4-4 vote. A tie vote causes the case to be returned to the decision of the lower courts, which is not necessarily the correct ruling. Therefore, the new amendment would progress justice for the citizens and states. Limiting the amount of time the Senate has to deliberate would reduce the selfishness of government, improve its efficiency, and deter ties in the Supreme Court. Citizens would be able to have confidence in the Supreme Court, instead of a constant fear that landmark cases would end in the tie. So everyone would benefit, except maybe the Senate. The Confederate Flag: Symbol of Hate or Heritage? by Colista Bird Hoisted in the forefront of charging Confederate soldiers, thrust in the terrified faces of runaway slaves, used as a symbol for all the South stands for, the Confederate flag has quite a history. The meaning of the Confederate flag has evolved over time. The question now, however, is the real meaning behind its display. The use of the Confederate flag from a historical perspective is very important in considering its modern meaning. Once used during the United States Civil War to represent the Confederacy, the Confederate flag symbolizes much more than what is seen at a first glance. The Confederate states were eleven states that chose to secede from the Union. The reason for this secession is still a heavily-debated topic to this day. Many say that the southern states seceded due to the issue of slavery and the threat to their economy and way of life. Others say that the reasoning had to do with states’ rights. However, if this argument regarding states’ rights is used, one question must be kept in mind: what did the states need rights to do? The states in the southern United States wanted to keep the right to own slaves, whose