[ACC25067]

If all three firefighters had been black, I very much doubt anyone would have wanted to change it, outside of some hardcore white racists. Remember the flag-raising at Iwo Jima during World War II? When the American public found out one of them was a Pima Indian named Ira Hayes, most whites were fascinated and took this as a hopeful sign of America’s inclusion of native people. Hayes was treated like a hero and widely welcomed in speaking tours all across the United States that raised funds for war bonds. If the firefighters had been black, I have no doubt they would have similarly been asked to speak all over the country and help raise funds for worthy causes by both black organizations and those aiding disaster relief. There might have been a few people grumbling, ‘Yeah, it’s only cuz they’re black, how typical,’ but they would have been in the minority.

What I think has been missing from the discussion is: Why were there only white firefighters raising the flag? New York is not exactly short of non-whites, but apparently their Fire Department is virtually whites-only. It seems like people complaining about the change are mostly whites who are resentful or fearful of non-whites. It also seems to me that some people found the image more heroic precisely because the firefighters were white.

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Name : ACC25067, Gender : M, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : Phoenix, State : AZ, Country : United States, 

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