Sometimes the worst of events in our country spark acts of heroism and bravery, while other times those acts lead to disappointing overreactions.

Nine people were gunned down in a racially motivated attack inside a Charleston, South Carolina church, June 18, 2015. Decent Americans everywhere were sickened by the senseless loss of life, and almost immediately we began to examine the things that might have been contributing factors to this slaughter of innocent people. Calls for stricter gun laws, assistance for the mentally ill, and a better understanding of our racial differences all got considerable discussion in the aftermath of the tragedy. There are no easy answers.

Then something happened that, in my opinion, instantly moved the discussion sharply away from the important events that had just occurred, to an 'instant scapegoat' - the confederate flag. Under no circumstances am I in favor of a symbol of the bigotry and hatred that gripped the American South for generations, I just question the timing of the outrage.

Nine people are dead and the best we can do is talk about a flag? Don't they deserve better? There is a time and a place to remove the confederate flag from our existence, but to make that priority number one in the wake of this tragedy was misguided to say the least.

But the absurdity hasn't stopped there. Now TV Land, in direct response to the confederate flag controversy, has decided to pull The Dukes of Hazzard from its lineup. Why? Because Bo and Duke's main source of transportation, the General Lee, has the confederate flag painted on top. Does anyone think this is an appropriate response?

Full disclosure here - I have never seen a single episode of the show, which last aired 30 years ago. The debate over whether the show was any good is not mine to engage in. But to pull a show under these circumstances may be one of the biggest overreactions of all-time. I shudder to think of what show will be the next to go thanks to some flimsy connection to something someone has a problem with.

One of the stars of The Dukes of Hazzard, John Schneider, said it best in a YouTube video:

We have an opportunity to use this tragedy as motivation to make this into a more informed, more compassionate, and less violent nation. Don't allow the conversation to be hijacked by anyone or anything counterproductive.

Nine dead Americans deserve better than that.

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