The culture wars have more than heated up — they've reached a fever pitch.
These days, social media is the new water cooler, and this line sums up what people are talking about: "My Facebook feed looks like a battle broke out between the confederates and a Skittles factory."
So reads a meme from Someecards.com, which designs e-cards for sharing on social media. The message refers to the vast amount of Facebook and Twitter users sharing their thoughts on the Confederate flag and same-sex marriage.
Passions are high nationwide after two issues forced everyone to re-think long-time institutions.
A white man shot and killed nine black people after an evening Bible study June 17 at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. The tragedy opened a dialog on race relations and possible symbols of division, namely the rebel flag.
Race was a focal point up until Friday, when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to legalize same-sex marriage throughout the country. Then equality and religious liberty were the hot topics.
Race, sexuality and religion are touchy subjects, and that's evident on social media, where battle lines are drawn with hashtags like #lovewins and #lustwins; where the lack of rainbow stripes on your profile photo could raise questions about your stance on same-sex marriage. Or at least make you stick out like a sore thumb.
Too often, the soapbox surpassed advocacy and veered into e-fighting territory.
Children seeing these posts could be forgiven for any confusion.
On one hand, they see that people who support the Confederate flag are racist; on the other, people who don't are race baiters. They hear that people who support same-sex marriage are sending the country to hell, but then people who don't are backward bigots.
It's hard to keep track.
Such vitriol certainly underscores the term culture wars, and North Okaloosa County wasn't excluded from the furor.
Whereas a number of residents see the Supreme Court's decision as redefining marriage, increasingly more people see basic human rights being granted to a group who once felt like second-class citizens.
Meanwhile, Crestview's Confederate flag— flying at the William "Uncle Bill" Lundy memorial at the East First Avenue-State Road 85 intersection— is one of many rebel flags being targeted for removal.
Casting the flag as a symbol of hatred raises concern among Lundy's family members, free speech advocates and others who believe it is a scapegoat amid the country's racial conflicts.
The Crestview Lions Club established the site in 1958 to honor a man believed to be Florida's last surviving Civil War veteran. Some residents have since questioned Lundy's military record, citing Census data that suggests he wasn't old enough to have served in the war.
Meanwhile, I can't help thinking that the United States, this melting pot we call home, is the land of the free and home of the brave. Our differences, in many ways, are what unite us geographically. We can follow our beliefs and dreams, disagree with our city's, county's and country's leaders and voice opposition without fear.
It would be good to remember those hard-won freedoms when debating difficult issues with fellow Americans, fellow Floridians, fellow Okaloosans and fellow Crestview residents.
We're all in this together, geographically. So why not tackle these tough issues together, civilly?
What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BONI: Tackling same-sex marriage, Confederate flag civilly