This past Wednesday(06/10/20) Nascar announced that the company will be banning the Confederate flag from all races and properties. The company decided to make this plan effective immediately.
NASCAR decided to ban the flag because it doesn’t go along with their commitment to making sure that all of their fans, as well as their drivers, feel welcome and comfortable. Their goal is to make sure people are brought together for their love of racing which is what makes the sport so special.
Another reason why NASCAR decided to ban the flag is that Bubba Wallace, one of their only African American drivers, wanted the flag to be banned from their events. He feels that there’s no place at NASCAR for the flag. When other drivers were questioned about the banning, they refused to take a stand on the issue. They did admit that they didn’t approve of it because it represents racism.
Fans have mixed reactions to the news. Some fans agree with the company’s decision to remove the flag and responded on social media about how they feel about the decision. One person felt that NASCAR made the right decision to ban the flag.
One fan compared the Nazi flag to the Confederate flag and said that the Nazi flag wouldn’t be at German events so the Confederate flag shouldn’t be in US events either. Another poster applauded the company’s decision to get rid of the flag.
Some fans are upset about the decision Nasar has made and has posted about it on social media. One fan, who has been watching the sport since the 70s, wants the company to leave the politics alone. The fan feels that all lives matter and will no longer watch the sport because of the new rule.
Another fan stated that he will bring his own Confederate flag to every race regardless of the new rule. A veteran posted that he and his family are veterans and feel that this is hypocritical since the company allows protests during the National Anthem. As a veteran, he feels offended that the protests are allowed, but the flag isn’t allowed anymore. He thinks that the company has gone too far with this change.
Another fan stated that it wasn’t necessary to remove the flag since it’s just a flag and asked why a flag offended people.
NASCAR hasn’t decided what the penalty will be for anyone who violates the rule of bringing the Confederate flag to any of their events going forward.