Taking The Dukes of Hazzard Off The Air Solves Nothing

I've been giving the Confederate flag a lot of thought lately. Many people have. Ever since the church shooting in South Carolina, the flag has been a hot button issue that everyone wants to weigh in on. There have been calls to remove them from state capital buildings in the south. Wal-Mart stopped selling anything with the flag on it. Heck, even NASCAR supports a ban on the image. I have no need for the Confederate flag. I'm not from the south, I don't identify with that culture. When I see the flag I think 'Civil War...The South...slavery.' That's just me. I'm OK with the flag being taken down from certain locations. But yesterday, the line was crossed.

TV Land announced it was taking all episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard off the air. The reason? The Confederate flag on the top of The General Lee. I grew up watching the show. I loved the General Lee and wished my parents would drive just like the Duke boys did. They didn't, but it didn't stop me from dreaming. There comes a certain point in a societal argument when the naysayers 'jump the shark', or go to far. In my opinion, yesterday was it. I'm all for getting rid of images of the Confederate flag if that image was causing harm or offense. But who is The Dukes of Hazzard offending? The reason the show remains popular today is it's innocence and the fact it's harmless entertainment. As you might imagine, the reaction has been swift and harsh towards TV Land. And maybe that was their plan all along. Do something so crazy that people will talk about the network and then, we'll bring the show back. Surprising? No. But this isn't how we solve any issue, flag related or otherwise.