Confederate Flag Draws Criticism, Protests

reply to post by Southern Guardian

The confederate states declared independence from the Union to preserve the 'blessings' of slavery, as made abundantly in their declarations;

Among many other reasons, all having to do with states preserving their rights over Federal law. And among them all states recognized the immediate dismissal of slavery as economic destruction..

Confederates had slaves. No one denies it. But it wasn't the primary motive for war. nothing to do with apologist.. all to do with understand and comprehending history.

Still got to wonder why people are ok with someone flying an enemy flag. That's what the confederate flag is, it's the battle flag of an enemy of the United States.

Would it be ok if someone flew a flag that represented Al Qaeda? I know that some fly the Nazi flag and to me that's offensive.

So, why is it ok to fly that enemy flag?

The reason his flying of the con. flag is seen as racist is due to it's history, and how it makes others feel. Imagine driving through a neighborhood seeing this flag waving and feeling scared, feeling like you can't stop for gas in such an area.
No matter your politics, I live in the "north" and people who fly this flag unashamedly will tell you it's a racial thing. If it was about freedom then use the "don't tread on me" flag or something, the con. flag always has been and always will be associated with pro slavery sentiment. Like it or not, that's the truth.

So basically we have a group of people harrassing a woman over a flag that they percieve as an insult? She has the same rights as them, what makes them so special? She should sue them for harrassment and be done with it, everyone else does......if this was about a rainbow flag being taken down the ACLU would already be there. This isn't about history, though a few could take a chance to learn something about it....every time one of these threads comes up it turns into a big drawn out blame whitey thread. How about we stay on topic once? White person flys flag, black people harass her, end of story. Not one of thos e people were slaves, nor did they know any personally......if this must be removed, I'd move to see all of the special rights and priveledges afforded blacks in this country negated......everything equal, no all black anything, I bet that doesn't happen anytime soon.

reply to post by adifferentbreed


So just because Whites stopped owning slaves everything is just magically supposed to be forgotten, and all the setbacks and difficulties associated with being a descendant of slaves are not relevant? What sort of bubble do you live in?
Racial discrimination still happens, everyday. It's just disguised because the law now says you can get in trouble for openly discriminating against someone.

I will further state that unless you are upper middle class or wealthy you most likely have more in common with the majority of Blacks in this country than you do with say, Palin or Reagan.
Divide and conquer.
Hate is just the angry side of fear.

reply to post by siahchi


And how long do the apologies go on for? Just wondering? Seems if you want to be equal, you'd expect to be treated equal, not special.

reply to post by HomerinNC


I am a staunch supporter of Free speech, and this falls beneath that banner, I am afraid. For one, the Stars and Bars never flew over a battlefield, it was in fact a Navy standard, you can research this for yourself. To me the Stars and Bars represents Revolution against tyranny. The War was not about, or over slavery, anyone who reads knows that, it was al about the rights of State to do business without having say so from Washington. For instance, I live in Ohio. My government is in Ohio. Not in Washington D.C. I too fly the flag, and dare anyone to try and make me take it down.

reply to post by autowrench


Free speech is great, but the people that generally fly that flag aren't too interested in other people's freedoms at all. I know I know "heritage not hate". Which would be fine if it wasn't completely full of [snip].

The simple truth is, it's a flag of an enemy of the United States. It simply is. The confederacy was an enemy of the United States, we went to war with this enemy. In my opinion, not cool to fly a flag of an enemy of the United States.

I mean there is only one place that flag is really appropriate, and that is painted on a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger. Then, and only then, in my opinion is that flag cool to have around.

Case in point...



Cool

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b26783c5990d.jpg[/atsimg]

Not Cool

Is it really hard to understand?

Originally posted by HomerinNC
(SUMMERVILLE, S.C.) -- Residents of a predominantly black South Carolina neighborhood marched this weekend to protest the display of a confederate flag outside an area home.

The flag, which hangs outside the residence of Annie Caddell, a white woman, drew criticism from the crowd who says it represents Civil War-era sentiments of racism and slavery.

www.wapi1070.com...

I wonder how many of these people realize the Confederate flag, shown here: midtncouncil.files.wordpress.com... is a BATTLE FLAG, it does not represent RACISIM, BIGOTRY or SLAVERY. It was a flag the TROOPS CARRIED IN BATTLE.
I love how all these idiots protest something they know NOTHING ABOUT....

Here, read a little, and educate yourself:
12angrymen.wordpress.com...

FYI, I live in North Carolina, but I am FROM New York

Whatever else they may be all those variations of the Confederate flag are legitimate history. I see no reason to think "slavery" every time one is seen.

tt

reply to post by adifferentbreed


Who said anything about apologies? I simply stated how a person could see that flag as a symbol of terror. Some people see that symbol and it sends them the message that the person flying that flag wishs it was legal once again to torture and rape, and force to work a different group. Like another poster said, imagine a nazi flag waving in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood- talk about the ACLU taking something down fast!
What's more, this lady lives in an area that is of Afrikan majority. Sounds like she's trying to stir the pot to me, and she got what she asked for.
Also, the don't tread on me flag is way more appropiate given the tea party rhetoric and mythology many racists seem to have wrapped themselves in. Flying the confederate flag sends the message to all non whites that the person who displays it doesn't take kindly to your type around here. Like it or not, that is the how it's perceived by the majority of people in the world, let alone the states.

reply to post by siahchi


Exactly, the confederate flag, no matter what it used to symbolize, currently has other associations. White supremacist groups predominantly use that flag for their rallies. No matter what it used to symbolize, today it symbolizes racism, slavery, hate, and intolerance.

I can understand a person using the Don't Tread On Me flag. It's completely appropriate, doesn't currently carry the same stigma as the confederate flag, and as far as I know doesn't offend anyone.

reply to post by Misoir


I would agree with you but this country is slowly turnning into mob rule. those days of indpendent voices are slow fading away

That flag is nothing but the Confederate battle flag that Beauregard had made. I think it came from Virginia. I would have to look it up. The woman has every right to fly it whether they like it or not. Flags are just that, flags. Some may say that it represents fighting for slavery but I personally believe it represents the battle over tyranny. Just my opinion nothing more.

The United States is still an endlessly fascinating nation: On one hand the citizens have the right to fly whatever flag they like, and ascribe whatever they wish to it. On the other, the citizens have the right to read whatever they wish into their fellow citizen's choice of flag.

Nobody is legally in the wrong, and that's the best part of all of this, brilliant!

Now my Union Jack has flown over the oppression and extermination of far more people than the Stars & Bars, but the connotation is different between them today. I think this is due to the fact that the UK is the US's closest ally while the Confederacy was, as was mentioned before, an enemy "nation" that the US wiped from the face of the earth and reabsorbed into themselves.

I find it odd I guess that there are still Americans who wish to associate with the obviously loosing power here, and a forgone nation that nobody living ever was a part of. In England you do not see people flying the Protectorate Jack for instance.

What's done is done, and the Confederacy will never be reformed again as it was, perhaps it is just time for both sides to bloody well move on and focus upon the problems of today instead.

reply to post by ProjectJimmy


Like the issue of federal governments breaching their way into the rights of local and state governments and more importantly the citizens of the country they are suppose to represent?

Pfft, what the hell does THAT have to do about the civil war? It was all about black people because this history book I read in 8th grade said so.

Originally posted by SpectreDC
reply to post by ProjectJimmy

 

Like the issue of federal governments breaching their way into the rights of local and state governments and more importantly the citizens of the country they are suppose to represent?

Pfft, what the hell does THAT have to do about the civil war? It was all about black people because this history book I read in 8th grade said so.

Did I say anything of that nature? Not at all, and while I do hate to support your ethnocentric view of American exceptionalism, we did actually learn about your civil war in primary, but it was a much more nuanced view than the one you say.

What my issue here regards is that the Confederacy was completely and wholly defeated by the Union, their cities burned, troop formations destroyed and lands undeniably conquered. Why focus on a dead country that will never be again, that is my question?

The same people who fly the Confederate Flag - - - would be horrified if someone flew a Swastika Flag. Meanings are changed by real events in life. It should be banned from flying in public. If history buffs want to celebrate its historical meaning - - they can do so within their home.

The Oldest Known Symbol

The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for over 3,000 years. (That even predates the ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ankh!) Artifacts such as pottery and coins from ancient Troy show that the swastika was a commonly used symbol as far back as 1000 BCE.

The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.

history1900s.about.com...

reply to post by SpectreDC


So when white supremacist groups like the KKK use it in their marches it's a sign of state rights and freedom from tyranny?

well im from indonesia, with 1 parent asian, 1 parent westener...

Nevertheless I find that the confederate flag just looks cool and nicer then the US flag. It somehow has a feeling of "fighting hard against the odds"

Yeah, the swastika is a bad bad symbol. The attempted genocide it flew over has stained it for all eternity.

Just as Old Glory did here in America. To a Native American. Like myself.

If you don't like my Confederate flag, don't look at it.