Is the Confederate flag RACIST

This question seems to be at the root of some ongoing debate, but without it being fully expressed.



If I read current events correctly, it's assumed the Confederate Flag is racist, ipso facto the people associated with it are racists, and subject to whatever punitive action that can be inflicted upon them.

So, is there a sound basis for it being labeled "the official flag of racists"? Is the history so very cut-n-dry?



It seems like a bit of both, a small minority group has usurped the flag, an icon that has wider appeal.

Usually, a subgroup specific flag would be more unique, with maybe just an extra feature blazoned on it. Just spray paint a star in the middle or whatever...

Look at ISIS flag, it says what it is right on it. Is this Confederate flag been adopted to include people who simple view or as historical or a heritage item.

a reply to: FlyingFox

Is the Confederate flag RACIST

Duh.

Well if we're talking about the Charlotte protests, there were people trucking around with swastikas, so I don't think that was about the confederate flag.

As far as whether the confederate flag was racist, I could be totally wrong (if so, someone will correct me), but I thought those flags were basically put away after the civil war on account of the fact that the South lost, and didn't see the light of day again until the civil rights movement. If that's the case, it seems the sentiment is pretty clear. But like I said, I don't know the history as well as others.

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: FlyingFox

Is the Confederate flag RACIST

Duh.

Ok...uhh, HOW?

a reply to: FlyingFox

Did you ask it? Multiple tries may be needed.

Inanimate objects being racist. Is this a new meme or have I been absent from popular culture for too long.

If we as a society are going to keep attributing mistakes in history to simple objects, we will have nothing left. If we are going to gloss over context and time to make an item the object of our aggression, we will have nothing left.

My feelings and beliefs have always been that Confederate was SOUTH and Union was NORTH. I went on a Gettysburg tour several years ago. They explained the civil war. There were Black and White soldiers fighting together.

You look at the trivial crap that starts wars in other parts of the world, and wonder why people act so irrational. If someone in America becomes angry when they see a Confederate Flag, they hate-filled anyway, and just need reasons to express/release their evilness.

People usurp things for racist ideals.

The swastika has a long history before WW2, and a Jewish woman I know (some years my senior) has told me there were German car company logos on the ovens, in the camps.
I do not know if the oven logo story's are true, or false.

But I know in the 70s, not long after the civil rights movement, the confederate flag was not in the contention it is in now.
Nor was the display of it (at least publicly) thought to be racist.

y'all are cute trying to defend the confederate flag. it's got an almost mystical, security-blanket like quality for some folks. do you think if the south won the war your lives would be better, or what? :/

The flag is not racist.

The tiny minorty of southerners were slaveowners, yet the entire confederacy was branded racist.

Think for a moment here. The winners write history. The confederacy stood for MUCH more than slavery, although the deep state would not like you to believe it. Brand it all 'racist' and banish it from history one piece at a time.

I don't see any black on that flag, it must be racist.

My Civil War relative's statue:



Won't be coming down anytime soon.

originally posted by: FlyingFox

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: FlyingFox

Is the Confederate flag RACIST

Duh.

Ok...uhh, HOW?

1 - The confederacy was racist. Again, duh.

2 - The meaning hasn't changed. It's not an innocent symbol of "southern pride". Plenty of proud southerners totally understand this.

3 - It's not relative to the person using it. If I spit on you because it's a gesture of love in my twisted brain, would you respond well to it?

4 - It's a flag that was specifically used in response to fight de-segregation.

5 - KKK and tons of reconstructionist Nazi organizations use it.

6 - Again, duh.

7 -

originally posted by: FlyingFox

Now see, that is justified moral equivalency.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: FlyingFox

Did you ask it? Multiple tries may be needed.

Inanimate objects being racist. Is this a new meme or have I been absent from popular culture for too long.

If we as a society are going to keep attributing mistakes in history to simple objects, we will have nothing left. If we are going to gloss over context and time to make an item the object of our aggression, we will have nothing left.

A lot of people that think the Confederate flag is racist, don't even blink an eye when they see the American flag being burnt or desecrated.
It doesn't matter to them at all. That's the problem I have with them.
I have no opinion on that flag whatsoever, it was before my time...it's not my flag, Old Glory is my flag.
If people want to fly 10 Confederate flags or rip 10 of them to shreds, I don't care either way.
And I will say STFU right now, to anyone that tries to call me a racist.
But I am sure it's coming.

Simple answer: no, but it is sometimes used by racists as a symbol.

Complicated answer: depends on ones pov. Black americans usually see it as racist. Many other southerners see it as a purely cultural symbol. Some extremists/racists see it as a symbol to rally behind. And a few fringe see it as a symbol that stands against overbearing federal government.

And people outside the old south generally dont get it.

a reply to: FlyingFox
Yes. They can be used in museums to show what countries should not do, but they should not fly from ANY official US building. EVER.

The wrong side lost. They were pretty evil in their intent.

a reply to: pirhanna

I could certainly agree to that.

A question, how does one perspective get to decide for everyone?

originally posted by: RazorV66

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: FlyingFox

Did you ask it? Multiple tries may be needed.

Inanimate objects being racist. Is this a new meme or have I been absent from popular culture for too long.

If we as a society are going to keep attributing mistakes in history to simple objects, we will have nothing left. If we are going to gloss over context and time to make an item the object of our aggression, we will have nothing left.

A lot of people that think the Confederate flag is racist, don't even blink an eye when they see the American flag being burnt or desecrated.
It doesn't matter to them at all. That's the problem I have with them.
I have no opinion on that flag whatsoever, it was before my time...it's not my flag, Old Glory is my flag.
If people want to fly 10 Confederate flags or rip 10 of them to shreds, I don't care either way.
And I will say STFU right now, to anyone that tries to call me a racist.
But I am sure it's coming.

All of those flags can be burnt, it's just cloth. It wouldn't be nice to rip any of those flags from private property and burn them though. That is trespassing and theft and also vandalism after the fact.

people believe whatever they will and their feelings tend to blind them to how silly it really is and how dangerous it is to draw attention to certain things just to appease those feelings.

terrorism is born of desperation, isolation and anger... this will only end badly if people keep acting on irrational emotions and being hypocrites, hating what they fear.

racism might be bad but most racists are either that way due to a parent or friend or just a bad experience with another race when they were younger, in the end responding with hate and anger compounds their negative feelings and violence will happen eventually because they will feel justified that their paranoia was right after all, that people are targeting them just like they thought.