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This nation was founded by rebels. Yes, some people see the flag as a rascist symbol, but the more you learn about the civil war, the thoughts of the men that actually did the fighting for the south, you'd have a different understanding of what that flag means to southerners and people who dislike federal authority in general. No doubt there was some racial hatred that some southerners held, but the vast majority of the men that took arms for the south were fighting for liberty, the preservation of their way of life, and the protection of their friends, family, and country. This is where the real tragedy of the war is at.
I'd recommend reading "What They Fought For". It's a short read and provides a great deal of insight to what the men from both armies were actually fighting for. You'd be quite suprised there were a significant number of yankees that were just as rascist as southerners, going by the letters of the soldiers.
1st I would argue that the civil war had MORE to do about states rights and the ability of the predominantly Farming Southern States to compete with the industrialized Northern States. BUT.......
A big BUT. The agricultural vs. industrial theory fails to explain why states like Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana etc. didn't revolt. The answer of course is that the rebellion was to protect slavery and those states had no slavery.
The only "state's right" the rebellious states were interested in was the right to own slaves. They certainly had no problem with the Fugitive Slave Law which weakened state's rights, nor with the Dred Scott decision which did the same.
This nation was founded by rebels. Yes, some people see the flag as a rascist symbol, but the more you learn about the civil war, the thoughts of the men that actually did the fighting for the south, you'd have a different understanding of what that flag means to southerners and people who dislike federal authority in general. No doubt there was some racial hatred that some southerners held, but the vast majority of the men that took arms for the south were fighting for liberty, the preservation of their way of life, and the protection of their friends, family, and country. This is where the real tragedy of the war is at.
There's no doubt that many rebel soldiers were duped by the southern elites into thinking they were fighting for something more noble than the right to own slaves. The elites themselves were more open in their motives as can be seen in the secession proclomations of several of the rebellious states, proclomations that make no bones about the fact that they were rebelling to protect the institution of slavery.
Everybody familiar with the war knows the average Federal soldier was fighting to stamp out treason and rebellion not to free the slaves. There's a disconnect of motives here that some people have trouble wrapping their minds around----while one side was fighting to preserve slavery the other side wasn't fighting to end it.
I think its right that those kids were suspended. I also think that its important that people understand exactly what that flag symbolizes - hatred, bigotry and the most disturbing and embarrassing part of our country's history.
Flying the confederate flag is the same as someone from Germany parading around the swastika. They both have the same meaning and symbolizes the same hatred and most embarrassing parts of both countrys history. You dont see anyone in Germany still parading around with swastikas do you? If you do, I can guarantee they are not doing it to show national pride or honoring what they consider to be "a great part of history". They do it because they know it symbolizes hatred.
I showed the above post to a friend who is from the south who grew up with the Confederate Flag everywhere and thought no big deal of it. After the comarison to the Nazi Swastika she understood. Agreed that the kids should have been suspended.
I dont think we should compare slavery and the confederate flag to what the Nazis did to the Jews and the swastika, Slavery was wrong, I don't condone it and their treatment was terrible, but the were not led into rooms by the masses and gased and burned to death, remember 6 million jews were brutally killed in the holocaust, its not even remotely the same. I believe these boys should be punished though they were obviously trying to start trouble. If they were supporting their southern heritage and had a flag on their truck everyday then no I dont think they should be punished but they apparently did it for this speciific day, Here in virginia in my county the school have a rule about wearing the confederate flag on there clothes in school but there are a lot of kids who display it on their cars. In fact I see quite a few trucks at the high school with large flags displayed in the truck beds that are there everyday. Slavery was not just confined to the south, There were a lot of Northerns who owned slaves too. I think the meaning of the confederate flag has been turned into something ugly, when men got together and decided to establish this flag I dont think they sat around and said lets make a flag that shows we own a bunch of slaves and we are racist. The flag was originally made as a battle flag, the flag that everyone thinks of when you say "rebel" flag is the one we are discussing and is just another version of the battle flag, which there are many different confederate flags. The flag was established to show separation from the states and that the south had formed there own union. That is what the true meaning behind the confederate flag is not some ugly racist symbol.
To the above poster, please lets not start comparing what group experienced more atrocities than another.
For all of those feeling so warm and fuzzy about the flag; although, it offends millions, why such a reaction to Wright's statements?
Basically you're saying the confederate flag is a Southern thing, you just don't understand. Wright's statement is a black male, united church of christ, 60-something, veteran thing, you just don't understand. Same thing, right?
"If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it" -Abraham Lincoln
It wasn't about slavery, Lincoln never freed any slaves (the border states were not covered under the emancipation proclamation, nor were the Southern states under his control, so he freed no one with it, it was purely propaganda to get more support from abolitionists) and the Confederate battle flag doesn't represent slavery/racism/etc.
I would sue. While the Confederate battle flag is a disgusting symbol of low class redneckism and offensive to everybody except inbred rednecks and other assorted Jerry Springer white trash, the 1st Amendment says that the government (in this case a public school) cannot tell you not to display it unless they ban the display of ALL flags and symbols including that of the United States. And that is how it should be.
OMG I AGREE with KEVK. (I dont like the confederate flag) But I think it is a part of our history in disagreements with our federal government. Also I'm sure over time the confederate flag means alot more then just pro-slavery and was intended for other reasons as well.
PS no waving of the communist flag... that is like saying I want to use the 1st amendment to promote non first amendment. But they should still graduate school and the school probably taught them all they wanted to know about communist ideas anyway.
Happened to me too, just the other day. What's this world coming to?
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