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I'm learning that free speech only seems to apply to liberals. I only fly the Stars and Stripes....anyone have a problem with that ?
While I agree with that, slavery is wrong. Any religion, person, or culture with sense knows that. Being homosexual, things like that, are basically up to the individuals. But, all over the world, slavery is wrong. And we're sending our own troops to places that seem to not understand that.
Are people up north so ignorant of the South & Southern heritage they don't even know what a Confederate Flag represents???
The Mississippi State Flag is a Confederate Battle Flag! I guess that means everyone in Mississippi and their governement are a bunch of racist?
Give me a break! Learn a little history before you condemn something.
With all due respect, pretty much everybody in Mississippi were racists. That was one of the toughest states for minorities to earn civil rights in. I believe that's why that idiot state still has that flag as their symbol. While I'm sure the majority of Mississipians are not racists now, I would venture to say that their percentage of racists vastly dwarfs almost every other state's.
As a young black male living in the south, I really do take offense to the confederate flag. To me, it is a symbol of what the south stood for at that time, which was free labor off of the sweat of another man. Although I somewhat understand what people say when they claim they're just "proud" of their heritage or what not, when was the last time you saw anyone with a swastica flag hanging from their door? Or a swastica headband? Or swastica bumper stickers?
You are sadly misinformed, Bramma99. While I think we can all agree that slavery was and still is an abominable institution, let's take the emotion out of the argument for a moment, and look strictly at the facts.
What flag flew over every single ship involved with the American slave trade?
Who offered a Constitutional amendment to guarantee ownership rights to slave holders, provided the South stay in the Union?
Name for me the northern states where slavery was abolished prior to 1865.
Who suggested to men like Frederick Douglass, that they set an example and leave the United States?
Like other from my heritage, I take offense to things such as the pledge of alleigance, and the stars and stripes. The Union flag is what soldiers marched under when they completely destroyed the Shenandoah Valley, Richmond, Charleston, etc. The yankee rag today is hated worldwide, and if you think that we are not slaves to bankers and big business, you are mistaken.
They are fine, but at the right time and at the right place. Confederate flags belong in the south. I have no problem with S. Carolina flying them at the state house, it is part of their past and culture. My only qualm is when I see them here in Minnesota, especially in exurban Minneapolis. A yankee who supports the lost cause, what a farce.
Not giving an opinion, just something I've noticed and heard....people north of Mason-Dixon Line sometimes use the Confederate symbol as Americanness, ironic but true. Last year in one of Philadelphia's New Jersey suburbs, the local government passed laws the citizens felt were too sympathetic and tolerant of ILLEGAL aliens and droves of people showed up in protest in front of city hall, some of them holding Confederate flags saying they want to keep their city American. Here in Maryland during one of the school walkouts by illegal students (or by anchor babies...same thing in my view), some of the American students brought confederate flags to school to show their anger as these actions.
I'm not white nor am I from the "Real" South (Maryland is not considered southern even by people in Richmond) so its not in my position to judge what the Confederate flag represents to Southerners to wave it. But it IS a symbol of the South, and I increasingly see "southern" (and Midwestern) as more authentically AMerican. Like when a politician like Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Edwards or George W. Bush has a slight twang it makes them seem more down-home American to me and I can identify with them more. Maybe by extension this is why some people in the North wave the Confederate flag when they feel their American culture is being threatened...and while I'm not a racist I can understand the kind of fear and anger those people feel. I've seen my own communty flooded by illegals and lot of us don't even recognize our town anymore.
Who sold those Africans into slave labor for the southerners to use back in the 1700-1800's?
Read your history. Southerners did not go to Africa and round up people to put on those ships. Yes they bought them once on this side of the Atlantic, but did not put them there.
For two hundred years, 1440-1640, Portugal had a quasi-monopoly on the export of slaves from Africa. During the eighteenth century however, when the slave trade accounted for the transport of about 6 million Africans, Britain was responsible for almost 2.5 million of them.
I haven't read all the posts but does anyone know the history of the Swastika? It is over 3,000 years old and is a symbol used in ancient Greece, Germany, India and other countries - yet to the last few generations it has become a symbol of bigotry, intolerance, hatred, violence and death....If someone wanted to hang swastikas all over their front yard, I doubt if anyone would care to know or discuss the history of the swastika because it has a very negative connotation for our time and would be very offensive to Jewish people and others.
Individuals may have internalized different positive emotions based on southern history and culture that the Confederate Flag conjures up, but to some it is an offensive symbol of hatred, bigotry, slavery, oppression and violence - therefore, I am against the flying of the Confederate Flag in public areas. If you love it, display it in your house.
As a young black male living in the south, I really do take offense to the confederate flag. To me, it is a symbol of what the south stood for at that time, which was free labor off of the sweat of another man. Although I somewhat understand what people say when they claim they're just "proud" of their heritage or what not, when was the last time you saw anyone with a swastica flag hanging from their door? Or a swastica headband? Or swastica bumper stickers?
With all due respect, pretty much everybody in Mississippi were racists. That was one of the toughest states for minorities to earn civil rights in. I believe that's why that idiot state still has that flag as their symbol.
While I'm sure the majority of Mississipians are not racists now, I would venture to say that their percentage of racists vastly dwarfs almost every other state's.
I don't doubt it was hard for minorities in the past there.
I agree, it's unlikely the majority of modern-day Mississippians are racist, yet more than 2/3'rds or 3/4's of them voted to keep their state flag sometime after 2000.
So either that gives ground to the notion that many people, if only in some southern states consider the flag a symbol of something other than racism...
OR
Considering the vote, one could believe this actually proves that the overwhelming majority of Mississipians are still racist.
I personally think the latter statement is kind of ridiculous and highly unlikely in modern times.
We can argue the facts about the Civil war, all we want too. But the fact remains is that that flag held the Africanised Americans down as slaves in the beginning. Their Dignity was taken away with that flag. That Flag stood for more then just the south. It stood for the ignorance of Americas people. For over a hundred and ten yrs, that flag took away their lifes. And what rights they deserved. And even after they gained their rights. They were segregated, Outcasts in society. And still today , Theres still people that believe that the flag represents White power. Theres still prejudace morons that need to be kicked in the head what they believe. To me, I love the south, But I hate the errogance, Ignorance and Hate that that flag stood for.
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