Flag trouble stirs again. (law, gangs, move)

[Jardine8]

Originally Posted by sammyreynolds1977

I agree with your that they aren't racist in of themselves. But what that flag symbolizes can't be denied.

I agree that it is a symbol that has been tainted by decades of history and should be retired to museums, much like the flags of Nazi Germany. I think that for some (but not all) it has become sort of a symbol of rebellion against 21st century America and represents a link to the times that the klansman in my quote above lived in. I prefer to move on from those times.

[GrandviewGloria]

Now, with people from outside TELLING Mississippians to change their flag, is not the time for change. Mississippi should keep that tacky old Dukes of Hazzard thing, just to irritate the Yankees.

Keep, the flag, just for SPITE. And I'm not joking.

However, if outsiders were not trying to force a new flag upon Mississippi, I would go with what my Decorator and Ad Man have come up with: a simplified version of the Greek Wave design: http://www.borderchoice.com/images/p...62b37ef635.jpg

Imagine a white 'sky', interlocking with a blue 'ocean/river', below. The blue would be a pretty azure color. I like it, because it's calming and cooling. It would be pleasant to see such a flag waving in the breeze. Such a flag would look classy and expensive. It would be as if Ralph Lauren, Mississippi's Moses, had caused his design team to create a visual theme for us.

That's enough for ME: but most people demand symbolism, too. The Greek Wave flag would symbolize the 'Mighty Mississippi' river, the sparkling waters of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, and the myriad beautiful lakes and waterways of my home state. And it would honor the Greek Democracies from which our own democracy springs.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by GrandviewGloria

Now, with people from outside TELLING Mississippians to change their flag, is not the time for change. Mississippi should keep that tacky old Dukes of Hazzard thing, just to irritate the Yankees.

Keep, the flag, just for SPITE. And I'm not joking.

However, if outsiders were not trying to force a new flag upon Mississippi, I would go with what my Decorator and Ad Man have come up with: a simplified version of the Greek Wave design: http://www.borderchoice.com/images/p...62b37ef635.jpg

Imagine a white 'sky', interlocking with a blue 'ocean/river', below. The blue would be a pretty azure color. I like it, because it's calming and cooling. It would be pleasant to see such a flag waving in the breeze. Such a flag would look classy and expensive. It would be as if Ralph Lauren, Mississippi's Moses, had caused his design team to create a visual theme for us.

That's enough for ME: but most people demand symbolism, too. The Greek Wave flag would symbolize the 'Mighty Mississippi' river, the sparkling waters of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, and the myriad beautiful lakes and waterways of my home state. And it would honor the Greek Democracies from which our own democracy springs.

A flag modeled from a swimming pool tile pattern.......

Be hard to irritate most people with that, but someone will find a way to be outraged. They'll remind us that some folks used to be drowned in the river or that some folks used to be 'sold down the river', or that slaves had their roots 'way across the ocean, or maybe that we're trying to make fun of California; don't worry, there will be something to set 'em off.

[jhadorn]

Many people who vehemently defend the Confederate flag do so because it is human nature to defend themselves and their culture when attacked. Many of the people who do so are not racist, and don't even correlate the flag with racism. Many atrocities also happened under the flag of the United States of America against Native Americans, Irish, Chinese, Jews, and Italians, but it's not convenient to remember this.

One of the most telling facts regarding the civil war and slavery is that slavery was not an issue UNTIL AFTER the south threatened to secede from the Union. Hell, New York City was built with slave labor, slaves were traded in Boston...

Slavery in the North

Slavery isn't just a Southern thing, nor is it just an American thing. It has happened all over the world. It's OK to acknowledge your history... just learn from it. That's the important thing, not what happened nearly 200 years ago.

With that said, I signed the petition that's going around to remove the Confederate symbol from the Mississippi state flag. I am just as southern as anyone, but the flag itself is unimportant to me. It's holding us back. Fair or not (it's not fair), people make judgments about you based on that flag and your attempts to defend it. They use it as an excuse to exercise their air of superiority over you, while they ignore their own shortcomings. Let's get rid of the flag.

[okie1962]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

A flag modeled from a swimming pool tile pattern.......

Be hard to irritate most people with that, but someone will find a way to be outraged. They'll remind us that some folks used to be drowned in the river or that some folks used to be 'sold down the river', or that slaves had their roots 'way across the ocean, or maybe that we're trying to make fun of California; don't worry, there will be something to set 'em off.

Really? I don't see too many people complaining about other state flags.

[jhadorn]

Originally Posted by okie1962

Really? I don't see too many people complaining about other state flags.

I think he's alluding to the fact that people like to find fault with Mississippi, since it's kind of the whipping boy that makes the rest of the nation feel great about themselves. Not that we don't have plenty of faults... everyone does.

[okie1962]

I'm not trying to be mean, but Mississippi really does have an identity problem. If Mississippi were to get rid of its current flag and replace it with something that was not controversial, I think it would be a step in a positive direction. I think this would be a great opportunity for Mississippi to show rest of the world that they are marching into the 21st-century and not hanging on to the 19th century.

[okie1962]

Originally Posted by jhadorn

I think he's alluding to the fact that people like to find fault with Mississippi, since it's kind of the whipping boy that makes the rest of the nation feel great about themselves. Not that we don't have plenty of faults... everyone does.

yeah after going back and reading it I see his point. I guess they could always make the flag just beige, might be boring but not offensive! LOL

[jhadorn]

Originally Posted by okie1962

I'm not trying to be mean, but Mississippi really does have an identity problem. If Mississippi were to get rid of its current flag and replace it with something that was not controversial, I think it would be a step in a positive direction. I think this would be a great opportunity for Mississippi to show rest of the world that they are marching into the 21st-century and not hanging on to the 19th century.

I agree, see my previous post.

[okie1962]

Whether you agree or disagree with the Mississippi flag, there is one thing we can agree on, since South Carolina has removed the rebel flag from his Capitol grounds, all this attention over the flag will now be shifted toward Mississippi. it will be interesting to see how Mississippi handles this.

Something a lot of people may not realize, but the rebel flag used to fly on the capitol grounds in my home state of Oklahoma. We took it down a few years back