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What's REALLY behind the debate about the Confederate Flag?
All this talk about "Heritage" doesn't ring true when folks discount the issue of slavery and all the terrorism and savagery that kept it in place.
Perhaps it's more that the Confederacy never died?
The Confederacy is still very much alive. It was never dismantled after the Civil War.
How would we feel if Nazi Germany INSISTED on continuing to fly that bloody swastika?
Perhaps the bigger questions are:
1. ) Can people ever fully let go of their pride of white supremacy?
2.) Can people have a larger concept of themselves to draw their identity from?
The flag represents the most bloody war for Americans. No war has ever cost so many American lives.
And people are going around saying their proud their ancestors fought against tyrannical Abraham Lincoln (someone the same people oft praise). Even more hypocritical, the tyrannical Abraham Lincoln was against human slavery
It's naive to think there is no racist undertone. The flag is the symbol of racist. Skin heads and KkK for decades. People may not mean it to be racist, but for decades many racist groups have and continue to use it as such.
I agree with the swastika flag analogy. Some people probably have very, very fond dreams of being a nazi. The pride, the prosperity. But there was a dark side, even of peaceful proud Nazis had no part in it
I have no idea why people display Confederate flags. Probably because Pa and Grandpa did, who knows?
I appreciate the irony of Walmart pulling Confederate items from their stores, since Walmarts are the most likely places to find people who purchase Confederate paraphernalia in the first place. Think they'll boycott Walmart?? Nahhh, don't think so.
I grew up in the deep south. I saw that flag displayed a lot, even owned a wallet and a beach towel with one on it as a young adult and never really associated it with the KKK or slavery or anything; it had just somehow become a regional symbol. I took pride in being Southern the way New Yorkers take pride in where they are from. Just a human nature social thing. Then I found out the flag was actually used by the KKK and other racists and I threw away the wallet and beach towel and haven't bought anything else with it since. That's what I don't get - why others don't just say "oops - my bad". It turns out it really doesn't have much to do with our heritage anyway.
We have a quandary about heritage. Regionalism is somewhat encouraged in the US; we are proud to be "from Wisconsin, doncha know" or "Bahstun" or wherever. But when you have a dark past in your region, it is hard to know how to show respect for where you are from without showing respect for the culture it once housed. Waving that flag definitely sends the wrong message.
I grew up in the deep south. I saw that flag displayed a lot, even owned a wallet and a beach towel with one on it as a young adult and never really associated it with the KKK or slavery or anything; it had just somehow become a regional symbol. I took pride in being Southern the way New Yorkers take pride in where they are from. Just a human nature social thing. Then I found out the flag was actually used by the KKK and other racists and I threw away the wallet and beach towel and haven't bought anything else with it since. That's what I don't get - why others don't just say "oops - my bad". It turns out it really doesn't have much to do with our heritage anyway.
We have a quandary about heritage. Regionalism is somewhat encouraged in the US; we are proud to be "from Wisconsin, doncha know" or "Bahstun" or wherever. But when you have a dark past in your region, it is hard to know how to show respect for where you are from without showing respect for the culture it once housed. Waving that flag definitely sends the wrong message.
Good post. And maybe one reason they never exhibit that "oops - my bad" moment is because they don't want to admit they were wrong. Human nature for some, to deny our own mistakes.
Moving the subject toward states rights a bit, I and many others still believe. I believe in a smaller federal government and strong state government. If you look at the true definition of a confederacy, it's a government formed of allied states (as in nation states) or parties. While that's not exactly what most want, it's not too far off. One good example of a state ustilizing its power is Colorado and the legalization of marijuana.
Moving the subject toward states rights a bit, I and many others still believe. I believe in a smaller federal government and strong state government. If you look at the true definition of a confederacy, it's a government formed of allied states (as in nation states) or parties. While that's not exactly what most want, it's not too far off. One good example of a state ustilizing its power is Colorado and the legalization of marijuana.
I have serious mixed emotions about states rights. Pot and gay marriage are examples where I think it was a good thing. It allowed more liberal states to lead the way, or potentially experiment and fail, with policies that the country may or may not be ready for or may or may not make sense. But then there are states like Kansas and Wisconsin, where it depends on which channel you watch or site you read as to whether you think they prove or disprove that tax breaks for the wealthy help the economy. I think that in WI, it is becoming pretty clear it failed because the coffers are basically empty. But I can't say that for certain. I like states as idea incubators, but I dislike the idea of the of an EU like confederacy. Certainly no state should have its own armed forces; even the dual control model of the national guard and the state defense forces some states have makes me a little nervous.
Moving the subject toward states rights a bit, I and many others still believe. I believe in a smaller federal government and strong state government. If you look at the true definition of a confederacy, it's a government formed of allied states (as in nation states) or parties. While that's not exactly what most want, it's not too far off. One good example of a state ustilizing its power is Colorado and the legalization of marijuana.
Yeah, but Colorado doesn't want to give you the power to own another man. Big difference.
What about the terrorism and savagery carried out under Old Glory? For example, many native americans have the same feelings about the US flag as african americans do about the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Northern Virginia. No one in this country is completely innocent...why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
White supremacist groups have also co-opted the number 88...should Dale Earnhardt. Jr. change the number on his race car because of that? Or by keeping it, does he become a de facto white supremacist?
In any case, the talk about the flag is merely a smokescreen to keep the conversation off the real topic: gun control. The flag didn't kill anyone, and controlling flags won't solve the problem. Controlling guns will.
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