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Thank you Ani for educating me on what the Confederate Flag means to some southerners. I am curious how do you know if a flag is being displayed because of pride or racism. I see a lot of people with Confederate flags, stickers and license plates and I always assumed it was because they were racist. Sorry if this is a stupid question.
It's not the honoring, it's the symbology. Symbology which has been hijacked, abetted by our ancestors whether by active participation or silent tolerance, by groups and individuals with evil agendas.
Fly the flag if you wish to honor whomever you like. That's the beauty of being an American.
I prefer a less offensive tribute.
If the Stars and Bars is offensive that's because its likeness has been stolen by certain hate groups as their symbol. Does that mean we have to just give up on the flag now? I don't think so. What better way to combat the ignorance and hate then by flying the flag and educating people about its real meaning?
This is very similar to what happened to the swastika. Hitler stole this ancient Hindu symbol and used it to represent his evil regime. Does this mean that Hindu's should never use the symbol themselves again??
In fact, I'm glad for a Hindu neighbor who painted this symbol on his front door. At first, in my ignorance, I was appalled and shocked. But after taking the time to find out what the symbol was really all about I LEARNED something, and now I see the swastika in another way - the original meaning of the symbol. It would be nice for others to do the same with the Confederat Flag.
The Confederate flag was the flag of an insurrection. Many didn't have much choice to serve, especially in N.C., which was not as stridently anti-U.S. but was surrounded by Virginia and South Carolina. It's OK to honor your family's history with it, I suppose, but the U.S. or state governments should in no way should support the flying of a flag whose users originally intended to overthrown the U.S.
As far as people's reactions to the flag, especially the battle flag go, the illegitimate state of the Confederacy did stand for the staunch defense of the enslavement of black people, so the negative reaction is only natural, and not going anywhere.
To be fair, though, there was slavery in the North until the 1820s (and New Jersey until 1865), and racism definitely does not end at the Mason/Dixon line.
You can remove slavery from this issue. Look at other countries where there has been a civil war. Would the side that lost be understood if they wanted to do the same?
If you were in Germany and felt you were honoring your relatives (that had nothing against Jews but served under Hitler) by displaying the swastika on a , how would that go over?
In fact, I'm glad for a Hindu neighbor who painted this symbol on his front door. At first, in my ignorance, I was appalled and shocked. But after taking the time to find out what the symbol was really all about I LEARNED something, and now I see the swastika in another way - the original meaning of the symbol. It would be nice for others to do the same with the Confederat Flag.
I don't know that you can compare the flag of a rebellion/insurrection with a religious symbol. the original intent of the confederate flag was offensive in and of itself -- it advocated the overthrow of the U.S. government and the maintenance of a slavery-based economy which kept the black population in bondage, the poor white population ignorant and poor and industry behind the times.
I don't know that you can compare the flag of a rebellion/insurrection with a religious symbol. the original intent of the confederate flag was offensive in and of itself -- it advocated the overthrow of the U.S. government and the maintenance of a slavery-based economy which kept the black population in bondage, the poor white population ignorant and poor and industry behind the times.
The Confederacy was a country, not a rebellion, wh/ implies people not following a law. The states removed themselves from the Union. There was no overthrow of the US government.
You need to get your terminology right and your facts straight. The states that removed themselves from the Union formed their own country called the Confederacy.
And it did not happen b/c Southerners wished to keep the institution of slavery in place. Slavery was a politicized issue, much like abortion and gay marriage are today. Slavery was on the way out b/f the Civil War even started - people agreed it was an abominable institution. Only the wealthy landowners stood to lose anything if slavery were abolished. The industrial age had mechanized cotton production.
@ani
Where do you get the info that most people in NC did not own slaves? I thought the #'s based on the census(1850 or 60) listed NC as third or fourth??
I forget whether it was 87% or 84% of NC citizens NEVER owned slaves. Very few farmers in this state owned slaves except for the eastern part of the state. There are exceptions, of course.
Thank you Ani for educating me on what the Confederate Flag means to some southerners. I am curious how do you know if a flag is being displayed because of pride or racism. I see a lot of people with Confederate flags, stickers and license plates and I always assumed it was because they were racist. Sorry if this is a stupid question.
I think most Southerners who understand their own history as well as how people react to the Second Confederate Navy Jack would never fly that flag. I know I don't simply b/c even tho I know what it all means to ME - I know others don't see things the way I do.
That is why I had a Confederate First National flag made - so I could honor my fallen relatives w/ the flag they served under. So anyone who would probably even know about Confederate Flag Day is not gonna be in a big hurry to wave the Second Confederate Navy Jack, Hee Hee.
Sadly, it has been a group of cretins who have used the Second Confederate Navy Jack as a way to insult and intimidate anyone who isn't white, wh/ is disgusting - but that is what happened. It is what it is.
The Confederacy was a country, not a rebellion, wh/ implies people not following a law. The states removed themselves from the Union. There was no overthrow of the US government.
You need to get your terminology right and your facts straight. The states that removed themselves from the Union formed their own country called the Confederacy.
@ani - not trying to be funny. But isn't secession a form of rebellion. I mean we refer to the American revolution, not the Colonial secession.
I don't know that you can compare the flag of a rebellion/insurrection with a religious symbol. the original intent of the confederate flag was offensive in and of itself -- it advocated the overthrow of the U.S. government and the maintenance of a slavery-based economy which kept the black population in bondage, the poor white population ignorant and poor and industry behind the times.
You're really going to tell me that the evil vermin who used the swastika inappropriately for their cause is ANY DIFFERENT than the evil vermin who used the stars and bars inappropriately for their cause???
Give me a break, it's EXACTLY the same thing.
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