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I personally don't think that the Confederate flag should be flying on any state government property. That being said, I believe it is a violation of free speech to intimidate merchants from selling or manufacturing Confederate flags.
What really pisses me off is that the Democrats had no problem with Ernest Hollings, who was the SC Governor that ordered the Confederate flag to be flown atop the SC Capitol (and who served as U.S. Senator as recently as 2004), and that Democrats had no problem with KKK leader Robert Byrd as Majority Leader. The liberals have selected outrage, reserved only for Republican racists like Strom Thurmond and Trent Lott.
And if Democrats nominate Hillary, they are being hypocrites of the highest order, since liberals shouted from the highest mountaintops back in 2008 that both she and Bill ran such a "racist" campaign against Obama.
I agree that the Democrats have a lot of their own shame for tolerating these scoundrels in their party as long as they did. While I acknowledge the shift in the Democratic party after the Republicans pursued the southern strategy, that in NO WAY relieves them of their obligation to stop nominating/supporting with known Klansmen in the party.
I have always found it disrespectful to have it on government buildings and such. Not just this week, always. Then again, I'm not personally sympathetic to white supremacist / racist ideals.
Or conversely, the Nazi's did their share of banning this/that for the "good of the state", like many in this country are going on about. What makes you think the motives of the current "ban this/that" are pure/what their true agenda is? Cuts both ways.
I don't propose that it should be banned by government decree...I just think it is so unpopular...even within states that identify with the flag...among citizens of those states, I mean...that it can't possibly be politically viable to fly it on the state capital anymore. It seems like a majority is against flying the confederate flag...even in southern states.
Yes, in 2000 it was voted on in SC...but times (and demographics!) have shifted considerably since 2000.
If I find a symbol that I define in my own mind as "offensive" and you don't, does that mean my view trumps yours, or vice versa, and I have a right to demand that symbol to be not shown in public places if I shout loud enough? People are offended by many things in life, don't agree with certain symbols, etc. so where does it end and who's the judge/jury to decide in the end? Who's view "wins"?
Answer....it's a very slippery/dangerous slope in my view and that is my concern on the Confederate flag as it opens a huge can of worms way beyond it.
Fine, you don't find it offensive. You have a right to fly the flag on your own property, slap a flag bumper sticker on your car or wear Confederate flag underwear for all I care. But you do not have the right to demand it be flown on public land that is owned by all of us, many of whom do find it offensive. Why do you believe you do?
They probably had no idea what the ISIS flag looked like....come to think of it, I didn't even know ISIS had a flag, kudos to their graphic design department.
Neither did I. And frankly, I find it a bit embarrassing that I didn't, political junkie that I am. So no, I don't find it the least bit surprising that a Walmart cake decorator didn't know, either.
I imagine, especially based on recent polling numbers, that the flag is pretty unpopular in southern states as well. I don't think people are so much asking for a government ban as much as people are realizing that demographically, they are now part of a majority who don't find it favorable to keep flying the flag anymore. So I imagine just out of political expediency you will see more politicians, representing their constituents desires, requesting removal and relegation to a more appropriate place (history museum, etc.)
I don't remember them complaining about it a few weeks ago.
Of course we know that it's because their messiah and his favorite race baiter told them to. But I just wanted to hear their excuses as to why they suddenly decided to be outraged.
It's been on their hit list for a long time.
They were just waiting for the right crisis to not let go to waste, per the advice of Rahm Emmanuel.
Fine, you don't find it offensive. You have a right to fly the flag on your own property, slap a flag bumper sticker on your car or wear Confederate flag underwear for all I care. But you do not have the right to demand it be flown on public land that is owned by all of us, many of whom do find it offensive. Why do you believe you do?
I didn't say I find it offensive or not. That's not the point I'm making as I'm making a higher level point/concern. And that's who is the judge/jury to decide? And what reason will trump the other? Does the person who finds it offensive trump one who thinks it should be flown on state property because they see it as historical significance? And your point of I "don't have the right to demand it be flown on public land that is owned by all of us" because "many of whom do find it offensive" makes me say equally that you also don't have the right to say it can't be flown on public property. And I'll ask you the same question.....why do YOU believe you can make this choice and define the symbol in only one context?
So you helped me wind back to my bigger picture question.....who has the right to say this/that symbol is offensive or not, and who will be the judge/jury to decide if it can be displayed on public property? There's lots of gray in this. What's next....people demanding the American flag can't be flown on public property because of what was done under it to the Native American Indians? See my point where this can go?
It happened because we can't fix the problem of random killers so people focus on a symbol instead. It's nothing new, people have argued this point with this flag for many years, but the recent event put it in the spotlight and nobody could pretend it was no big deal anymore.
It should NOT fly over government building since it's not a symbol of the country as it is today. I don't care about companies selling it or not but there is a large knee jerk reaction by some that will settle down in the coming days/weeks.
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