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Symbols are funny things. What one means to you might be completely different than what it means to me. Take the Swastika for example. It's an ancient symbol that was appropriated by the Nazis for their own particular purposes. Their use of the symbol really overwhelmed and and subjugated all other meanings of the image. The Nazi use of the symbol has really made any other meaning meaningless. I think the stars and bars is close to this situation. There are millions upon millions of people who view it in it's worst possible application as a symbol of racism, hate and exclusion. For that reason those who use the symbol for other purposes should really find some other symbol to represent whatever it is they are trying to portray. IMHO it really should be no skin off their collective butts to do so.
My first post in this thread said most people have no clue about the "Confederate Flag" - they get their "knowledge" from Facebook, blogs, twitter, the really DUMB media.
This is the "Stars and Bars" ..... and I'm betting nobody considers it a "symbol" of the Confederacy OR some goofy/media driven Sign of the Racist.
You are right on the money as to the "symbolism" issue. SNOPES did a really interesting article about the Flag Kerfluffle and how so many believe the MYTH and not the FACT. Facts don't really matter when something is elevated to a "symbol" for Political gain or ideal/agenda ..... and I think that is exactly what all this is about. It's an early "Get out the Vote" effort for the Black Community --get 'em all stirred up over nonsense and RACIST,RACIST,RACIST ..... "they gonna pull y'all back in CHAINS". It worked in 2012, it might work again. They use the same Play-Book over and over, and over again. It's also a very Dandy "look at the squirrel" instead of paying attention to serious issues like Economy and National Safety - think Horrible Iran Deal in the works.
Herein lies the problem with symbols: They have no inherent meanings; they have only whatever meanings people choose to read into them, and different people can associate very different meanings with the same symbol
People CHOOSE to read "Racist Hatred" into a Battle Flag of Virginia and and even worse into a cheapy tiny flag that what used on a few battlefields in Tennessee and was a Navy Flag. All because some Nutter posted a picture of himself holding a tiny $2.00 flag on a wooden dowel that had some meaning in his sick little racist mind.
Massive Hysteria results and exactly why is that? Political gain is the only answer.
As usual, Snopes nails it again. To sum it up nicely
MYTH: The Confederate Battle Flag represents racism today.
FACT: The Confederate Battle Flag today finds itself in the center of much controversy and hoopla going on in several states. The cry to take this flag down is unjustified. It is very important to keep in mind that the Confederate Battle Flag was simply just that. A battle flag. It was never even a National flag, so how could it have flown over a slave nation or represented slavery or racism? This myth is continued by lack of education and ignorance. Those that vilify the Confederate Battle Flag are very confused about history and have jumped upon a bandwagon with loose wheels.
It was racist from the day it was carried by the Army of Northern Virginia, who was fighting to maintain the institution of slavery. And it was blatantly racists when southern states started flying it during the Civil Rights era.
They carried that flag against the tyranny of the northern invaders. Get off your slavery high horse. Slavery is the history of the CSA. The USA and the whole World.
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Common sense > polls
