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I think you are completely misunderstanding my post. There is no Nazi heritage outside of the hate. There is Southern heritage outside of Slavery.
I think it would be wonderful if you could research, and even better, travel to Europe, especially those areas involved in WWII.
At a glance, you make a distinction between racism/xenophobia in America and Europe. I'm not sure why you do this, but nevertheless, it is a false distinction. We're talking about America, 'land of the free', where it was illegal, according to state law, to marry outside your race for many years in American history. Unfortunately, these state laws are nearly identical to miscegenation laws in Nazi Germany.
Further, I look forward to the day when the Western world stops using 'Nazi' as the default for 'evil'/'genocide'/etc and recognises the horror of Joseph Stalin and his administration. The murder under his regime has been estimated at 20-62 million. I personally do not understand why 'Hitler', 'Nazi', etc has become part of casual vernacular in the U.S., but never too late to correct this. The Third Reich co opted the swatiska, as they did with their ideas of racial purity, etc.
I think bottom line is no one can expect a one note response to the 'Confederate flag' if one knows the complex history of this flag. If one has compassion for human suffering, then one can understand how this symbol represents all that is evil and oppressive to certain groups and a complex emotional reaction is in kind.
It is like what I see throughout the Triangle on bumperstickers: 'I don't care how you did it up North!' This sort of closed-minded, and in many cases, racist, homophobic, resistant to progress attitude is associated with the U.S. South.
I think bottom line is no one can expect a one note response to the 'Confederate flag' if one knows the complex history of this flag. If one has compassion for human suffering, then one can understand how this symbol represents all that is evil and oppressive to certain groups and a complex emotional reaction is in kind.
YES YES YES
*heads back to Nordstrom thread, you said it better than I ever could*
The Navy has it's own flag doesn't it? The "Don't Tread on Me" flag w/ the snake--dates back to the Revolutionary War, I think. I know it's never been a symbol of hate and segregation but taking the analogy of Iminformed and others, should the Navy just fly the US Flag?
Not being a big should fan, if the Navy were to do this, I guess if enough people were against it, I suppose they would simply take the flag down. If most people liked it, then I guess they keep it. Should they? I guess that depends on the Navy and the American's that fund the Navy. Why would they? I dunno? It all starts with one person philosophy and works its way from there. Eventually, when enough people support it, it becomes a reality. But when it becomes a reality, and more people are exposed to the philosophy, then those 'more people' have a response and influences the philosophy again until it's either accepted or rejected. As for me, I don't know the huge significance or why they would now raise it, I wouldn't know. But if they did, I wouldn't think much of it until others started chiming in. Until then, I think I'll go outside and raise the American flag right now. As disappointed as I am with the economy and such, I will always respect what the American flag means to me (meaning, how it was taught to me, for better or worse that might be).
I think that OP was trying to make a comment about possible race relations in the area. This concerns me too. I am moving from California where I go to country music concerts alone and I am a Black woman. My friends here tell me that when I move to NC, those days are over. Are they just being ignorant Californians making sweeping generalizations about Southerners that listen to country music? Or will the change of geography make my pasttime unsafe? I saw a lot of Confederate Flags when I was there to visit, but just like the term redneck, I am openminded enough to think that maybe the symbolism is widely misinterpreted as inherently racist. Still makes me uncomfortable, but I am willing to learn, as I am very excited about moving to a different part of the world and gaining a differnt perspective!
I have aquaintences in the Triangle of several races, and they are concert buddies to all kinds of shows , country included...I'm going to vote 'ignorant Californians' on this one.
I think that OP was trying to make a comment about possible race relations in the area. This concerns me too. I am moving from California where I go to country music concerts alone and I am a Black woman. My friends here tell me that when I move to NC, those days are over. Are they just being ignorant Californians making sweeping generalizations about Southerners that listen to country music? Or will the change of geography make my pasttime unsafe? I saw a lot of Confederate Flags when I was there to visit, but just like the term redneck, I am openminded enough to think that maybe the symbolism is widely misinterpreted as inherently racist. Still makes me uncomfortable, but I am willing to learn, as I am very excited about moving to a different part of the world and gaining a differnt perspective!
YES, they are being very ignorant. You will still be able to take in concerts safely Do not let the sight of the flag scare you - the vast majority of people who have one or exhibit one do not mean it to be racist at all (though I understand it has the connotation for some black people for sure).
There is a lot of segregation all over the country but, once again, the South gets the recognition for it.
I agree there is an ever-increasing class divide in America, some say it surpasses imperial England. The policies from the U.S. government have created a have and have-not class divide in this nation and it doesn't show signs of equalising any time soon.
There are many stories of Northern soldiers destroying whipping posts as they worked their way through the Southern U.S. And burning plantation homes. Is the North exempt from the human trafficking history in the U.S.*? Absolutely not. Look at the records of investments in slave ships almost exclusively in the North. The North was just as economically invested in human trafficking. Investors stood to profit from the least number of slaves perishing during the middle passage and beyond. Can't collect on your speculation if your investment depreciates significantly during transport.
I have visited parts of South Carolina which feel like they never recovered from the Civil War, very much the land that time forgot. I know owners of large plantation properties in SC who fear an uprising some night. I do not know how the U.S. will make right the atrocities to the native peoples slaughtered upon European arrival (stories of 4k native americans killed in one day should give every American pause), or the history of oppressing African-Americans, Japanese, so many immigrant and native populations.
But to behave as if one's European ancestors (primarly Scots-Irish in the South U.S.) have some kind of divine right to land ownership and cultural dominance is to continue the class and race warring.
If one feels the 'Confederate flag' (whatever one might mean and display) is an assertion of 'heritage', I submit this often ignores the greater history of the geographic area, and raises more questions than answers, however 'proud' the flag holder claims to be.
Europeans claimed to 'discover' a land which was inhabited for thousands of years. From this claim, all manner of misinterpretation and lies ensued.
*I'm talking about a certain period in U.S. history, not including modern human trafficking in the U.S.
Do you live in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary? Where exactly do you live?
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Are they just being ignorant Californians making sweeping generalizations about Southerners that listen to country music? Or will the change of geography make my pasttime unsafe? I saw a lot of Confederate Flags when I was there to visit, but just like the term redneck, I am openminded enough to think that maybe the symbolism is widely misinterpreted as inherently racist. Still makes me uncomfortable, but I am willing to learn, as I am very excited about moving to a different part of the world and gaining a differnt perspective! 
Do not let the sight of the flag scare you - the vast majority of people who have one or exhibit one do not mean it to be racist at all (though I understand it has the connotation for some black people for sure).
Tell us what you like about Chapel Hill!
