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Yeah, in that case, it was not offensive, I kind of enjoyed the General Lee also. Trouble is, many do find it offensive. We probably see it more up here in Alberta than I've seen it in Florida, but it does not have the connotations.
The Constitution does not guarantee a life free from offense. One is not guaranteed the right to never be offended.
The Confederate flag has less to do with slavery and bigotry than it does with southern pride. If a community wants to fly the flag, they are welcome to do so. Heck, I grew up watching Bo and Luke being chased by Rosco with the flag printed on top of their car. There was nothing racist about it.
Yeah, this goes back to everyone being a sensitive Susie so much of the time. Nobody has the right to NOT be offended. Something, somewhere, is always gonna be offensive to someone.
I agree, too, about the southern pride thing, but to some people, that can't be divorced from slavery years, and I see that side of it too.
Again, I am not into censoring or banning things just because they might offend someone or I don't agree with them, but I can see both angles of this issue.
It's like the Ten Commandments in state courthouses, municipal buildings, etc. Sure, it may not be "strict separation of church and state!" But if it isn't some big expensive sculpture local taxpayers had to pay for whether they liked it or not, and it's just some framed Commandments, big deal.
Not my favorite thing, but am I gonna see that, then get pop-eyed and point and gasp and choke like "Wha--what?!?!? that can't be here! I'm calling the ACLU!!!!"
Pfft.
Personally, I got too much going on in my life to give a crap. It really isn't hurting anyone.
Similarly, someone says "God bless you" or "Have a blessed day" to me--well, I consider that a nice, sincere sentiment. It's basic human kindness. I have never once done anything but return that sentiment or say "thank you so much! You as well."
We don't have to always believe in or feel the same way about things. Why on earth would I even get negative and expend the energy in saying "I don't need your blessings! I don't believe in your god! Keep it to yourself!"
People like that give all non-believers a bad name. I wish we could all, all groups of people (and myself included) just be more calm, and adult, and accepting.
The Constitution does not guarantee a life free from offense. One is not guaranteed the right to never be offended.
Wow. The world must be shaking to its foundations!
I just made a post expressing the same thoughts (in nearly identical wording) to Vizio.
I love finding common ground. I agree with you on this one 100% man.
See, we are all just humans. All different, but all the same. Usually we can realize we are in many ways all in the same boat, even if we disagree on a lot.
No surprise that this happened in the south, Georgia to be exact. The State that has as many strip joints as churches along the interstates, but I digress.
Seems one county thinks it is perfectly OK to fly a christian flag in its courthouse. No, Jethro, it is not. FFRF has reminded them of what the law is, but one can suspect this will go to a trial.
I'm sure there are plenty here who see nothing wrong with this, or will cry persecution. What would your perspective be if the an islamic flag were flown... you know, one green with a star inside of a crescent moon.
Despite what the busybody bullies at the ffrf tell you, there is no Constitutional reason to deny them the right to fly whatever flag they want. Even a crescent moon.
Bullies don't fight for the rights of every person. Bullies do things like hang a religious flag in a court room, knowing full well that it is illegal.
The Confederate flag has less to do with slavery and bigotry than it does with southern pride. If a community wants to fly the flag, they are welcome to do so. Heck, I grew up watching Bo and Luke being chased by Rosco with the flag printed on top of their car. There was nothing racist about it.
What citizens want to paint on the top of their personal cars is one thing; what flag hangs inside a public courthouse is another.
But on a side note, the flag is not said to be flying ABOVE the courthouse. The article shows it in a court room. The judge can put it there if he wants.
The reason why flying a Christian flag inside of a courtroom is an offense -- and SHOULD be prohibited by the U.S. Constitution -- is because it symbolizes inclusion and exclusion, something you do NOT want to see in a courthouse where justice is supposed to be blind.
Yeah, we're not guaranteed protection from offense when it comes to the actions of private citizens, but when it comes to the government, that's another story altogether. That means the "no one has a right not to be offended" argument doesn't apply here. This is a court room, not a living room.
The bottom line is pretty simple -- which means fundamentalists who think religious freedom only applies to them -- will completely fail to understand this point.
When you are being tried by a court -- presumably with a judge and jury -- a big ol' Christian flag, whether official or not, hanging behind the judge would make ANY thinking person wonder if they're being tried by the government or by the predominant local religion.
Naturally, if you're Christian, you're going to think, "Who cares?" Yep, and of COURSE the Freedom From Religion Foundation are all just a bunch of "bullies" because they want to make the courthouse take the flag down because they just can't figure out why it might make a Muslim, for instance, uncomfortable while standing trial there.
Noooo ... of course not. And that Muslim just better get damn well used to it -- until a clever lawyer manages to start using the flag to obtain mistrials due to the uncertainty of whether or not a non-Christian could ever obtain a fair trial in such a court.
It's the same story again and again: Christians continuing to forget that we live in a diverse, pluralistic society. The government -- whether local, state, or federal -- cannot give the impression that a person's religion is on trial just as much as a person's actions. Non-Christians should NEVER be made to feel disenfranchised inside of a courtroom nor should there be room for any doubt that a particular verdict was rendered on account of a defendant's religious beliefs.
Again and again I continue to find myself writing these posts to people who think it's perfectly fine for the government (which includes people representing the government like, you know ... JUDGES) to continue shoving Christianity into the faces of everyone even in places where it is highly inappropriate.
Like a courtroom.
*sigh*
And I don't want to hear about what horrible acts of vicious persecution and suppression of religious liberties the atheists are engaged in either since it's not as though we're suggesting the judge display an "atheism flag" -- whatever that might be. The judge's personal religious convictions have no business being displayed in a courtroom. He can have it in his office if he wants, but NOT in the courtroom.
It's bad enough that we have state supreme court justices claiming -- and then reaffirming -- that non-Christians have no 1st Amendment rights. Yet the same bozos who cheerlead for jackass judges like this are the same people who get all bent out of shape at the mere suggestion that Sharia Law might be finding its way into our courtrooms.
Hmmmm .... funny how icky the medicine is when you're the one swallowing it rather than ramming it down the throats of someone else.
Wow. The world must be shaking to its foundations!
I just made a post expressing the same thoughts (in nearly identical wording) to Vizio.
I love finding common ground. I agree with you on this one 100% man.
See, we are all just humans. All different, but all the same. Usually we can realize we are in many ways all in the same boat, even if we disagree on a lot.
The reason why flying a Christian flag inside of a courtroom is an offense -- and SHOULD be prohibited by the U.S. Constitution -- is because it symbolizes inclusion and exclusion, something you do NOT want to see in a courthouse where justice is supposed to be blind.
First of all...nonsense.
Second of all....so what if it did? The judge has a right to fly what he wants. The Constitution says NOTHING to the contrary. If you have a problem with it, and you can prove a bias based on that religion, then file an appeal.
No surprise that this happened in the south, Georgia to be exact. The State that has as many strip joints as churches along the interstates, but I digress.
Seems one county thinks it is perfectly OK to fly a christian flag in its courthouse. No, Jethro, it is not. FFRF has reminded them of what the law is, but one can suspect this will go to a trial.
I'm sure there are plenty here who see nothing wrong with this, or will cry persecution. What would your perspective be if the an islamic flag were flown... you know, one green with a star inside of a crescent moon.
If it were flown in Dearborn, as long as their is a US Flag with it, I wouldn't pay it much mind. Now one has
If it were an Hasidic flag flown in a heavily Jewish area, say New York, same thing.
If it were a Pagan Flag in, oh... some heavily Pagan area, same thing.
If it were a Freedom From Religion Flag at your, specific, Gov Center, same thing.
But then again, I'm not overly sensitive about things that may be symbolic but aren't really doing anything except flapping in the breeze.
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