The debate over the Confederate flag, that reviled symbol of slavery, lynching and everything else wrong with Dixie reared its ugly head again last week. Some Southern states still have the gall to fly the Stars and Bars over their State Houses and one of those is South Carolina where Republican presidential candidates were campaigning last week.
John McCain, pledging to honor principle over politics, stated that the flag had no place flying over the State House in Columbia. His main competitor, Baptist minister Mike Huckabee pandered to the bigot vote stating “…[i]n fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell ‘em what to do with the pole, that’s what we’d do,” This is a shameful position for anyone claiming to follow the teachings of the Christian Bible.
In September 2000, the Aryan Nation of Hayden Lake, ID was forced to pay damages of $6.3 million to a mother and son who were attacked by members of the hate group. Lacking the liquidity, the Aryan Nation was forced to hand over all of its property, both physical and intellectual. This included many writings an publications. The plaintiffs gained exclusive rights to the group’s hate literature and memorabilia, ending their publishing and sale.
We propose a similar course of action to end the flag’s proliferation. Black groups should collectively sue for ownership of the Confederate flag, thereby preventing the use or sale of it’s image without their explicit permission. Ownership of the flag is clear and it should be argued that, being the property of the Confederate States of America who sanctioned the systematic rape and lynching of thousands of black folk in the South and cost the United States more blood than any war in its history, Blacks should be able to take control of all the properties and “war relics” of the Confederacy.
A jewish guy walks into a bar. Above the bar is a swaztika. The jewish guy immediately leaves the bar feeling like he is unwelcome.Now imagine a black guy walks into a different bar. Above the bar is a big 'ol confederate flag. The black guy is going to walk out of the bar feeling unwelcome.Symbols have power. I think the confederate flag's symbolic power comes more from its use in the 1950s and 1960s than its use in the 1850s and 1860s. During the civil war, the confederate flag was a symbol of a rebelling country, like the Star Spangled Banner was to america during the revolutionary war. Thats fine. Unfortunately, during the civil rights movement, it was used as a sign of hatred and violence. It was a sign to black people that they were not welcome.The confederate flag is now a symbol of hate. Our ancestors stole whatever heritage it deserved by contorting its cultural meaning. You can't un-ring that bell.I don't condone censorship. If you want to fly a Nazi flag or a confederate flag, you should have the right to. However; don't expect me to believe that you are flying either one because of its "heritage". True southern heritage is not bound up in a flag– especially one that makes others feel unwelcome. Though, that would be pretty ironic, right?
@ Above poster:“If you want to fly a Nazi flag or a confederate flag, you should have the right to. However; don't expect me to believe that you are flying either one because of its "heritage".” I hate to burst your bubble, but get ready to believe. Using your logic, the same could be said about the Stars and Stripes. Just look at how many times radicals have burnt our flag, stepped on it, and used it as propaganda device to denounce the “evils” of America. Imagine all of those poor, poor radical Jihadists that would be offended by our display of the American flag! You see, the mistake you make is to take people’s interpretation of something, not its actual accomplishments, as the way something should be looked upon. The Nazis WERE genuinely bad – simply read any WWII history or Hitler book and you’ll see that. However, in the case of the Confederacy, as you said yourself, “…the [C]onfederate flag's symbolic power comes MORE FROM ITS USE IN THE 1950s AND 1960s THAN ITS USE IN THE 1850s AND 1860s.” (Emphasis added by myself)The Confederate flag stands for out heritage; our Southern heritage. Despite confused views of the Civil War (history is written by the winners), the flag still stands for state pride, and for states’ rights – and no number of logically challenged opponents can change that.
I'll let these images speak for me.http://scv357.org/blkconf/images/edger2.jpghttp://www.texasconfederateveterans.com/BlackSupporters.htm
The Confederate Flag Represents The South, not so much the civil war. Who goes around all the time talking about the civil war??? The Confederate Flag represents the south land more than the civil war. Southern People are proud to be southern, not a hate group. Yes, there is some people who go to the extremes, with it, but within any type of group, there is always the extreme people who take it to far.
im 13 and i still no more then who ever posted it
If the confederate flag offense you………………………….. YOU NEED A HISTORY LESSON The war between the states was fought over taxes not slaves.. DUMBASSES LIKE U NEED AN EDUCATION BEFORE YA'LL OPEN YOU'RE MOUTHS
And just so you know the flag you're displaying is in fact a South Carolina Naval Jack. Flown from the ships at Fort Sumpter..
This revisionist crap about the war not being about slavery has been pushed by confederate apologists since the south first started the North American Civil War. The myths were dispelled way back then in full: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1861/10/25.htm"The question of the principle of the American Civil War is answered by the battle slogan with which the South broke the peace. Stephens, the Vice-President of the Southern Confederacy, declared in the Secession Congress that what essentially distinguished the Constitution newly hatched at Montgomery from the Constitution of Washington and Jefferson was that now for the first time slavery was recognised as an institution good in itself, and as the foundation of the whole state edifice, whereas the revolutionary fathers, men steeped in the prejudices of the eighteenth century, had treated slavery as an evil imported from England and to be eliminated in the course of time. Another matador of the South, Mr. Spratt, cried out: 'For us it is a question of founding a great slave republic.'"And "states' rights": has been a codeword for reaction for decades. It always comes up in defense of the most reprehensible acts of the southern states: segregation, abortion bans, etc. It was the official name of the 'Dixiecrat' party led by white supremacist presidential candidate Strom Thurmond. George Wallace, the Alabama governor—who famously declared in his inaugural address, 'Segregation now! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!'—later remarked that he should have said, "States' rights now! States' rights tomorrow! States' rights forever!'"
No its not he same thing. Im a brother "black" and i was raised in North Florida, Dixie County to be exact. The Confederate flag is a piece of American history and culture, a way of life in the South… Let if fly for Heritage not for Hate!Peace
The Confederate Flag is part of anyone who was born in the south’s heritage and most of us who fly this flag don’t fly it because of hate we fly it because we are proud to be from the CSA or the south as most people call it and the CSA and its flag has nothing to do with being racist or anything to do with hate………..
Both flag are part of history yours and mine. If we hide it some F!@# will repeat it So I will fly my flags so piss off.
Deal with your own hatred of the South before you accuse anyone else of doing the same. The South has been mis-characterized for decades now with people & websites like this perpetuating the hate. Go actually READ history instead of assuming it. While you are at it, please read Lincoln’s actual words about the slaves and former slaves and his plans for them. Here’s a hint: “Liberia”
Real history will shock you if you would actually seek truth. Leave your misconceptions and hatred behind and open your mind. It was never about hate until someone with a hatred of the South started this whole mess. There’s your hate.
And as far as slavery goes, how come it was bad for slavery to exist in the South but the North was allowed to continue their slave ownership? Did you realize that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves in the South but not the North? No, of course you didn’t or you wouldn’t be displaying such ignorance and out right stupidity.
Answer this one question: If the South is so racist, how come there is a higher percentage of black people living there than anywhere else? I mean if it is soooo ‘mean’ here, wouldn’t they all have left by now?
Grow up and expand your mind, try reading.
That is most assuredly one of the dumbest things I have ever read. This flag is flying above my house, as a Symbol of the South and its heritage. I believe that the South was right in declaring its independence, and that the act of sending troops to “crush the rebellion” was a crime! It is my opinion that we had the right to govern ourselves, it is still my firm belief that we still have this right, and for me, this flag symbolizes just that – whenever I see it, I am reminded not to give up, but to fight for this right. A right valid for anyone, all over the world!! Now, concerning slavery, race, religion, hate, or whatever else – if YOU interpret something like that into MY flag, I guess you got a problem. You better reread your history. I will not have my flag tarnished just because a few idiots misused it, and just because some other idiots claim to know what this flag REALLY means.
The United States of America were a grand ideal experiment – but it all started to go wrong in the 1840s, when powerhungry people realized the potential of getting rich and powerful. Now look at us – is this freedom? Is this a country to be proud of? Look at the state we are in. Tell you what, I firmly believe that we would all have had a better future, had the South won this war, because it would have meant a continuation of the ideals set forth by the Founding Fathers. And yes, I know, it would have meant a continuation of slavery. Granted. But I daresay this would have changed. In 1880 at the latest, they would have outlawed it – after all, Abolition was a movement founded in VIRGINIA! And I daresay all this hate crap would not have happened, as I daresay the white Southerners as free people would have found a much better way to live and work together with their black free Southern fellow citizens.
Ah well.
[...] speech. FCC Chairman Julian Genachowski expressed the Commission’s views on how to harmonize public decency, morality, and free speech when he said in a statement, “[w]e’re reviewing the court’s decision in light of [...]
I’m tired of all this crap to the Confederate flag. It represents the state, not slavery. More slaves were carried under the American flag than the Confederate flag any day! It was the first flag the Africans saw on the slave boats, ol’ Star Spangled Banner. Only 25% of the south had slaves, BECAUSE, they were too poor to own any! And only 2% had two or more slaves! So don’t run around saying “Oh my god! Its slavery!” Your history is wrong friend, Technically any flag that was made before the 1800s stands for slavery then, so are you going to tell the British their flag is racist? Union Jack aint racist. Take a freakin Civil War class, not what you read in your 3rd Grade history book. Not even the north wanted free slaves, because they were afraid they would take their jobs. More people are killed in the name of god than slavery, just look at the crusades, and every other religious war. Catholics during the reformation, they killed so many people it dwarfs slaves. Yet we all seem to forget that, and focus on everything else. We hide our own sin, but judge people for theirs, leave that for the almighty friend, only god can say what the flag stands for.
there is a difference depending on how you use it. For some people like me who are from the southern states. the flag means heritage, not hate.