Hate Is Hate
July 8, 2009 - With the celebration of our country's Independence Day just a few days ago, we thought we would bring light once more to a growing problem in America; hate and the effect that it has upon an individual's peace, freedom, liberty and independence from public persecution.
The Congress of the United States is proposing a Hate Crimes Bill which we support 100%. It is time to atone for the sins of the past and the sons of Hate must realize that just as the Nazi’s used flags and hate speech to persecute Jews, Homosexuals and people with mental illness; it would be wrong for any state with a large German population to incorporate the Nazi flag into a state flag in this country. There are those who suggest that the stars and bars of the rebel confederate states are a symbol of American heritage; but there is no heritage seen by the sons and daughters of slaves who were rounded up, hung, worked and sexually used. We have come a long way to allow a black man to occupy the White House which blacks built. We believe that speech transcends refusing to allow a child of God, who by nature is gay, to not speak his truth as to his creation. We believe that right-wing radio is at times not much different than the propaganda radio of Nazi Germany or the lies spread about Southern Heritage.
This continuum of hate transcends to the pulpits who host the most segregated hour of air time on Sunday mornings pitting one religion against another, single parents against two-parented families and non-believers against believers. Such is the elitism of a church that frightens children into believing that they will be sent to Hell and burned forever if they refuse to accept the dogma found on our public airwaves. Hate speech as well as pornography belongs on cable, not on the people’s FCC controlled airwaves. One cannot be sent to Hell without certification that Hell exists. A lie is a lie, and as the 19th Century writer Thomas Carlyle said, “Nature admits no lie.”
Some time ago we proposed a similar course of action to stop all hate speech originating from such organizations as the Aryan Nation, KKK, and White Citizens Council etc...
In September 2000, the Neo-Nazi Hate Group, Aryan Nation of Hayden Lake, ID was forced to pay damages of $6.3 million to a mother and young 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 and publications. The plaintiffs gained exclusive rights to the group's hate literature and memorabilia, ending their publishing and sale.
The sons and daughters of slaves should collectively sue for ownership of the Confederate flag, thereby preventing the use or sale of its 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; ultimately assassinating the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Blacks should be able to take control of all the properties and "war relics" of the Confederacy and legislation such as the proposed hate crimes bill should be accepted with open arms to prevent such actions from ever happening again.
G. Martin Freeman, Presiding Chaplain
Universal Life Church Monastery
posted by Br. Jacob at
2:56 PM
13 Comments:
I totally disagree with your assesmet that anyone is owed anything, the past happened and there's nothing that will change it, not everyones family was involved in slavery, the average poor white family had no slaves and often were treated as bad or worse than slaves. How does taking the rights from one and giving it to another make thing equal? Dixie as the flag is called in the south is as important to some as the X shirts are to another. Are we such a pitiful group that we are going to take sides on issues like this, what has become of free speech? if one symbol is banned then all must be banned...that would be the only fair way of handling it....
Independance Day celebrates our nations liberation from oppession of government. The 1st Amendment grants us freeom of religion, speech and press, to assemble and to petition the government. While it would be nice if there was no hate, we can't silence opposing views or we go back to living under tyranny. The same Constitutional Amendment that gives someone the right to offend you, gives you the right to live your life your way. While you may not like what someone believes, they are lkely just as offended by your belief. This great nation is a diverse one and we have to embrace our differences, we don't have to all believe the same things. But silencing one view is the beggining of silencing others.
"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Hate crimes laws create a privileged class. It is a greater crime to if commited against a member of a specific group. The crime and punishment should be the same no matter who you are. Justice shoul be the same fo everyone right? As far as ownership of Confederate property or any reperations... My great great gandfather was a cavalry officer from NY, who fought and freed the slaves. That was over 140 years ago, I do not want praise or money for liberating the South. No one from the war is alive, it's over! If I sound cold think about this, the South could have won, then you'd have something to complain about.
I feel that I must comment on this. I was born and raised in the South and if you were to go there and really talk to the people that were also raised in the Southern states they will gladly explain that it IS NOT about raceism or hate that we proudly wave the Dixie flag......it IS however ALL about the way we have been raised and the manners and so that go with it. NOT the hate that so many have chosen to TRY to make it stand for. Raceism and hate are both wrong, and every nationality and religion have suffered from the issues stemming from this....not just the ones mentioned in this artical. AND even suggesting one group attempt to OWN a huge piece of history is narrow minded for all the others whom have the right to hold their heads high and fly this flag.
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The rebel flag was not created to show how a group of states hated slaves. Its purpose was to bring together those states under a common leadership and purpose while continuing to honor our nation's history. This purpose was defiance against beliefs which varied from the United States. Slave ownership was a small part because only the rich benefited from slaves as unsubsidized labor. There is no need to characterize the war or the south's movement on one single thing that we all find despicable.
While it is true that some idiots use the Confederate Flag as beacon of hate, that does not mean that hate is what it represents. Some of those slaves fought and died in that war too. The flag is a reminder of time when our nation was weak but it's people were strong. The Civil War wasn't a bunch of men sitting in a room arguing. No, they were fighting and dying for what they believed in. Whether or not we believe what they did is not the point. The Confederate Flag is a major element in Southern History.
"Anonymous said...
The rebel flag was not created to show how a group of states hated slaves. Its purpose was to bring together those states under a common leadership and purpose while continuing to honor our nation's history. This purpose was defiance against beliefs which varied from the United States. Slave ownership was a small part because only the rich benefited from slaves as unsubsidized labor. There is no need to characterize the war or the south's movement on one single thing that we all find despicable."
He's exactly right. What the Rebel Flag represents actually coincides more with the beliefs of ACTUAL Universal Unitarians than what you claim. It has nothing to do with slavery, or oppression. Merely rebellion. Hell, the same people who use that flag as a beacon of hate to blacks carry the same principals towards homosexuals, the flag carrying the same feelings of hatred in that symbolism. However, I know several of the aforementioned group who use it as a symbol for change. What is this shit? It's apologist bull crap, that's what. African Americans have the same opportunities as any white man, today, as you yourself mentioned, we have one in office. It's now up to them to walk on their 2 legs, just as it was the plantation owners, who made them miserable just after the civil war to begin with. You're trying to reverse the situation, forcing Caucasians into oppression, and I have never met a black man who agrees with that policy in my life. Hell, the majority of our youth, involved in that "gangsta" lifestyle are actually paying homage to the people. Stop the apologist bullshit and treat everyone equally. Oh. Right. United States. Never gonna happen.
It seems to me that defining and punishing condcut based upon its ideological motive is not in accord with fundamental liberty. If a Jew bashed over the head with a rock by a Nazi suffered more than any other person who was bashed over the head with a rock for any other reason--or for no reason, there might be some justification for "hate crimes" laws. But that is not the case. I agree with you that the swastika and the "stars and bars" are equal. But I see no legal way of prohibiting the display of either (except posssibly in *extremely* limited circumstances, where the display is cleary a threat or a provocation to violence--but not violence aimed at stopping or punishing its display.
I have read your comments and I find it refreshing in this,feel good America that people are willing to say what they really think. we don't have to agree, though most here seems to, we agree on princple that the past is the past and everyone has the right to express their feelings on the matter, but being the past we need to get past this issue and get to the needs of today, which is equal right for everyone, not judt special interest groups.
there is a major difference....I am a minister of this monistary...and now I am ashamed to be apart of a media that lies about the rebel flag...blacks did not build the white house and no black man will ever be president...this is a klown in office...a public stunt
You Liberal ministers really make me laugh "Thank God for you" Had I have known when I signed up here how liberal this Monistary was I may have thought about it a little harder. Whites were enslaved before blacks, who will pay for that? Man was created inherintly gay? What new age bible do you study from? My God speaks clearly about man on man relations and the outcome is not a good one for them. Why is it you only speak out about white hate groups? There are also black hate groups, asian hate groups spannish and mexican hate groups. Why single whites out? Does your God not teach you to "Love Thy Enemy"?
Hate groups will never stop as long as ammunition like this is fed to them, and that is all this is.
Wow you're not getting the positive feedback you thought you were going to get are you?
Oh by the way almost no one in the south is racist. They are as good or better than anyone who lives in the north. So if you think you can just pos something like this on the internet and get only good replies back your wrong! and your the racist one you can sit there and tolerate anyone excet people from the south isnt that racism?
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