confederate flag

there will always be a debate/argument over the rebel flag... there's no denyin it. i know it aint along the lines of the word "redneck" at all, but theres always some people that take offense to that as well. i didnt even realize the meaning behind "redneck" til i saw a documentary on it the other day on the history channel. i wished everyone that talked bad about a redneck would watch that... not that it would change their words

IMO there will never be a common agreement about certain things (whether its associated with the south or pretty much anything people choose to claim as offensive material) no matter how much people want to toss up the subject.

 

Well said Ark!

 

I am more yankee than most people here, and I do not find this flag in any way racist. Yes, this flag was used in a period of slavery, but the North also had slaves and the flag used by the north was very similar to the very flag we use today. The symbolism of this flag is no different than the kennedy flame. These are symbols used to honor someone. In the case of the flag, it is used to honor the fallen men who fought for what they believed in, which was NOT just about slavery. It is typical that anything can be twisted into either a glorious thing, or an abomination at a whim. I was born and raised in Upstate New York, and i fully understand the actual meaning of this flag. People like this (uninformed/ignorant) of things have the ability to turn a Beanie Baby into a symbol of hate and resentment. Morel of the story is.....EDUCATE yourself on these issues.

 

OMG


funny, yet SOOO true!!

 

very well said!!

 

I take more stock in what it means now than what it once stood for. Prior to the Nazis using it, the swastika had been used for nearly 3,000 years by a number of cultures to represent life, power, strength, and good luck. I don't see many countries using it anymore due to the symbolism it portrays to recent generations. It took the Nazis less than ten years to make a 3000 year old symbol taboo.
It's none of our faults, but this country has a long history with slavery and a longer history with racism that we struggle with to this day. It may not be as blatant as it once was, but racism is alive and well. I'm all for individual freedoms of expression and to religion. I say religion because some people take this shit very seriously. To simply tell people that 'its not racist, its not about slavery, its about heritage' just seems a touch ignorant and irresponsible.

 

right on!!

 

Its ignorant and irresponsible to tell people the true meaning of a symbol? I'll be damned. I thought it would be ignorant and irresponsible to condemn something you know nothing about.

 

It's a symbol. What it means to you may not mean the same to everyone. The Mrs. Butterworths bottle may remind you of hot warm pancakes. It reminds me of the inch long scar buried in my right eyebrow. Just because when you look at the stars and bars, you see heritage doesn't mean that a lot of people don't look at it and think about churches being bombed in Birmingham. Perception is reality to those who perceive it. To not want to understand why some people find it offensive is just as ignorant as them assuming you are racist for flying it.

 

I wish I had the kind of time, energy, and ignorance necessary to get all worked up about a flag.

 

im not getting worked up about the "flag".

i get worked up over peoples wrong assumptions and false statements

 

well its good to see that this has remained somewhat civilized. yes its a flag but what makes me mad is when people are not informed about the subject matter to which there is debate. however, this thread is not that. people have a knowledge of what it is and what it stands for. i respect people that have a knowledge of many fields such as this and defend any side of the argument

 

People will always be offended. If it's one thing or another.
Some Native Americans find FSU's use of the Seminole name to be offensive (I find the UF Gatorhead offensive!). In today's world, we get offended so easily, nothing will change that. Back in the early 90's, when I was living in Japan, lot's of Blacks wore the Malcolm X hat. There was talk of having it banned from wearing on a military installation, because it offended some. They never did ban it. It was just a hat! We need to let things go, don't be hurt, especially about things of the past. I had nothing to do with that part of history. I'm not making any sense, so I'll be quiet.

 

no no. not at all thanks for your input on the subject. and you do have a point. you couldnt help the way history turned out. neither of us can. unless your over 300 years old

 

Since people think the flag is about racism ive got a question.
Has anyone ever been in a situation where it delt with racism?
Have any of you wanted to beat someones ass because of this flag.
Me yes to both.

 

this is the thing............i hate when i hear this because i dont like hearing how it has hurt someone one way or another, but i can guarantee you it was some ignorant jackass that was the cause right?? like i said before......im for the confederate flag because to me,.......it is about heritage and the south(im born and raised southern.....29 years), but there are some people that take shit too far and make things such as the flag a racial issue!! im not a racially biased person at all, and it pisses me off when certain people do things to make others like me look bad by seeing the flag as part of history......not hate.

 

True it was a truck full of jack asses was minding my business when they started saying racial comments to me im mexican calling me beaner wetback etc... and i thought i was gonna get my ass whooped me and my bro where like what ever if it goes down then it does, but there were pussies that loved to talk saying white power go back to mexico and they had 2 confederate flags i was like you guys are not from the south your from southern cali lol but, thats why it gives that flag a bad name.

 

well, then inform us of your situation and maybe we will understand your view on this. but as it stands right now with me, the flag does not stand for racism. i look at this issue of the flag in much the same way as i do with guns, people hate guns because of violence, but at the end of the day it is all about the person who committed the crime. not the gun or the flag. people are really actually quite funny in the fact that anything can be used as a weapon. in this case the flag is being portrayed as said weapon. And instead of blaming the people who are behind the weapon they blame the weapon itself. I guess what I am trying to say is that not everyone who has this flag is a racist. with this logic I can honestly say that NO, this flag is not racist. people are racist, inanimate objects are incapable of discrimination and/or racism. so with that regard, people=bad flag=symbol. the ideology of (people with flag=racist) is a very flawed logic. edit: just saw where you explained.

 

im honestly sorry that you had to go thru that shit bro!!! its people like them that i wouldnt mind opening up a can of whoopass on!! people like that really are pussies.........and they make everything look bad!! hell...........i have friends of every color and shape there is!! and even though im for the confederate flag, and they know that, they know i'd help them out any way i could ever too!!

 

Dont apologize man its all good you didnt do anything it just sucks when people have to go through shit like that be proud dont be stupid is what i say to those idiots.