Opinion of the Confederate Flag?

[Enderman]

Seeing quite possibly thousands of posts on Facebook and Twitter (and practically everywhere in existence), the CSA Flag has been everywhere. Seeing that I feel like I'm had up to here with it, I might as well weigh in.

First of all, before Gov. Haley asked for it to be torn down, I just assumed the CSA flag as the Center Pillar of the Redneck culture. The one good side to it was that it was in the Dukes of Hazard.

After the whole Haley Speech, I can say that I have seen the Confederate flag more than any other one that I've seen in my life. That's coming from someone who has seen a LOT of different flags. Personally I'm simply sick and tired of certain Facebook friends that I have that have liked possibly 700 posts (naturally, bring in the urban-rural divide, mainly Conservative-biased) kicking and screaming that the Southern flag meant "SUTHURN HURUTUGE! NUUU SLUVURY!" As well as other quotes roughly like "ITZ BE BOUT STATES RITES! SLUVURY? NUUUU!"

Then again it goes on to blast "lubruls" being somehow in charge of this "conspiracy" against "MUH CONSERVATISUM!" It saddens me that the GOP Base once again goes back to making this a political issue, not something that should be, as Rand Paul put it, "back into the museum", not on the pillar of our society, where I don't recall it ever being. Plus, there is this other thing. Aesthetically, the CSA Flag, in my opinion, looks quite awful. Maybe another reason why they call it the Dirty South is because their flag is dirt-ugly. Though when you look at Florida's Flag, it's not that much better.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'm burnin, I'm burning, I burnin, I burnin it for you

[ElectionsGuy]

HF, it represents an anti-American* rebellion for the purpose of defending slavery. They started a war that caused over a million casualties all because they couldn't accept not owning other human beings. Hateful white southerners waved it proudly during the Civil Rights Movement to defend segregation and legal discrimination. It is also waved by the KKK and other white supremacy groups.

To have it up on a state capital, which is public property, 150 years later is beyond unreasonable. Citizens have every right in the world to use it as they wish. If people are actually upset about it not being on a state house, that represents a sad state of affairs.

*Which is totally ironic because the people who defend the flag are the so called "patriots".

[H. Ross Peron]

HF, it represents an anti-American* rebellion for the purpose of defending slavery. They started a war that caused over a million casualties all because they couldn't accept not owning other human beings. Hateful white southerners waved it proudly during the Civil Rights Movement to defend segregation and legal discrimination. It is also waved by the KKK and other white supremacy groups.

To have it up on a state capital, which is public property, 150 years later is beyond unreasonable. Citizens have every right in the world to use it as they wish. If people are actually upset about it not being on a state house, that represents a sad state of affairs.

*Which is totally ironic because the people who defend the flag are the so called "patriots".

[Rockefeller GOP]

HF (member of the Party of Lincoln and against treason).

[Mechaman]

Again HF, but we shouldn't treat taking it down like it's the cure to cancer equivalent of treating racism.  That goes much back further than the existence of the Confederacy all the way to Chris Columbus.  Millions of black fathers are still in prison for daring to be caught with weed.  Millions of black children don't have those fathers because of said draconian drug laws.  Millions of black women are forced to raise their children by themselves while being strongly reliant on the government dole.

Seems to me we haven't even begun to treat the real symptoms.

Not that taking it down isn't the right thing, even if it was 150 years too late.  I just wonder how much longer it will take for white society to actually treat blacks like equals instead of feel good props.  Even the President, per that one speech no one shuts up about because of it's usage of a certain word, agrees with that.

I know how this forum likes to get off on recreational outrage, but let's be real here.  If this is the best that the Republican Party can offer non-whites, they don't deserve to win them.

So forgive me for not dancing a jig in celebration.

[TNF]

The Confederate Flag is the flag of a discredited bunch of aristocratic sh**theads that enslaved human beings and invented racism as a means of keeping those slaves, and of course, as a means of making it harder for the near-slaves among the poor whites in the South to join with their natural allies (black people) to throw those aristocratic f**kers off their back.

I have nothing but disdain for that rag. It should be torn down and lit on fire.

As much as that would be a great outlet for some pent up rage, it won't solve racism. In that, I concur with Mechaman about the need to smash racism, and the only way to do that is to break down the barriers between blacks and whites and unite them in a common struggle against the class which uses the color line as a way to divide and exploit both.

And, unpopular opinion, if we're talking about flags that are offensive, maybe we should start talking not just about the stars and bars, but also about the stars and stripes. After all, before the stars and bars flew over Southern plantations, the stars and stripes did. And after the war it came back, and it didn't just fly over the reconstituted plantations of the South, it also flew over the Marine camps in the Phillippines and across Latin America during the 'Banana Wars', it flew over the concentration camps that housed Japanese people during World War II, it flew over the towns and villages that were subject to destruction and pillage in Vietnam during that nation's civil war.

Maybe we can make this into something more than a conversation about a flag from 150 years ago, because we sure as hell need to talk about racism in America today, and not just as if it's something that only effects the South.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I really couldn't care less who flies that flag or any other flag.  Libertarian Moderate Hero Normal.

Oh and get used to seeing them more and more.  I bet every place that sells them is sold out fearing some kind of ban against it.

[SATW]

Horrible Flag

[Ban my account ffs!]

I don't care if people want to fly the flag on their private property.  But to me it's a symbol of racism, backwardness, and it is apologetic to slaveholders.  

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

I don't care if people want to fly the flag on their private property.  But to me it's a symbol of racism, backwardness, and it is apologetic to slaveholders.  

[Torie]

Unless placed in an historical context, I always cringe when I see it. Beyond it being a symbol of racial oppression, close to a million died because of it, and if that had included one of my two great grandfathers who fought in the Civil War (one on each side), I would not be here.

[SWE]

And, unpopular opinion, if we're talking about flags that are offensive, maybe we should start talking not just about the stars and bars, but also about the stars and stripes. After all, before the stars and bars flew over Southern plantations, the stars and stripes did. And after the war it came back, and it didn't just fly over the reconstituted plantations of the South, it also flew over the Marine camps in the Phillippines and across Latin America during the 'Banana Wars', it flew over the concentration camps that housed Japanese people during World War II, it flew over the towns and villages that were subject to destruction and pillage in Vietnam during that nation's civil war.

Maybe we can make this into something more than a conversation about a flag from 150 years ago, because we sure as hell need to talk about racism in America today, and not just as if it's something that only effects the South.

http://www.theonion.com/article/us-flag-recalled-after-causing-143-million-deaths-17248

[TDAS04]

HF.  Racist and stupid.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Clearly HF and should be removed of all state house flags , but I have no idea why the media wants to make make this another wedge political issue.

[BaconBacon96]

HF, as it represents horrible ideals.

Which is a shame because personally I think it's quite a nice-looking flag.

[TNF]

Clearly HF and should be removed of all state house flags , but I have no idea why the media wants to make make this another wedge political issue.

Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's the fact that a white supremacist just gunned down a bunch of black people during a church service, and the only flag that the Governor of South Carolina did not order to fly at halfstaff was the flag of white supremacy in the United States? Are you really this dense?

[OSR stands with Israel]

Clearly HF and should be removed of all state house flags , but I have no idea why the media wants to make make this another wedge political issue.

Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's the fact that a white supremacist just gunned down a bunch of black people during a church service, and the only flag that the Governor of South Carolina did not order to fly at halfstaff was the flag of white supremacy in the United States? Are you really this dense?

Maybe they should discuss how to stop such mass shooting from happening instead of discussing a flag. 

[SATW]

Clearly HF and should be removed of all state house flags , but I have no idea why the media wants to make make this another wedge political issue.

Oh, I dunno. Maybe it's the fact that a white supremacist just gunned down a bunch of black people during a church service, and the only flag that the Governor of South Carolina did not order to fly at halfstaff was the flag of white supremacy in the United States? Are you really this dense?

You really need to learn how to talk to people normally.

[© tweed]

pulling down that flag in SC (which they inevitably will do) will not put food on anybody's plate.  why is it an important topic of discussion in a federal, democratic republic?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

The fact that people think that the Civil War was only about slavery are misinformed. Legitimate non-racist states rights issues other than slavery also played a factor.

Anyway, the Confederate Flag has its place, but it's not flying over the state capitol.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The fact that people think that the Civil War was only about slavery are misinformed. Legitimate non-racist states rights issues other than slavery also played a factor.

It doesn't really matter. What matter is that the Confederate Flag has become, over the years, a symbol of white supremacy and racial hatred.

The Nazis also haven't invented Svastika, but does it matter? No.

[SWE]

The fact that people think that the Civil War was only about slavery are misinformed. Legitimate non-racist states rights issues other than slavery also played a factor.

Very true. One understated cause of the Civil War was the South's refusal to recognize the Northern states state's rights on the Fugitive Slave Act.

[Badger]

HF, it represents an anti-American* rebellion for the purpose of defending slavery. They started a war that caused over a million casualties all because they couldn't accept not owning other human beings. Hateful white southerners waved it proudly during the Civil Rights Movement to defend segregation and legal discrimination. It is also waved by the KKK and other white supremacy groups.

To have it up on a state capital, which is public property, 150 years later is beyond unreasonable. Citizens have every right in the world to use it as they wish. If people are actually upset about it not being on a state house, that represents a sad state of affairs.

*Which is totally ironic because the people who defend the flag are the so called "patriots".

This, and:

HF (member of the Party of Lincoln and against treason).

[RR1997]

HF (not supportive of a flag that represents racism and slavery)