It’s all too easy for us to discuss political correctness after the fact. The fact is, that is the flag hundreds of thousands brave young men died for and it should be flown in their honor.
FrankfreakTwo of the three Confederate States of America “national flags” had the Army of Northern Virginia’s battle flag in their canton. The CSA was not recognized as a nation by any country in the world. In their time, Texas and Hawaii were.
Yes, we should remember our history. We should remember that there was a time when whites kept blacks in slavery and there was a time when a whole section of the country fought to retain their privilege of owning slaves. The Confederate Flag, whatever it stood for then, now should be a reminder of a fundamental flaw in the American system, perhaps a flaw in the American character, a flaw which was only partly corrected by the Civil War. Anyone who flies it as a point of pride is ignorant at best, racist at worst.
The new “rules” do allow the Confederate Battle Flag to be displayed on two days a year at veterans cemeteries, and small flags can still be put on markers. It should be noted that the flag represents rebellion, and TREASON against the United States, but the occasional recognition of the losers might serve a purpose. The problem is when real losers fly the flag who haven’t realized their side lost, and their bigotry and hatred, and fear, drive their REAL motivation.
You don’t forget the racist, slavery-embracing rebel rag: you simply don’t honor it.Letting it flap in a federal cemetery would be like flying the Nazi flag over a national cemetery filled with the mass graves of those who died fighting Hitler.
I grew up in the shallow South in the 1950s and 1960s. Schools were still segregated. So was the local lunch counter. Many of the students I went to school with showed open disdain for black people. They would have been perfectly happy if the South could have returned to slavery. In my sister’s eighth grade civics class, all white students of course, there was a class discussion in which a majority of the students agreed that black people are genetically inferior to whites. Now this was not Mississippi, not Alabama, this was Maryland. We didn’t have the Klan, there were no lynchings, but there was pervasive racism. And the political and community leaders did little or nothing to change things.
I had an illuminating article on why anti-slavery Texans fought for the Confederacy (honor, both sides agreed to support the winner), and the war crimes of General Maxey, CFA But as time was running out, the computer people erased it all.
I always wonder why they all want to remember losing. They lost. It’s the flag of losers. No one burns the Confederate flag overseas when they get mad at Americans.
Martens: it’s those folks today who still hate the government, especially those dependent on government spending like on military bases and Defense that have kept the south alive economically for decades. They’ve been chewing on the hand that feeds them, for decades.
BTW: found much more bigotry when in the service by guys from Ohio than from any southern state. Which, isn’t it odd how many confederate battle flags are flown on pickups that belong to folks who never lived in the south? It ain’t about the Confederacy, it’s about attitudes.
WestNYC Premium Member about 8 years ago
The Confederate Flag is simply Un-American.
Kraigko about 8 years ago
The confederate flag is our history, you cannot toss it away and forget what happened
Bill D. Kat Premium Member about 8 years ago
It’s all too easy for us to discuss political correctness after the fact. The fact is, that is the flag hundreds of thousands brave young men died for and it should be flown in their honor.
Frankfreak about 8 years ago
The flag being removed is not the confederate flag, it is one of the confederate battle flags used by troops.
hippogriff about 8 years ago
FrankfreakTwo of the three Confederate States of America “national flags” had the Army of Northern Virginia’s battle flag in their canton. The CSA was not recognized as a nation by any country in the world. In their time, Texas and Hawaii were.
lonecat about 8 years ago
Yes, we should remember our history. We should remember that there was a time when whites kept blacks in slavery and there was a time when a whole section of the country fought to retain their privilege of owning slaves. The Confederate Flag, whatever it stood for then, now should be a reminder of a fundamental flaw in the American system, perhaps a flaw in the American character, a flaw which was only partly corrected by the Civil War. Anyone who flies it as a point of pride is ignorant at best, racist at worst.
Dtroutma about 8 years ago
The new “rules” do allow the Confederate Battle Flag to be displayed on two days a year at veterans cemeteries, and small flags can still be put on markers. It should be noted that the flag represents rebellion, and TREASON against the United States, but the occasional recognition of the losers might serve a purpose. The problem is when real losers fly the flag who haven’t realized their side lost, and their bigotry and hatred, and fear, drive their REAL motivation.
stevebenson about 8 years ago
You don’t forget the racist, slavery-embracing rebel rag: you simply don’t honor it.Letting it flap in a federal cemetery would be like flying the Nazi flag over a national cemetery filled with the mass graves of those who died fighting Hitler.
Simon_Jester about 8 years ago
Equating the slave trade in the North to the slave trade in the South is like comparing a fence lizard to Godzilla.
lonecat about 8 years ago
I grew up in the shallow South in the 1950s and 1960s. Schools were still segregated. So was the local lunch counter. Many of the students I went to school with showed open disdain for black people. They would have been perfectly happy if the South could have returned to slavery. In my sister’s eighth grade civics class, all white students of course, there was a class discussion in which a majority of the students agreed that black people are genetically inferior to whites. Now this was not Mississippi, not Alabama, this was Maryland. We didn’t have the Klan, there were no lynchings, but there was pervasive racism. And the political and community leaders did little or nothing to change things.
hippogriff about 8 years ago
I had an illuminating article on why anti-slavery Texans fought for the Confederacy (honor, both sides agreed to support the winner), and the war crimes of General Maxey, CFA But as time was running out, the computer people erased it all.
anotherwhirl about 8 years ago
I always wonder why they all want to remember losing. They lost. It’s the flag of losers. No one burns the Confederate flag overseas when they get mad at Americans.
Dtroutma about 8 years ago
Martens: it’s those folks today who still hate the government, especially those dependent on government spending like on military bases and Defense that have kept the south alive economically for decades. They’ve been chewing on the hand that feeds them, for decades.
BTW: found much more bigotry when in the service by guys from Ohio than from any southern state. Which, isn’t it odd how many confederate battle flags are flown on pickups that belong to folks who never lived in the south? It ain’t about the Confederacy, it’s about attitudes.