Just sayin'
FReegards,
RebelTex
Do you mean the Stars and Bars or the Battle Flag?
I like them both.
Hank Williams, Jr. - “Country Boys Can Survive”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQNkIrg-Tk
I proudly fly the 2nd national and battle flag at my house.
I still remember when you could buy a Levis jeans jacket with either the Stars & Stripes or the Stars & Bars (big) sewn onto the back . . . Chicago, during the 70’s. I’ll bet those fetch a pretty penny on Ebay nowadays.
Here’s one. Two Great Grandfathers that fought in the Confederate army. One died there. Proud of them both.
Up north here I see more than a few rebel banners around. A couple of my ancestors got shot up fighting against the Confederacy, but at this point I'm more than happy to fly the Southern battle flag.
Just sayin'
RebelTex
Even if I were not a member of the SCV, I would still remain a Son of Confederate Veterans, and I am inevitable.
That is to say I am not fond of revisionism of any sort when it comes to history. Recorded well or badly, or warped or not at all, the facts of the situation are beyond my power to revoke or to endorse. History, warts and all, should be taught with full awareness of what George Santayana wrote, so well, "We must welcome the future, knowing it will soon be the past, and we must forgive the past knowing, at the time, it was all that was humanly possible."
And for my cousins who fear the Confederate symbols, or who have been taught to fear symbols of any kind, ask yourselves, if you were a mouse, would you prefer the attacking house cat be belled or approaching your den by stealth?
There’s a Stars and Bars sticker proudly displayed on the back of my Jeep (It’s unobtrusive; not big)
It’s about love, not hate.
God Bless Dixie.
I have also paid my respects to the Confederate soldiers interred at Johnson's Island, Ohio.
But I see the Confederate flag as an historical symbol only, with little value otherwise in today's America. A lot of multi-cultural garbage is being forced on us today. Whether by design or not, this country is being forced into different camps. Not a good thing at all.
Flying the Confederate flag today does nothing to help ease that problem. Personally, I thing flying the Gadsden flag makes a more positive statement.
But don't get me wrong. Things like those multi-language signs in stores are much worse than flying the Confederate flag.
I’m proud of my Southern heritage, and though I don’t fly a flag to show it, neither am I ashamed of it. My uncle does, but he went to Ole Miss. And my distant grandfather? He was an abolitionist in the early 1800’s, used to help local slaves escape up north. Also mighty proud of that. I don’t see them as mutually exclusive.
The "States' Rights" issue was a legitimate Constitutional issue, but (in my estimation) was overshadowed by the more-fundamental issue of Slavery, a morally repugnant institution whose dimensions trumped the Constitution. I am saying that just to clarify where I stand with regards to the "legality" vs. "morality" of the Succession.
With regards to Confederate flags: Apart from the legal and moral aspects of the issue: How can one be proud of and find "comfort" and "identity" in the flag of a "Failed State," of a nation which existed for only four years, during a time of constant warfare, and which was then dissolved?
Regards,
Good question and I’ll give you a totally honest reply.
Yankee here, and I’ve always been kind of amazed the the symbols of the confederacy were allowed to survive at all.
But let me also say that I do think that the southern states TOTALLY had the right to leave the Union.
And I had a friend who was pretty much a big lib (but he was very pro-life, but he was also totally gay, but he was very smart and well educated and had served in the Army) who agreed with me, and he DESPISED Lincoln as much as that man could be despised, and to top it all off, this friend came from Illinois.
When Obama was elected, we took down Old Glory and replaced her with the First National flag of the Confederacy (Stars and Bars).
When he’s gone, Old Glory will be flying once again.
We live in north central Ohio, BTW.
I grew up in Alabama, and the flag was just a natural part of everyday life. At some point I got a t-shirt with the seal of the city of Pelham on it. Fast forward ten years and I’m in a grocery store in Kansas....getting alot of strange looks. I had never noticed the the Pelham seal had the confederateflag in it.
Ashamed of it? Why should I be?
In my family we’ve had many flags passed down. From a Queen Anne flag, to a confederate flag, to a Spanish flag, and the swastika and rising sun. We skipped the Korean flag but we have an Iranian flag.
Lots of flags from the losers to the US Army.
Not ashamed of any of them.
There’s a fellow down the road here who used to fly about 30 or 40 of them all around his property. Weather has taken some out, and the rest are faded, but it is still something to see.
Knowing fireworks would be out-and-out rejected by my parents, I picked up a small Confederate battle flag from a display and brought it up to the cashier, a thin, animated woman who asked me, "Would you like me to wrap it . . . or do you want to wave it out your car window!" Knowing what she wanted to hear, I told her I planned to wave it out the window . . . which I did, at least until we got back on I-95.
I still have that 99-cent flag.
I think it’s cool looking. Nice design and color combo. As for it’s varied symbolism, I don’t see it that way because to me, a lot of stuff like that is just graphic art. However, the Stars and Stripes of the USA is another story altogether but even more aesthetically pleasing and personally meaningful.
As a true yankee, the confederate flag doesn’t have the same meaning to me other than being a part of our nation’s history. I will, however, continue to stand up for the right of any American to fly it. (I kinda like that it gives the libs conniptions.)