Just sayin'.
Posted on 06/30/2015 8:03:47 AM PDT by rickmichaels
Does anyone else find it odd that the latest U.S. mass-killing rampage somehow morphed almost immediately into a controversy over a flag? Even the push-button liberal machine for promoting gun control, which usually kicks into gear very quickly after events like the nine murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, S.C., briefly got distracted this time before eventually finding its feet.
America is in an unusually race-sensitive mode right now, even by its own standards, and one is inclined to suspect that the so-called “Confederate flag” took over the discussion largely because of the recent Civil War consciousness-raising by Ta-Nehisi Coates, who is the big star amongst black American intellectuals at the moment. Coates has been, as much out of curiosity as anything — there is no non-clichéd way to say this — forcing a nation to confront its deep past in unfamiliar ways.
The U.S. Civil War is the definitive piece of unfinished historical business and the recurring cultural presence of the Confederate flag is a pretty good indicator of that. It is still pretty strange for a flag debate to arise from a mass murder. The killer who shot up a church meeting was attached to that flag, but, like many solitary Internet race theorists who hanker to become men of action, he would have worn, and did wear, any emblem that was capable of making anti-racists uncomfortable. If the Confederate flag is driven out of sight in American society tomorrow, the real-life trolls will come up with something else, a subtler, more adaptable visual code, the next day.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...
Pop quiz. Were more blacks sold into slavery under the Confederate flag or the damn US flag. Hint: the confederacy only lasted 4 years.
There were many more slaves held for much longer under Old Glory than under the Southern Cross. If the confederate flag is racist, then how many hundred times over is the US flag racist.
The confederacy did not introduce slavery to America. The USA did.
The confederate politicians did not codify slavery in the USA, they just maintained what US politicians codified.
I understand that most of the 400,000 blacks brought and sold into US slavery went to Southron states, but nothing changes the fact that from 1776 to 1861, those were Southron UNITED STATES under the STARS AND STRIPES.
if you want a true symbol of slavery and oppression, well there you go.
Pop quiz: Ask yourself how much Indian genocide occurred under the Confederate flag? You want a symbol of racism? Ban old Glory and go from there.
I respect both flags myself, and would ban neither.
Well we will be proudly flying our Confederate flag and the Gadsden at our July 4th deck party. The only rainbow will be a red, white and blue cake.
Being from Canada I still am puzzled and frankly clueless about what the civil war meant and means today. I was at one point edging to the point of view of the confederates as victims of a North that wanted to impose trade deals on the whole country that screwed the South. But the more I learn about how entrenched southern society was with the pure evil of slavery, I have to say I side with the Yanks. And I still have a really hard time knowing the Washington and Jefferson had slaves of their own. Maybe we can’t judge men of the past by our standards now?
Have a blessed day yourself, Ohioman.
Agreed.
Bought five new ones Friday.
The original settlements in America attest that we have different cultures, although all premised upon common Western cultural norms. It would be well, indeed, if Freepers came together in a common acknowledgement that all peoples have a right to preserve their cultural heritages; the right to honor their forebears--clearly the intention of the Fifth Commandment;--the right to celebrate the lives of their own heroes.
I do not suggest that we may not argue historic points; only that we come together to resist the efforts of those who wish to destroy the America of the Founders, by rejecting out-of-hand all Leftist efforts to spread sectional hatred--some thing that Washington warned against in his Farewell Address.
Let us take this vicious (yet obviously media focused) attack on the South to launch an effective ideological counter-attack.
I went to purchase something at Indiegogo ... was on the click to buy page, and up in the left hand corner ... a gay flag. I didn’t click, instead I clicked the “contact” and told them advertising a social issue is stupid because it alienates potential customers. They came back and said they have to cater to all ethnic backgrounds. I returned a letter asking them to delete me from their email until a Christian Flag showed up where the gay one was. Guess I won’t be seeing that very soon. Until then, I’ll save my money. I am not going to “cater” to anyone that “promotes” this BS.
And I stopped right there.
I never wanted a Confederate battle flag until they said I shouldn’t have one.
MollyP... 1) I agree the rebel flag stands properly and positively for states’ rights. My use of the term “federalism” captures this “strong states’ rights” meaning.
...........................................
I repeat, you can’t have it both ways. The FEDERALISTS were the YANKEES, the North! The are the ones who invaded the south to supposedly “preserve” the union, the “federalism” which was a strong central government. The South was for States Rights which defended individualism, local and state government, with a small central government. The South did NOT stand for “Federalism.”
.....................................................
2) Decorating the White House with the colors of the Gay Pride / LGBTQ movement is indecent, repulsive, etc. I agree. But this is off-topic.
.......................................................
This is NOT “off topic.” We are talking about what the screamers are insisting is OFFENSIVE to Blacks. Cannot you see the parallel? WHAT is OFFENSIVE to me and most of America doesn’t seem to matter!
3) You most certainly should NOT be polite, civil, pleasant, etc. with the activist Progressives, leftists, LGBTQ acivists, and their ignorant minions, and any member of the news media. All these people are loathesome scumbags. But this is OT.
.........................................................
AGAIN, this is NOT “off topic.” It is all about the FIRST AMENDMENT and the RIGHT To FREE SPEECH as well as the FREEDOM of RELIGION. The South fought for States Rights to govern themselves. The North fought to enslave the south, which they did. Take a look at the horrors of RECONSTRUCTION!
4) You should be polite to those in the body public who eschew all the battles of right and left (while warning them politely to get off their ass and stop being suckers for the left).
I will be polite to people who deserve it and that does NOT include “Pacifists.” Study history!
.......................................................
5) I agree there is nothing decent about gay, but this is OT.
Nothing is off topic any more. WAKE UP! Silence is Retreat! Stand up and fight or listen to Samuel Adams and go home. He, by the way, was NOT a “Federalist.”
..........................................................
6) I’m sympathetic with your view that there is no other flag which represents all the same (decent) things which the rebel flag. But try coupling the Christian flag with the Gadsden flag. Yes, it’s imperfect.
I REFUSE to be told that because a small percentage of Americans have been brainwashed into believing the Rebel Flag “hurts their feelings,” that I should give up on a symbol which my forefathers fought and died for. Why are “their feelings” any more important than “my feelings?” Especially when they refuse to recognize the truth, that the North were the Slave Traders, and the North had multiple slaveholders, and the Blacks were slaveholders themselves. All this hoopla is about is to push back the white people even more and try to divide the country more and along racial lines. It is a determined assault by the left, another invasion by the left upon human rights.
...................................................
7) My “indoctrinated northern viewpoint?” Come now.
You are espousing the indoctrinated northern viewpoint whether you are a Yankee or not. If it walks like a duck, etc. etc.etc.
............................................................8) Have a blessed day. I pray we can find some comfort while we wait for Christ to step in to sort out all this mess.
I’ve always believed God helps those who help themselves.
And a blessed day to you.
Stick with the historical meanings of Federalism and States Rights. Your attempt to nuance them does not work. Just more rewriting of American history. A cat is not a dog,
I know why they really hate it!
It’s a symbol of the lost cause of structural economic stagnation.
The slave South lost the Civil War before it started: when the Erie canal was completed, tying the NW Territories to the North. The Yankees dynamic economy grew and grew while the South faded.
It’s very analogous to our situation vis-à-vis China.
And no one wants us to see that.
Spoken like a good totalitarian. But then Marx and Engels were big fans of the Union so why should things change.
Just sayin'.
Thanks for advising us. Perhaps we should have a list of NO-GO on FREEREPUBLIC for freepers to refer to or add others on to such as Starbucks, etc.
Thank you for the refresher course. Much appreciated.
Maybe we can’t judge men of the past by our standards now
Frankly, I feel men of the past were more moral than men of today by a long shot. Regard the gay pride parades.etc.
One of my favorite flags. Have given many of them to friends and have one on my car.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.