Man Wins Case After Firing Over Confederate Flag

AP ^ | 4/23/06

[JamesP81]

Whatever happened to just STFU and working??? Keep your personal beliefs outside of work, OK?

Uhh, his truck was in the parking lot. I can't believe that there are actually people on FR who think a guy should be fired for an 'offensive' item on his truck. Conservatives are slowly becoming as Big Brother as the libs are.

[JamesP81]

Thankfully, we live in the USA and can believe which version we choose to. I choose to believe the flag we are discussing is a CONFEDERATE flag, and not a KKK flag. I hate the KKK uses it, but I don't think "KKK" when I see it.

The KKK also uses the American flag, so I guess we'd better ban that too.

[JamesP81]

They deserve a say in what he puts on the car he uses for work

Not on my personal vehicle. When I get hired, they hire me, not the truck.

[usmcobra]

It's easy to nazify an entire culture of this nation that you don't like, but when you do things like this it opens the door to censor more American symbols down the road when they also become inconvenient or 'offensive'.

How would you feel about graphic porno billboards, or a truck airbrushed with an images of triple penetration on it's hood sides and back? Is the offensive in the eye of the beholder or is offensive just plain offensive to some but not all?

What we are talking baout here is a banner used by the democrats to terrorize masses of people, in fact used by democrats to terrorize an entire race of people in this country and one that is still being used by democrats to terrorize those same people today.

Are you willing to allow them that tool of terror to force those people to vote democrat so that you can honor the dead of rebellious democrats that tried to tear the nation apart?

[JamesP81]

Are we to allow evil people to do as they wish to protect their rights, while they walk all over the rights of others by attempting to strike fear in those they hate?

I would like to think that legal actions would be reserved for the real bad people, not some guy with a confederate battle flag on his own personal vehicle. Or, are we now assuming he's a racist bigot and *is* one of the bad people?

[chesley]

Sure he was denied his rights. He was doing nothing improper during working hours. THE PLATE WAS ON HIS CAR!!!.

The PC crowd has got to be relentlessly fought for everything. Not even the slightest affront to freedom of expression should be tolerated from them. And they should be forced to shell out BEG bucks.

[JamesP81]

I could if I wanted defend the Confederate Flag better then any of it's defenders on this board, because I have a sure fire argument defending it that almost none of you have heard.

Are you going to clue us in, O great paragon of FR wisdom?

On second thought, I don't think you know anything.

[JamesP81]

How would you feel about graphic porno billboards, or a truck airbrushed with an images of triple penetration on it's hood sides and back? Is the offensive in the eye of the beholder or is offensive just plain offensive to some but not all?

There are generally city ordinances against such things which apply equally to everyone. Additionally, such images do not constitute a symbol of history or a heritage. Nice straw man, though.

What we are talking baout here is a banner used by the democrats to terrorize masses of people, in fact used by democrats to terrorize an entire race of people in this country and one that is still being used by democrats to terrorize those same people today.

Non-starter buddy.

[usmcobra]

Are you going to clue us in, O great paragon of FR wisdom?

On second thought, I don't think you know anything.

One word:Tariffs.

I will prove this and other points tonight.

[RedMonqey]

"Seriously, I gave up defending the Confederate Flag for two reasons, One because all the crimes commited by those that carried it, and two because it is a symbol of the democrats' rebellion against a republican admistration.


Guess you will be abandoning Old Glory next.

Those who say the Stars and Bars(not really accurute) are the symbol of racism and hate are also the ones who say America is a fascist state, is the #1 terrorist nation in the world and has a history of genocide, mass murder and crimes against humanity.

(The confederacy didn't use the A-bomb and firebomb helpless civilians)

Nice to know WHOSE side you really are on.

[RedMonqey]

Those democrat sons of the south that died for it are long dead and buried, empty memories and their voices stilled by the very passage of time.


Can I assume you put the Founding Fathers in this category as well? After all the liberal Democrats say this about them and that dried up crinkled piece of paper called the Constitution.



As republicans You honor men that if the civil war were being fought today would gladly kill you for holding your views, that's a bitter pill to swallow, I know but it is more true then any of you will ever admit to.


Bull$hit!!! My great great great grandfather and his brothers would have a different view. They didn't go north to kill New Yorkers and New Englanders. And Northerners didn't go south to free the slaves.

That's just so much PC revisionism.

My ancestors would say their land was invaded by an aggressive Northern nation. A nation ruled by industrialist bend upon domination of another sovereign state to force them to change their laws and agrarian way of life just so they could put protectionists import taxes while strangling cotton and tobacco exports to other nations. My family never owned slaves but they did grow tobacco and the North's intent upon barring imports by a tariff would have hurt or killed my ancestors only means of making a living.

So much for your "killer" argument.

Crack open an REAL history book written BEFORE the sixties and the Age of Political Correctness.

[okiecon]

"Instead I've reached the conclusion that the only ones that have a right to defend it are those that have most recently used it in their political terror plans or in otherwords, the Democrats."

Who is engaged in a political terror plan? Some redneck with a confederate flag on his truck? You should like Shillary, are you afraid of the vast confederate conspiracy? Recently is when, 40 years ago?

"Those democrat sons of the south that died for it are long dead and buried, empty memories and their voices stilled by the very passage of time."

So are those who died fighting for the American Flag.

"As republicans You honor men that if the civil war were being fought today would gladly kill you for holding your views, that's a bitter pill to swallow, I know but it is more true then any of you will ever admit to."

The civil war would not be fought today. So the rest of that is just gibberish. Besides, I would be living in Indian territory, so I would just find me a cute little Indian and stay out of it.

[archy]

"He works for the city, parks in a city parking lot, and thus represents them. They deserve a say in what he puts on the car he uses for work.

The courts have ruled on the side of free speech as the piece has stated the following: " the courts have recognized he had a First Amendment right to display the Confederate flag as a reflection of his Southern heritage and traditions that he viewed as important."

That's exactly why the $4500 is the least of the city's problems, and why this case is far from over. And now the city has admitted in court what their policy is. Now that the civil complaint is settled, it's time for the criminal charges:

United States Code, U.S Criminal Code, Title 18, Section 242:
Deprivation of rights under color of law

Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

Section 241: Conspiracy against rights

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

NOW it gets interesting.

[proudofthesouth]

If the blacks can have their heritage why can't Southerners? There were BlACK free men who fought on the SIDE of the CONFEDERACY! I am sick, sick, sick of the Confederate Flag being bashed!!

[PeskyOne]

I'm going to defend my Southern heritage regardless of what anyone says. I don't know why it's so hard to understand that the War Between the States was fought over States Rights. Many Southerners were too poor to own slaves, so to claim the war was just over slavery is nothing more than "revisionist" history being served up. We're getting the same thing today from the MSM...framing things the way they want it to be rather than what it is. My husband's grandmother's father lost his arm during the war, and if anyone referred to it as the "Civil War" in her presence, she would quickly tell you 'there was nothing civil about it...it was the War Between the States.'

[Zack Nguyen]

So if you draw an obscene phrase, or racist phrase, on your car and then park it ast your place of business, everyone just has to live with that?

[Zack Nguyen]

Clearly you have NOT read the entire article as he certainly DID have a case, and the courts have ruled in his favor.

I didn't see in the article where the courts ruled in his favor. I saw where he reached a settlement with the city. He got a paltry $4,500, which probably didn't cover the cost he incurred in bringing the suit.

He can show all the Confederate flags he wants on his own time. But in my opinion when he parks in the city lot, at (presumably) taxpayer expense, the city can ask him to take off the flag if they want him to.

[Hacksaw]

Are you willing to allow them that tool of terror to force those people to vote democrat so that you can honor the dead of rebellious democrats that tried to tear the nation apart?

During the civil war, Union general McClellan ran against Lincoln for US president AS a democrat. (The Union means "The North", since you sound ignorant). Please don't attempt to revise the war as a battle against the democrats, who had plenty of support in the union during the war, unless you think that the Union's top general counldn't figure out something you have.

Some feel the Christian cross is a tool of terror as well. Like those who are upset by the confederate flag, they can go pound sand.

[Hacksaw]

FYI for others: General McClellan also seemed never to grasp that he needed to maintain the trust of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, and proved to be frustratingly insubordinate to the commander-in-chief. After he was relieved of command, McClellan became the unsuccessful Democratic nominee opposing Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election.

From answers.com

[Colt .45]

"What an idiot. Oh yeah I got $4,500 [which will be gone in two weeks]. I have no job and this will stain my resume for any future employment consideration. All because I wanted to worship a relic from the 1800s."

And its people like yourself who will lay down for the crap and let Big Brother walk all over your civil liberties. I say that the man was right in taking a stand. It isn't a relic from the 1800's as it still has meaning to non-PC Southerners.

While we're at it, here's the First Amendment -

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

But perhaps you'd like to see an amendment thrown in there about "unless its some white Southern dude who displays a Confederate Battle Flag that some people view as offensive."

And I quote "Today, many scholars tend to view First Amendment rights as fundamentally minority rights - the rights of unpopular individuals or groups to speak out against a hostile and repressive majority." - The Bill of Rights Primer, Amar and Adams, copyright 2002.

Sounds to me like we should be thanking the guy for standing up against "the PC establishment" for his right to free speech.