Fight Over Confederate Flag Has Turned Into a Hateful Smear Campaign Against Millions of Southerners

http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2015/07/14/draft-n2024805 ^ | July 14, 2015 | John Hawkins

[NKP_Vet]

“Every man should endeavor to understand the meaning of subjugation before it is too late… It means the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern schoolteachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the war; will be impressed by the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit objects for derision… It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of our rights and liberties.”

Maj. General Patrick R. Cleburne, CSA, January 1864

[Ancient Man]

Welcome to the Second Reconstruction.

[Old Sarge]

[PGR88]

I saw the Battle Flag of the Army of Virginia as a quaint symbol, used mainly by old TV shows and some rock and roll bands

With this latest leftist political movement (they all are, aren’t they?) against everything Confederate, they are really taunting and scratching, looking to cause division and mayhem where there was none.

[elpadre]

It’s not just the flag and monument under attack, it is the South and Southerners who represent conservative America.

The left wants to break up this block of conservatives to in order to advance their agenda. Black America is only a tool to be used.

Obama has no link to slavery other than his Kenyan father is from a muslim tribe which historically captured Africans and sold them into slavery. Black Americans ought to be incensed that he is POTUS.

[Heartlander]

Black-owned bakery sued by gay Confederate reenactors

[Adder]

The proper response is a DEFIANT GFYS!

These people are just plain stupid...their followers at least. The ORCHESTRATORS are seizing an opportunity simply handed to them.

Its time to make it stop.

FORCEFULLY.

[cripplecreek]

they are really taunting and scratching, looking to cause division and mayhem where there was none.

Agreed, this isn't about the south other than an attempt to divide northern and southern conservatives. While confederate images don't hold any emotional value to me, they do for many of my southern countrymen and I stand with them for that reason alone.

[Bullfrogg]

Every Southerner whether a transplant from the north, or here by the Grace of God, is labeled a racist, homophobe, bigot.
Some you leftist and damn Yankees, are sitting on that same perch y’all wail, screach, and preach from, and plainly making a damn fools yo’sefs.

[Lazamataz]

Many northern conservatives that I know on Facebook have joined our cause. They, too, back the CBF.

[Java4Jay]

This writing expresses the majority. Good job!

[Flycatcher]

Never concede anything to the Left.

Not symbols. Not language. Not talking points. Not principle.

Concession is surrender. ATTACK!

[rktman]

Ruh roh. So now if you’ve ever stepped south of the mason dixon line for even a fraction of a second, you are automatically turned in to a racist, bigot, homophobe, bible totin’, gun lovin’, hateful maniac? A lot of folks would be surprised to learn they are included in that count if they live south of the PA-MD state line. :>}

[Terry L Smith]

My retort is THIS flag:

https://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrB8pmAGKVVHR8ASPIunIlQ;_ylu=X3oDMTIzOTRiOWR0BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZANhYTNhM2RjYmI4Yzg1MDA4NDQyMzJlMWI3MTYwMDk0ZQRncG9zAzg1BGl0A2Jpbmc-?.origin=&back=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fyhs%2Fsearch%3Fp%3DPirate%2BFlag%26fr%3Dyhs-mozilla-001%26hsimp%3Dyhs-001%26hspart%3Dmozilla%26nost%3D1%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D85&w=360&h=288&imgurl=flappinflags.com%2FProductImages%2F521.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flappinflags.com%2FProducts%2FFLAGS%2FPIRATE%2F%3Fp%3Dall&size=24.7KB&name=%3Cb%3EPirate+Flag%3C%2Fb%3E%3A+No+Quarter...&p=Pirate+Flag&oid=aa3a3dcbb8c8500844232e1b7160094e&fr2=&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&tt=%3Cb%3EPirate+Flag%3C%2Fb%3E%3A+No+Quarter...&b=61&ni=160&no=85&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11onn9n0b&sigb=141eija68&sigi=116gaqibo&sigt=1116519i1&sign=1116519i1&.crumb=yCiDpS7FTVJ&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla

[AppyPappy]

I’ve started referring to them as the “anti-history crowd”

[DoodleDawg]

"...It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny..."

Not all of you:

"The South had always been solid for slavery and when the quarrel about it resulted in a conflict of arms, those who had approved the policy of disunion took the pro-slavery side. It was perfectly logical to fight for slavery, if it was right to own slaves." -- John Singleton Mosby

Having said that I still think this latest ISIS-ization of our history is idiotic. The flag didn't kill anyone. Root would have shot those people if the flag had been taken down 10 years ago, and someone somewhere someday will shoot more people out of racist hatred even if the flag stays down. The Confederate flag is the scapegoat in this, and attacks on it are a knee-jerk, feel good, overreaction that will accomplish precisely dick. It will not end racial animosity. It will not "bring us together". It will do exactly the opposite.

[liberalism is suicide]

Liberals make racists. They are exploiting the grief of black families to make political hay and to stir up hatred against their white fellow citizens, and to produce the same reaction in whites. What vultures the “caring” troublemakers on the Left are.

[cripplecreek]

The sons of union civil war veterans also officially back keeping the Confederate battle flag.

From the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War: Our Position on the Confederate Battle Flag

The south is a lot bigger than it used to be.

[GOPJ]

It’s not just the flag and monument under attack, it is the South and Southerners who represent conservative America.

Liberals hate in ways so deep it's unimaginable to rational citizens.

[cripplecreek]