Does the Confederate Flag offend you?

SodaHead.com ^

[poetbdk]

Does the Confederate Flag offend you? http://www.sodahead.com/question/537677/does-the-confederate-flag-offend-you/ I came across this question asked at SodaHead.com that has produced a lively discussion with over 2500 comments. I thought I would post it here at Free Republic and see if it gets a similiar response.

[TomOnTheRun]

There is no such thing as “Benedistice.” Perhaps you mean “Benedictine” as in the order founded by St. Benedict? It is rather odd that you don’t know how to spell your own order.

I already corrected myself in the post immediately after that one. English is not my first language and not what I used to name the order. The motto was correct first time though ;>

[TomOnTheRun]

You are painting all Southern combatants with the same brush. Shows a lack of understanding on your part.

I don't believe I did. I very careful said that the war was not entirely about this thing or that and to imply that there were multiple motives. Where are you thinking i painted them all with the same brush?

[Luke21]

Motivations are the justification for hate crimes laws, and most of us are sick of that nonsense.

[TomOnTheRun]

Motivations are the justification for hate crimes laws, and most of us are sick of that nonsense.

Ok. So we can never talk about motives? Anywhere? About anybody or anything? I don't think anybody here is that silly. I think when I spoke of motives it was approproate.

[Luke21]

You are very new here. How about giving us some views on how much you like our prez.

[carton253]

Right here:

You are very correct. I think people that have tried to make the confederate flag into a symbol of state right's alone underestimate how closely tied those issues (slavery) were. Jim Crow laws perpetuated that tie and, I think, hilighted it. After all, it was states passing Jim Crow laws - not the Feds.

What a shallow understanding of history.

[nanetteclaret]

**when they have spent their entire life thinking it is about slavery***

Thanks to our lovely NEA which promotes revisionist history, very few people outside of the South have ever heard the term “states rights.” Re-writing history was a great way to vilify a group of people who tried to stand up to tyranny. What better way than to say that the War was about something disgusting (slavery) than that it was about something noble (states rights)? What better way to subject the losers than to ridicule and demonize them? Even now, Southerners are made fun of by the “northern elites” as being unsophisticated hicks, “clinging to God and guns.”

p.s. sorry for the snarky comment about your spelling in the post above. I posted before reading that you corrected yourself.

[Godebert]

"Like it or not, accurate or not, the confederate flag is perceived as a symbol of slavery by most of America. How is it any different than skinheads in Germany waving the Nazi flag and arguing that the flag is merely a part of German history and reflects their heritage?"

Actus3

Since Aug 6, 2009

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[TomOnTheRun]

What a shallow understanding of history.

Ok - how? Firstly, I'm talking perceptions and not actual history there. The perception that states rights was being used to justify Jim Crow and slavery before that is widespread and hardly uncommon. I wasn't even born by the time that idea had traction. I think Jim Crow laws strengthened the perception that those issues were linked. I think these are bad and false assumptions but I'm not silly enough to stand there and say that they aren't general assumptions.

[carton253]

Make up my mind! You are as slippery as other Freepers who argue about the Civil War. You should seek them out. They would welcome both your views and your debating skills.

[TomOnTheRun]

p.s. sorry for the snarky comment about your spelling in the post above. I posted before reading that you corrected yourself.

No worries! =D I don't take this as seriously as a lot of people here. I never even went on the internet before this year. I don't think I'm as invested in it as other people are.

Thanks to our lovely NEA which promotes revisionist history...

I'm confused by this though. What does the NEA have to do with this? I mean .. they've done some terrible work in the past but I'm not sure how they could do all that. Sculptures and painting aren't followed by enough Americans for the National Endowment to do that much damage...

[Luke21]

What you are missing is that many of us are sick and tired of being lectured to. For forty five years we've been told if we turn this way we are racists and that way we are racists. It's a racket. We now have a black president and they tell us of all things, that we are still racists.

So when you defend identifying motives as to whether or not someone may express themselves, you are speaking out of the liberal playbook.

[Fred911]

What a POLITE way to say that we used to buy and sell human beings as property that were forced to labor for our ancestors. I don't know what you did, But my family wasn't in the United States at that point. (you also seem to have missed the point of my sarcasm).

[TomOnTheRun]

Make up my mind! You are as slippery as other Freepers who argue about the Civil War. You should seek them out. They would welcome both your views and your debating skills.

*grin* At least ... I think I should be grinning. It seemed a little friendly.

I'm not trying to be slippery though .... I'm trying to be very very exact. I think we have to be because we miss so very much online when we can't see or touch people. For example ... I'm not sure jessduntno would have gotten so angry with me earlier if we had been speaking in person. He woudl have seen my friendly body language and smiles. Unfortunately I think he just thought I was being a !@$@#$ when I would =D or *grin* ...

[TomOnTheRun]

What you are missing is that many of us are sick and tired of being lectured to. For forty five years we've been told if we turn this way we are racists and that way we are racists. It's a racket. We now have a black president and they tell us of all things, that we are still racists.

It definitely can be a racket and you are very right to be angry! I've seen it in other places not America also! It's a terrible name to shake off and we will probably have to wait about 10-15 years for some people to die of old age before some of the worst of this stops...

Don't forget BTW that I am still a native-born Texan. I have personal experience with this also when I travel in the north. No I'm not a racist. No I have never ridden a horse and nobody has an oil derrick in my back yard.

So when you defend identifying motives as to whether or not someone may express themselves, you are speaking out of the liberal playbook.

I wasn't trying to do that. I did mention motives but it wasn't about anybody here ..... it was about people long dead. I'm sorry if you thought I was trying to silence you.

[TomOnTheRun]

What a POLITE way to say that we used to buy and sell human beings as property that were forced to labor for our ancestors. I don't know what you did, But my family wasn't in the United States at that point. (you also seem to have missed the point of my sarcasm).

I'm sorry .. I'll be sure to put "I'm joking too!" in my signature next time ;>

[carton253]

Re: Perception. I don’t have time to live my life for the approval of the ignorant. The ignorant can get an education.

[carton253]

NEA is the teachers union...

[x]

By “offend” do you mean “bore the hell out of”?

[TomOnTheRun]

NEA is the teachers union...

Oh! Yes. I see. I'm sorry. I thought you meant the NEA National Endowment for the Arts. It's the one I'm familiar with since I have no children. Thanks for the info. I looked them up after you correction ... alarming things already come to the top of the google search....