Replies

"Let me get this straight. You believe in secessionism? I don't."

Whooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeee! You obviously don't believe in how this country came about then. But if you will read carefully the Declaration of Independence, which is where our American ideals were first put into written form, then you would see that Secession is a right of the people when they feel the government no longer works on their behalf. You must first understand that in the American system of government the way the Founders set it up, the ultimate authority is the people (i.e. States) ... not Congress, not the Supreme Court, not the Federal Government. The Federal government was ceeded certain limited powers by each state, but control over a State's own domestic institutions was not one of them.

"It is true that I never was in the armed forces, but I don't know what that has to do with anything."

Anyone who has served knows that the enemy's common foot soldier, or sailor, or marine is only doing his duty according to what his superiors prescribe. The common foot soldier does not make policy ... all he does is to fight. You, having never been in the military understand very little of a soldier's life, or how he feels, or what he truly believes in, or what keeps him going on when others would quit. Do you truly understand the way the soldier views duty and honor? You must see these things from a soldier's perspective, before you can sit in judgement upon one.

"Let me ask you this: are U.S. soldiers permitted to wear a Confederate flag T-shirt in the mess hall in today's integrated army?"

Soldiers are authorized to wear what ever regulations prescribe. Usually in a mess hall they will be in a regulation uniform. In Vietnam soldiers flew the Confederate Battle flag from tanks, or other vehicles. They are allowed to have them in their rooms, they can probably wear it unless it it no longer authorized.

As for being fixated on the Confederate Battle Flag, it was my ancestors flag, and it is my flag. It stood for a fight for the liberty of self-determination, not subjugation as the Yankee myth makers would have you believe. Like I suggested before, go back and study the Founder's original intent ... be open minded and you might just come away from your studies surprised at what you've learned. A good book to start with is 'The American Ideal of 1776, Twelve Basic American Principles' - by Hamilton Abert Long. Then pick up the book 'A Constitutional History of Secession'- by John Remington Graham. Both of the authors are lawyers so they understand the law well.

Lastly ... all this imbroglio about the Confederate Battle Flag is another result of feeble minded Americans ascribing to Political Correctness. Now if you want the government to tell you what is acceptable thought, or speech, then you would've made a good little Communist. But free thought, free speech among other liberties are what the Founder's bequeathed to posterity (all of us). Freedom means growing a "thicker skin" ... all of this sensitivity crap is what is undermining our moral fibre.

Let me address just one point: you misunderstand free speech. The First Amendment prohibits "state action" that inhibits the expression of speech, especially political speech. The First Amendment generally does not apply to the legitimate policy choices that the Government makes to favor one idea over another, for example by prohibiting certain symbols in public schools, unless the "public forum" doctrine applies. That's what prevents Nativity scenes from being sponsored in front of City Hall. (I kind of disagree with those cases, but that is the law.) And public schools are not a public forum in that sense. Thus, the Government cannot prevent you or any other American from wearing any kind of flag you please on the street. But that doesn't prevent the Government, if it chooses, from prohibiting the Stars and Bars in a public school. This has to be the law; if it were otherwise, there would be a Constitutional barrier to banning Osama bin Laden T-shirts as well in the public schools. Finally, I think the bottom line of your fiery rhetoric is that you believe in secessionism, and think that is built into the American Constitution. That is OK; you have a First Amendment right to that opinion. But you must realize that this is a decidedly minority opinion, in the general electorate as well as amongst people who identify themselves as conservatives.