Posted on 06/24/2015 9:21:37 PM PDT by NRx
Four years ago, I became a national news story after I hung a Confederate flag in my dorm room window at the University of South Carolina Beaufort. Controversy wasn’t my intention. For me and many Southerners, the flag celebrates my heritage and regional pride. One of my ancestors, Benjamin Thomas, was a black Confederate cook, and I do not want to turn my back on his service to the South. So I hang the flag in honor of his hard work and dedication to South Carolina during the Civil War.
My Confederate flag isn’t racist; after all, I am black. I’m also an American who strongly believes in the constitutional right to free speech. I fought back against the university’s demand that I take my flag down simply because others view it as a symbol of racism. I fought back against the racist interpretation of the flag and I won.
Now there’s a similar debate about the Confederate flag that flies over South Carolina’s statehouse. In the wake of the Charleston church shooting and pictures of the accused killer posing with the Confederate flag, people have demanded the flag be permanently removed from the statehouse grounds. I deeply respect and honor the nine people whose lives were lost in that church, who died with love in their hearts even though evil was among them. I felt that lowering the flag would give power to the racist terrorist who killed them. For a long time, it bothered me that every time someone raised the Confederate flag, someone else fought to have it removed. Racists hijacked the Confederate flag, and by effectively banning it on college campuses and government grounds, we would allow them to keep it.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Terrorist, had to be a lib writer that minced words.
Charleston seems united (that is their next nut to crack).
The rest of the useless idiots on social media have no clue. So props to the Devil I guess.
Thoughtful, well written, cogent, on point.
We need to all stand up and fight back against the nonsense going on out there. The left wants to control all speech and all thought. It is they who are the racists
One of my ancestors, Benjamin Thomas, was a black Confederate cook, and I do not want to turn my back on his service to the South.
my ancestors were cooks to Confederate slaveowners. They were called house negroes. Didn’t get paid either. They weren’t servants to the South. They were slaves who didn’t know they were free until around 1867.
If this guy wants to support the Confederate flag, ok, but hope he knows the Confederate Constitution supported slavery.
If you want to support the American flag, ok, but I hope you know that the American Constitution supported slavery.
(Pssst... yes, I do support the American flag)
If you want to support the American flag, ok, but I hope you know that the American Constitution supported slavery.
The US Constitution also abolished slavery so redress was made however the Confederate Constitution never got amended to abolish slavery. So yes support the American Flag, it stands for redemption and Freedom.
That's it! The Left and Elitism are synonymous. It is tragic how much the world must suffer because of people with a god complex. The Elites pursuit of perfection is self-perpetuating. If the world is not perfect after they stamp out one opponent, there must obviously be more to find and eradicate.
You just can’t wipe out our history and that seems the ultimate goal of the left, to rewrite all our history they do not like. It isn’t racist to me.
But then I don’t expect the world to cave to my feelings, right or wrong.
Many black people have a slave heritage. It is one of sadness, but they weren’t the only ones brought to America as slaves and indentured servants and they were not the only ones to experience hardships. And many have overcome their slave heritage and hardships to become productive members and leaders in our society. I believe today’s descendants have been afforded equal justice and more opportunities than most to succeed in America.
I’ve often wondered where would their descendants would be today if their ancestors had not been captured and brought to America as slaves. Would they still be living in Africa and would they want to immigrate to America for it’s better life and opportunities? Or would they have remained in Africa and prospered as Africans? They should ponder these questions before blaming America for their condition.
Of course it supported slavery since that was their way of harvesting crops in an agrarian society just like everywhere else in the world at time. It would have ended with the invention of the steam engine anyway and not needed to kill 500,000 whites.
If you are so incensed about slavery why aren’t you doing something about slavery in Africa?
Pray America is waking
The Truth is much of the Confederate Army were black. If it was about freedom why didn’t the slaves revolt when all the white boys were gone fighting the Yankees? Its about Jim Crow—Repression, racism for political purposes. Its not a flag, its not hate—its about power in the Democratic Party and getting Hillary the all powerful Black Vote.
Of course it supported slavery since that was their way of harvesting crops in an agrarian society just like everywhere else in the world at time. It would have ended with the invention of the steam engine anyway and not needed to kill 500,000 whites.
Since you’re so in favor of slavery why don’t you support it in Africa...
See how silly it is to jump to conclusions not supported by a poster!
For those who don’t know the American Constitution listed slaves as 3/5ths of a human. I am not sure what they did about free Negroes.
The Truth is much of the Confederate Army were black. If it was about freedom why didn’t the slaves revolt when all the white boys were gone fighting the Yankees? Its about Jim Crow—Repression, racism for political purposes. Its not a flag, its not hate—its about power in the Democratic Party and getting Hillary the all powerful Black Vote.
the Confederacy only aproved black soldiers in 1865. 4 years into the Civil War when it was losing to the North. The North had way more blacks fighting for it than the South by that time.
Gen Robert E Lee wanted Blacks who fought for the Confederacy to be free afterward. So I’m guessing there wasn’t an armed revolt by those soldiers because they were offered Freedom in exchange for their service.
So if slavery was so bad back then why did 75% of slaves stay on their plantations 10 years after they were freed? Fact is they had a better life and better masters than they had in Africa.
So why are you not up in arms about African slave trade going on today? Shouldn’t you be stopping that rather than running around with a 150 yr old chip on your shoulder?
you’re making a lot of assumptions there.
So if slavery was so bad back then why did 75% of slaves stay on their plantations 10 years after they were freed? Fact is they had a better life and better masters than they had in Africa.
I’m sure those who lived under the USSR could say their life was better under Communism and they didn’t leave because life wasn’t so bad too.
Apples/oranges argument. Why did they never leave George Washington’s plantation long after he declared them free?
Keep that 150 yr old chip nice and polished, you may even begin believing we owe you. I have no guilt about your distant relatives being slaves so go peddle your whining somewhere else.
Maybe you could take a look at your own race and find some problems.
Again, you are making a lot of assumptions there.
And you’re projecting as well.
...”where would their descendants would be today if their ancestors had not been captured and brought to America as slaves.”
considering the ups, downs and sometimes sideways of life, I finally figured out that without question I’m where I’m supposed to be. Then again, beyond a vague notion, I never had a destination in mind.
“the Confederacy only aproved black soldiers in 1865. 4 years into the Civil War when it was losing to the North. The North had way more blacks fighting for it than the South by that time.”
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With respect, while your statement is essentially true as a matter of confederate policy and law, there were thousands of blacks serving in the CSA nonetheless. And, as a corollary to your statement that there were “way more” blacks fighting for the North than the South, there were many more black slave owners in the North than in the South as well.
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