President Trump Defends The Confederate Flag's Heritage And Southerners Prideful Love For It

Reuters ^ | July 19, 2020 | Reuters

[White Lives Matter]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump declined to say the Confederate flag was an offensive symbol in an interview broadcast on Sunday, saying it is a source of pride for people who love the South.

The Republican president was asked on “Fox News Sunday,” if the flag, considered a symbol of slavery and oppression by most Americans, was offensive.

.....,....Snip..........

"It depends on who you’re talking about, when you’re talking about,” Trump responded. “When people proudly had their Confederate flags they’re not talking about racism. They love their flag, it represents the South. They like the South ... I say it’s freedom of many things, but it’s freedom of speech.”

[pdunkin]

Well stated.

[FenwickBabbitt]

Southerners were not trying to overthrow the US government nor selling it out to a foreign nation. They were trying to build their own independent nation like the American colonies did against Britain. Were the Founding Fathers also “traitors”? The British certainly thought so at the time. Or do you think it’s fair to see failed revolutionaries as “traitors” but successful ones as “patriots”?

[Don Corleone]

President Trump has the left seething today from his interview with never-Trumper Chris Wallace. This part about Southern Pride for the Confederate flag should cause them to be put on suicide watch.

One can only hope the guard falls asleep like with Epstein.

[FLT-bird]

Amen.

God Save the South.

[FLT-bird]

I will NEVER vote for her as a result. She empowered the Maoists.

[21twelve]

That account brought a tear to my eye. And I’m a damn Yankee!

Not until I got on FR 20(?) years ago did I come to understand the Confederate flag. Before that I thought it was nuts that folks could fly it. Akin to having a Nazi or Jap Rising Sun flag flying.

Now I put it into the column of regional pride and heritage. And while I probably will not ever fly it (or eat fried okra again), others can do what they want.

[norwaypinesavage]

I’m a Yankee through and through. I was born and raised in Minnesota, lived in Michigan all through my working career, and still do. My great uncle immigrated to the US at age 17, was drafted into the Minnesota militia, and died in the Civil War, fighting to free the slaves. That’s my closest heritage to slavery.

That said, I respect the love the South has for their “Stars and Bars”. It was their flag, their heroes, and their heritage. You can’t erase history by burning flags. You only soil it. Let the South proudly honor their heritage, and let me honor mine beside it.

[LeoWindhorse]

Reb until dead

[cowboyusa]

They store apart the Union in Rebellion. They were traitors, it may have been right to let them back in after the war. But they were still traitors.

[cowboyusa]

They rebelled against the US, much like the left today. The reason they rebelled was slavery. Despite what yhe lost cause brigade says.

[cowboyusa]

Andrew Jackson-PT's hero and mine:”Our Fedetal Union, it must be preserved.” Jackson would have ended the war quickly.

[cowboyusa]

The crazy thing is that Nrw England used to be all GOP, as was the west coast.

[cowboyusa]

Standing up for free speech is always good.

[cowboyusa]

The south voted almost unanimously for FDR 2 times, and FDR 4 times. Only recently has it switched places with New England.

[Big Red Badger]

Yup,
Free Speech is Good.
.
If you don’t like my 1st
Amendment Rights,
My 2nd is gonna Really
Twist Your Nose.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Brigadier General (brevet Major General) Joshua L. Chamberlain was the Union officer selected to lead the ceremony. In his memoirs entitled The Passing of the Armies, Chamberlain reflected on what he witnessed on April 12, 1865, as the Army of Northern Virginia marched in to surrender their arms and their colors: The momentous meaning of this occasion impressed me deeply. I resolved to mark it by some token of recognition, which could be no other than a salute of arms. Well aware of the responsibility assumed, and of the criticisms that would follow, as the sequel proved, nothing of that kind could move me in the least. The act could be defended, if needful, by the suggestion that such a salute was not to the cause for which the flag of the Confederacy stood, but to its going down before the flag of the Union. My main reason, however, was one for which I sought no authority nor asked forgiveness. Before us in proud humiliation stood the embodiment of manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond;—was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured? Instructions had been given; and when the head of each division column comes opposite our group, our bugle sounds the signal and instantly our whole line from right to left, regiment by regiment in succession, gives the soldier's salutation, from the "order arms" to the old "carry"—the marching salute. Gordon at the head of the column, riding with heavy spirit and downcast face, catches the sound of shifting arms, looks up, and, taking the meaning, wheels superbly, making with himself and his horse one uplifted figure, with profound salutation as he drops the point of his sword to the boot toe; then facing to his own command, gives word for his successive brigades to pass us with the same position of the manual,—honor answering honor. On our part not a sound of trumpet more, nor roll of drum; not a cheer, nor word nor whisper of vain-glorying, nor motion of man standing again at the order, but an awed stillness rather, and breath-holding, as if it were the passing of the dead! — Joshua L. Chamberlain, The Passing of the Armies, pp. 260–61

[cowboyusa]

Agreed, once the war was over they really became part of the 2nd American Repubilic.

[cowboyusa]

Agreed, once the war was over they really became part of the 2nd American Repubilic.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Chamberlain had been shot by them and did not consider them traitors, neither should you.

[cowboyusa]

Once they were welcomed back in. Gen. Lee. However is a true American hero, he could have taken his army and turned Guarella, but he chose to unite the country
By the way, 1865 is a great book.