|
Anyway....
I brought up the economic point to provide an additional angle to the "Old South/slavery/symbols of hatred" discussion. As Elephant Walk so eloquently explained, many Southerners (the noncapitalists) were paid very little for their labor if their labor was utilized at all. This is a standard resource/labor market competition threat argument. The "racial hatred" that we always talk about was (at least initially) very much rooted in anger over competiting with the cheap labor of slaves (and freed blacks before and after slavery was abolished). Similar to how many people express anger over low wage Mexican immigrant labor by making racially prejudiced remarks. Of course deliberate immigration isn't the same as being sold into slavery.
We all have to be aware of the differential impact that these symbols (like the Confederate flag) have on people. What one person sees as an expression of Southern heritage, even if it was very much a plantation economy, others view as almost inherently racist. But, it's all about one's standpoint so I'm not quick to shout "bigotry" or "racism" without understanding the other side of the debate.
|