I know I'm late to the party, but I have a few things to add..
I live in the North. I always have. So this is purely a northern perspective. I might be ignorant to some ideas of the South (yes, I'll admit that), but it's simply because of my own experiences.. or lack thereof.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thetaj
Do people in the North honestly believe that when people in the South fly the rebel flag, they're doing so because they're racist/pleased with the results of slavery/trying to reverse the outcome of the Civil War? Honest question. Because if you HONESTLY think that's why it's flown down here, then shame on you for being so ignorant about the South.
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Yes..but not really. The reason being is this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by *winter*
As for the entire issue of what Northerners think of the CF and why...pondering this on the way home from work...where I'm passed by a lifted old Ford truck- giant tires, gun rack, swerving in and out of lanes aggressively- and, you guessed it- sporting a CF decorative plate! THIS is the image we come to associate with those who use the flag.
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It's just (and sadly, too) gotten a terrible rap around here due to all those who use it simply as a form of showing pride in the wrong things. It also intimidates minorities because of that association.
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And TV and movies don't help.
I understand that not all Southerners who fly the flag mean it in a negative way, but I can't get on board with waving it proudly... and definitely not up here. It's viewed differently here. Period. It's not that we don't understand.. it's not that we look at ALL southerners as racist... but we've been up North, living our non-Confederate-flag-waving lives, and we've generally been taught that it's an evil thing.
Flags and symbols represent many things.. pride, beliefs, morals, values, etc. of countries, organizations, religions, etc. While the Holocaust and Civil War might not be comparable - and even if they are, I don't want to compare them now - there is one thing that they definitely share; each had a flag/symbol that in one way or another, represented something negative (even if not in its entirety). Not everyone in the whole world views the swastika as something negative, and the same goes for the Confederate flag. However, a good portion of the population does.
For me personally, if I had any kind of symbol or flag plastered across my bumper sticker, or flying out in front of my house, and I thought it might offend a mass group of people, I'd take it down. Hell, I wouldn't put it up in the first place.
My follow-up question is: I know that you in the South can't speak for EVERYONE, but what is your perspective of how minorities in the South feel about it?