The Confederate Flag

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Happy to meet you, winter. Hope you can regard this as a positive encounter.
I am a non-racist bearer of C.S.A. flags - although I favor the 3rd National myself.
One of my many C.S.A. ancestors was Captain David Cartwright Jackson, but I can show you my U.D.C. card if need be, 33girl.
I was a featured speaker at a Sam Davis Camp this summer - my topic was southern linguistics. It's not always just about The War - in many, many cases - including the many learned (as in university professors and PhDs I know through SCV, UDC and LOS) ladies and gentlemen I know in heritage groups - it is also about southern culture.(Not an oxymoron) After 4 years in New Jersey I can say that most above the Mason-Dixon don't get that - hence the whole "Why don't they just get over it" thing, which is insulting in its idiocy. It's right up there with "Well, at least we won The War!" which always made me wonder why those New Jersyians couldn't come up with anything in defense of themselves other than an event which occurred over 100 years ago.

Co-sign all of this, too.

Other than that, I don't want to disrupt the southern hate-in developing here, and I am going to resolve to stay away from news and politics. She flew the flag, the neighbors didn't like it, they built the fences, she didn't like it, she made sure she could continue to exercise her free speech rights. I don't get why this is "news". Happy stereotyping.

I agree about the stereotyping of Southerners. My disagreement has to do with the free speech rights part. No doubt, she has that right. But for the life of me, I don't understand why someone would choose to do that in a way that they know (or certainly should know) will be deeply and understandably offensive to their neighbors.

If it's important to me, I'll find a way a to express myself that doesn't simultaneously offend those who live around me -- such as by occasionally flying a flag (I fly different kinds of flags all the time) that carries the same (or more) meaning for me but that doesn't come with all of the baggage and connotations of "the Confederate flag."

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I agree about the stereotyping of Southerners. My disagreement has to do with the free speech rights part. No doubt, she has that right. But for the life of me, I don't understand why someone would choose to do that in a way that they know (or certainly should know) will be deeply and understandably offensive to their neighbors.

If it's important to me, I'll find a way a to express myself that doesn't simultaneously offend those who live around me -- such as by occasionally flying a flag (I fly different kinds of flags all the time) that carries the same (or more) meaning for me but that doesn't come with all of the baggage and connotations of "the Confederate flag."

That neighbor was being an asshole.

I have much love for the Black Panther Party. I wouldn't display flags and symbols for the BPP in our cul de sac community in which we are the only Black family. Those white neighbors do not want to hear about the history and the relevance of the BPP. Those white neighbors would contact HOA and would stop having cul de sac cookouts. LOL.

Power to the People.

[IndianaSigKap]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

My disagreement has to do with the free speech rights part. No doubt, she has that right. But for the life of me, I don't understand why someone would choose to do that in a way that they know (or certainly should know) will be deeply and understandably offensive to their neighbors.

If it's important to me, I'll find a way a to express myself that doesn't simultaneously offend those who live around me -- such as by occasionally flying a flag (I fly different kinds of flags all the time) that carries the same (or more) meaning for me but that doesn't come with all of the baggage and connotations of "the Confederate flag."

Last year one of my students wrote an column in our school paper about the same time that Terry Jones was calling for the quoran burning writing that even though one may have the right to do something, does that mean that it's morally or ethically correct? He was writing about the "just because you can do something, does it mean you should" principle. He is very well read and writes eloquently, and comes from an interesting background: Dad is a presbyterian pastor, Mom is a social worker and step mom is a PhD who is a retired professor at a theological seminary. His column definitely started some good dialog at school. This story reminded me of his column and some of the discussions the kids had surrounding the Jones incident.