The Confederate Flag

[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.

As far as the article is concerned, yeah, bad choice. But that made the news because it is NOT why the flag is usually flown. You only ever hear about the exceptions, not the rule itself.

[BluPhire]

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.

As far as the article is concerned, yeah, bad choice. But that made the news because it is NOT why the flag is usually flown. You only ever hear about the exceptions, not the rule itself.

I guess I shouldn't answer since I'm not in the North.

[KSig RC]

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.

The overwhelming majority clearly stated that this feeling happened when people in the NORTH fly the "stars 'n bars." The symbolism is different, particularly when those folks have no (lineage or direct) connection to the south.

Or, to flip it - do people in the South honestly believe that people from the North should associate the rebel flag with something other than racism/slavery/abasement of non-whites? Because that's essentially the same question.

[BluPhire]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Or, to flip it - do people in the South honestly believe that people from the North should associate the rebel flag with something other than racism/slavery/abasement of non-whites? Because that's essentially the same question.

^^^this

[33girl]

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.

No, I believe that's why the majority of people in the North (who have no ties to the South or the Confederacy) fly the rebel flag. I have no idea why people in the South do it.

And everything in winter's post above. So if she's skewed, I'm skewed too. It seems like in the last 2 decades or so, people from the rural areas around here seem to want to wallow in the worst stereotypes of it, whereas before they aspired to something better. There's a difference between being proud of where you're from and acting like it gives you a license to be an uneducated ignoramus.

[KDCat]

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.

As far as the article is concerned, yeah, bad choice. But that made the news because it is NOT why the flag is usually flown. You only ever hear about the exceptions, not the rule itself.

I think it totally depends on who is flying it. I'm sure some people fly it out of general "Southern pride" and aren't racists or rebels. At the same time, regardless of who flys it, I think the use of that flag is a mistake. It's a big middle finger to the whole world because it's a flag that was used to represent 1) people who engaged in treason/revolution against the United States and 2) by the Klan and 3) segregationists. I think if you fly it, you're telling the whole world that you are perfectly happy to be identified with those groups.

If someone flies a red flag with a yellow hammer and crescent on it, I tend to believe that they have some sympathy for communists.

A flag is a piece of communication. If it's not communicating the message that you want it to, the problem isn't the fact that audience misunderstood, it's that you have chosen the wrong symbol to communicate.