Southern pride gone wrong!

[badblackpug]

If the rainbow flag had stood for artistry for many years prior to being adopted by the homosexual community, you'd have a point.

I don't understand why no one will admit that, regardless of the original meaning of the confederate flag, it has evolved to mean something else to many, many people.

The original meaning of the swastika was life and good luck. No-one on earth looks at the swastika and immediately thinks good luck and life any more.

Whether you like it or not, or will admit it or not, the meaning of the confederate flag has been permanently altered. You can stick your head in the sand or absolutely refuse to acknowledge that it is so, but to the majority of people it has a negative connotation. It's not fair, but it's the truth.

 

[luvsJack]

So are we going to always let idiots like the Klan decide what things mean?

They could stop carrying the confederate flag tomorrow and suddenly pick up the American flag or some other symbol of America--are we going to let them take that too?

I don't understand letting a group of idiots in hoods determine what something means to me.

As another poster said, that flag symbolized an army and its troops. It symbolized the pride of a country. It wasn't about slavery and it wasn't about racism.

We can't control what the Klan decides to carry or use.

I am not sticking my head in the sand, I know exactly what the confederate flag means and what it stands for.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

I don't understand why no one will admit that, regardless of the original meaning of the confederate flag, it has evolved to mean something else to many, many people.

The original meaning of the swastika was life and good luck. No-one on earth looks at the swastika and immediately thinks good luck and life any more.

Whether you like it or not, or will admit it or not, the meaning of the confederate flag has been permanently altered. You can stick your head in the sand or absolutely refuse to acknowledge that it is so, but to the majority of people it has a negative connotation. It's not fair, but it's the truth.

I have no idea how you can think no one understands what the Confederate Flag means to some people. It's all over the thread that people understand that, to some people, it means oppression of black people and slavery.

It just means that to less people than you think.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I find it somewhat odd that the losers want to use that flag! Hey we lost the war, we were soundly defeated but yippee I am so proud.

And yes, I do think the neighbor is being intentionally stupid.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

I find it somewhat odd that the losers want to use that flag! Hey we lost the war, we were soundly defeated but yippee I am so proud.

And yes, I do think the neighbor is being intentionally stupid.

Again, just because they lost doesn't mean they think they should have. They aren't ashamed of the reasons why they went to war, why would they be ashamed to fly the flag?

Just as much, if not more, that flag stands (to some people) for the hardships and trials the Southern people went thru after the war ended. They were decimated, they were treated like dirt and they were broken down to nothing. Freed slaves included. There is a whole history of what went on after the "war" officially ended, where they were treated as criminals and worse. Yet, they survived, they made it thru and they moved on. That is what the flag represents to them. The courage and the strength to survive.

To others it's simply a thorn to stick in someone's side. That's too bad. Yet it doesn't detract from the feel others get from honoring and flying that flag.

 

[PeterPan09]

So are we going to always let idiots like the Klan decide what things mean?

They could stop carrying the confederate flag tomorrow and suddenly pick up the American flag or some other symbol of America--are we going to let them take that too?

I don't understand letting a group of idiots in hoods determine what something means to me.

As another poster said, that flag symbolized an army and its troops. It symbolized the pride of a country. It wasn't about slavery and it wasn't about racism.

We can't control what the Klan decides to carry or use.

I am not sticking my head in the sand, I know exactly what the confederate flag means and what it stands for.

The Klan does carry an American flag at their rallies. They rallied in NJ once when I was a kid and they had both the American and the Confederate flags.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

The Klan does carry an American flag at their rallies. They rallied in NJ once when I was a kid and they had both the American and the Confederate flags.

Yet once more, the truth rears it's ugly head.

 

[Wall-E1]

I don't understand letting a group of idiots in hoods determine what something means to me.

We don't need to let the Klan decide what the flag means. The actions of the southerners during that time period is plenty offensive enough.

As another poster said, that flag symbolized an army and its troops. It symbolized the pride of a country. It wasn't about slavery and it wasn't about racism.

That is what the flag symbolized for white southerners. The flag meant something very different to black southerners. To them the flag represented slavery and oppression.

Perhaps, had you been a slave, your view of that "proud" flag and would have been much different. Perhaps had you been ripped from your home, forced into bondage, raped; had to watch family members being brutalized under this "proud" flag, you would see things differently.

 

[luvsJack]

We don't need to let the Klan decide what the flag means. The actions of the southerners during that time period is plenty offensive enough.


That is what the flag symbolized for white southerners. The flag meant something very different to black southerners. To them the flag represented slavery and oppression.

Perhaps, had you been a slave, your view of that "proud" flag and would have been much different. Perhaps had you been ripped from your home, forced into bondage, raped; had to watch family members being brutalized under this "proud" flag, you would see things differently.

I really don't think anyone else here on this board went through all of that either. Slavery was a horrible thing. There is no doubt about that. Getting rid of that flag is not going to change history or what anyone's ancestor's went through.


That flag did NOT fly over slavery so none of that happened "under" that flag. It was a battle flag. Besides, ya'll keep going back and forth. First its what it meant at the time of the civil war and then its what the Klan made it stand for after--make up your mind.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I may well be, but that is a religious discussion and, therefor, banned by the Dis......

No, mentioning the word Bible or Torah in a discussion does not make the discussion religious, nor does mentioning the faiths that they represent.

Understand that the Islamic faith is vilified by billions of people around the globe. Billions. Far more people than even know the Confederate flag exists. Just as the entire Islamic faith is vilified because of terroristic acts associated with people who have hijacked that religion, so has the confederate flag been hijacked.

You can choose to think for yourself, or follow the masses. I choose to think for myself.

 

[princessmom29]

I don't understand why no one will admit that, regardless of the original meaning of the confederate flag, it has evolved to mean something else to many, many people.

The original meaning of the swastika was life and good luck. No-one on earth looks at the swastika and immediately thinks good luck and life any more.

Whether you like it or not, or will admit it or not, the meaning of the confederate flag has been permanently altered. You can stick your head in the sand or absolutely refuse to acknowledge that it is so, but to the majority of people it has a negative connotation. It's not fair, but it's the truth.

Because I refuse to allow evil and hate to rob me of my heritage. I choose to fight back through educating people who are ignorant of the true meaning of the flag. I fo one and taknig back my southern heritage and standing up for the fact that there is no shame in it.

 

[FireDancer]

Again, just because they lost doesn't mean they think they should have.

Huh? Who goes into a war thinking they should lose?

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Huh? Who goes into a war thinking they should lose?

Exactly. So why would they be ashamed of their flag?

 

[badblackpug]

I really don't think anyone else here on this board went through all of that either. Slavery was a horrible thing. There is no doubt about that. Getting rid of that flag is not going to change history or what anyone's ancestor's went through.


That flag did NOT fly over slavery so none of that happened "under" that flag. It was a battle flag. Besides, ya'll keep going back and forth. First its what it meant at the time of the civil war and then its what the Klan made it stand for after--make up your mind.

We all do not keep going back and forth we are different people. ...but the crux of the matter is that this is a symbol with very, very negative connotations to the majority of people.

 

[suzannen]

Because I refuse to allow evil and hate to rob me of my heritage. I choose to fight back through educating people who are ignorant of the true meaning of the flag. I fo one and taknig back my southern heritage and standing up for the fact that there is no shame in it.

I'm a born and bred Southern girl, I'm extremely proud of my heritage, but there is NOTHING about displaying that flag in today's world that makes me proud. This woman could have chosen to hang her flag somewhere prominently inside her home, but instead she flaunts it and it's done purposely to hurt others.

There are way too many other ways to share your heritage. Being in the North now, I like to display mine in my kitchen by inviting others from all over to share in my Hoppin' John, my Jambalaya, hush puppies, biscuits, sweet potato pie, sweet tea...

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

We don't need to let the Klan decide what the flag means. The actions of the southerners during that time period is plenty offensive enough.


That is what the flag symbolized for white southerners. The flag meant something very different to black southerners. To them the flag represented slavery and oppression.

Perhaps, had you been a slave, your view of that "proud" flag and would have been much different. Perhaps had you been ripped from your home, forced into bondage, raped; had to watch family members being brutalized under this "proud" flag, you would see things differently.

So...should flags of Africa be consider evil also? I mean, they did sell their own people into slavery...the bondage, the rape, ripping family members from other tribes and then selling the captives to white people who shipped them across the seas.

Washington, Jefferson, they had slaves. Does that make everyone cringe when the see the Stars and Stripes? You try to make it sound like the whole North was so anti slave. They weren't. If it hadn't have been for Abraham Lincoln the slavery issue wouldn't have even been a blip on the radar for the Civil War.

As a matter of fact, Vice President at the time was Andrew Johnson, a slave owner from Tennessee.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Huh? Who goes into a war thinking they should lose?

You left out the next sentence, which was the important one with respect this conversation - "They aren't ashamed of the reasons why they went to war, why would they be ashamed to fly the flag?"

Southerners all know that they lost, and that they were soundly defeated. The entire South was burned to the ground and then Southerners were oppressed by Reconstruction laws for decades thereafter.

Only a tiny minority even care about the Civil War any more, and those that do are as poorly informed as Dis posters on the subject matter. But that doesn't mean that they aren't proud of their "rebellious" spirit. It lives in the South, and it is a part of our culture. No, that doesn't mean that Southerners want to revolt against the federal government, but it does mean that they do not willing accept the yolk that our government has placed upon them - and neither should you.

If you want to understand why there is so much pride in the South, you need to study what they went through before and AFTER the Civil War, not just during the war. The Confederate Flag represents a lot more than most people are interested in discussing. Everyone gets hung up on slavery. A lot more happened between the years 1830 and 1920, and it is all relevant.

 

[FireDancer]

Exactly. So why would they be ashamed of their flag?

I don't think anyone should be ashamed of the flag. I would personally, however, be ashamed if my ancestors fought a war that, while much more complex than one issue, was at least partially fought to continue to keep slavery legal and I would want to distance myself from that war as much as possible.

As much as saying the Civil War was completely about slavery is incorrect and an over-simplification saying it had nothing to do with continuing slavery, even in the short term, is also incorrect.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

We all do not keep going back and forth we are different people. ...but the crux of the matter is that this is a symbol with very, very negative connotations to the majority of people.

The majority of people think a lot of things. I could write a list. A whole lot of bigotry on that list. Should we let the majority define us? Are we back there again?

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

I don't think anyone should be ashamed of the flag. I would personally, however, be ashamed if my ancestors fought a war that, while much more complex than one issue, was at least partially fought to continue to keep slavery legal.

A misconception. They fought to have a term to phase out slavery, not to keep it for eternity. Had they been allowed to do that, the South would probably have not gone into the deep decline it did. They might have been able to come to agreements with the slaves, who knows. But they did not fight the war to Keep Slavery Forever. They fought to have time to switch their methods and find other ways to do things. Whether or not that was the best idea, don't know. At least get the reason right though. The North didn't like that idea and felt it should cram it's own way down the South's throat.

Such is the way of war.