Confederate Flag, is it legal to fly outside?

Question

I have a Confederate battle flag on my wall in my home, and thought of flying it outside. Bad thought, some people would be offended, but people can fly almost any other flags and I get offended, but who cares. Is it bacause blacks think blacks didn't fight for the South? I have pictures that prove they are wrong.

Answer 1

It depends on which flag. The one that has the big blue 'X' and 13 stars is NOT the Confederate flag. It is a military battle flag. The proper flag of the Confederate States of America has 3 large horizontal bars of red, white, red and a blue square in the upper left featuring a circle of 13 white stars.

Answer 2

It might be illegal to fly the confederate battle flag outside. You should check with your city hall. If they say it's okay and since the Constitution does protect your right to free speech in the first amendment, then I suppose you can fly the flag. But just because you can, should you? Although you might think the flag looks cool or badass, when you balance that against the flag's context in the greater world, you might think differently (or you might not). The flag is not offensive because blacks think blacks didn't fight for the South. The flag is offensive to some because it represents a society that maintained a system of slavery. However, to others the flag represents the loftier ideal of states' rights. Which is right? Which is wrong? Are both right and both wrong? Is one more right than the other? How much weight should you give your impression that it's a cool flag? These are all facets of the flag that you should consider before making the decision to fly it. The Original Flag Desecration Jamin B. Raskin July 5, 2005 Jamin B. Raskin is a professor of Constitutional Law and the First Amendment at American University. He is author of Overruling Democracy, a 2003 Washington Post Bestseller with a chapter called "Unflagging Patriotism." When the House of Representatives passed the proposed constitutional amendment against "flag desecration," the politicians struck a blow not for patriotism but government thought control. Yet, ironically, our poorly educated right-wingers have now set America on course to criminalize the displaying of the Confederate flag, an accident that will leave many of them confused and scrambling to rewind their opportunism. The mistake supporters of the Amendment make is to assume that flag "desecration" means flag burning, which it certainly does not. As any Boy Scout or Girl Scout knows, federal law today recommends flag burning as the proper mode of flag disposal. The U.S. Code provides that a flag that an owner no longer considers a "fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning." So, under the new amendment, it will not be a crime to burn a flag. It only will be a crime to burn a flag in a context that suggests you have a political message critical of a nearby government official or authority figure. The Boy Scouts will continue to win promotions and badges for burning flags in public. But protestors deemed patriotically incorrect by local police and prosecutors will go to jail for the same act.

Answer 3

You can fly the flag legally (state capitol buildings cannot).
The question is why? It represents a time and mindset that had to be forced out. Beware you may give the impression of being a bigot.

Answer 4

Yes, it's legal.

What, all those beaten-up vans with Confederate stickers in the back window didn't give you a hint?

Answer 5

Of course it's legal. Some will find it obnoxious and inconsiderate.

Answer 6

Not illegal, just stupid.