why do southerners still wave confederate flag? why not the american flag?

Question

correction- some souhtherners. i know not all southerners do. i would never generalize somebody.

Answer 1

they say it's heritage, NOT hatred! But whatever!!! why would you display the flag when you know it's offensive to other people?

Answer 2

For the most part, we wave both. I have both at my house. The reason that I wave my Confederate Flag and display it prominently is because of the narrow-minded people that think they should be allowed to take it away from me. A Southern Patriot is not only an endangered species, but is also a much maligned one, too. Just because I believe in the basic ideals that made the Southern States secede from the union (State's Rights) I am considered to be raciest scum.

The teachings of that era of history have been so misconstrued over the years, it is pathetic. What our children learn in school is that the War of Northern Aggression (there ain't nothing civil about it) was fought only over slavery, and that people who still believe in any of the ideals of that era and choose to display Confederate images, are raciest, backwards and kkk members. I find this to be a tragic thing. I have faced a ton of criticism and abuse for this over the years. I can remember a time my mom didn't want me to even wear things that showed my school spirit, since our mascot was Col. Reb and our school flag was the Confederate Flag because people were being attacked, beaten and all but killed over this.

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Update - we also like to irritate people who think it is okay to use the phrase 'red neck bigots'. Tossing that phrase about is akin to calling all the great people of New York City 'self involved jerks'. And the people who have no clue what Southern Pride is really all about. We are the only region that has this kind of pride in theirselves. You never hear about Yankee Pride, do you?

Answer 3

To some Southerners the Confederate flag is considered a symbol of their heritage. Most people who fly the Confederate Flag usually fly the American flag above it, but some don't and I think I know why. Like the Texas Republic, the Confederacy was once a self-proclaimed independent state apart from the US, so it can be flown by itself.

Answer 4

I'm a Southerner. It is a symbol of our heritage. Everyone thinks it is racist, but it isn't. It's almost like a symbol for the south. I don't wave it myself though. But the people who do aren't ignorant rednecks. Most of them wave the American flag too. I don't see how y'all think it's a symbol of racism or hatred. It's just part of the South's history. Just think if Britney Spears, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Bill Clinton, or anyone from the South were to wave the Confederate flag would it be racist then? I don't think anyone would care then. So why do we care now? Also in history we had to change our former flag because it looked like the Union flag. So we changed it to the Confederate flag. Really all it is, is a battle flag.

Answer 5

It's not uncommon to see both. Some of the people who display the Confederate flag do so for racist reasons- there's no sense in denying that. Some do it simply because it pissess off northerners. Some because there's an element of regional pride that northerners really don't understand.

Traditional southern families tend to be very connected to their land, families, and traditions. The confederate flag is a part of all of those.

Answer 6

Understand that the Civil War was about secession ( leaving) and not about slavery. But the victors of war write the history. Anyway, the South was unsuccessful in leaving the Union. In other words, the southerners were unable to do what the original settlers from England did in 1776, that is, leave the mother country. As for the Stars and Bars, many southeners believe the Civil War was the most important event in US history and believe that as long as the Union ( maybe the Bush government?) are in control, we should always challenge the government to be better, or do something about, like start a new country!

Answer 7

Southern heritage to most of us. Hatred to some. If you were not born in the South or ever lived here, don't judge or presume to know how we feel about the Confederate Flag.

PS - We do wave the American Flag!!!

Amen to aredneckwedding!!

Answer 8

My biggest issue is that is - by its very nature - an anti-American symbol. Regardless of the arguments that its "heritage", it is not possible to be patriotic and display an anti-American symbol.

Few recognize the irony of displaying the Stars and Bars and telling someone else "love it or leave it."

I don't "presume" to know the motivations behind its display. I don't care if they're racist or not (I also don't empathize for them when they are called racist), because few of them likely recognize that the Stars and Bars were not added to Georgia's state flag until 1956 - as the Civil Rights Movement was under way. You don't think there was a motivation or message there?

The Stars and Bars deserves its spot in history, but its display by a state or an individual should be considered an affront to America.

Why worry so much about flag burning when this desecration of our country is done by millions every day.

Answer 9

The missconception is that a confederate flag is patriotic. How the belief that waving the flag of an entity that fought a war against the United States of America is patriotic, I'll never figure out.

Answer 10

I do not know why, but I do know that the flag that is recognized as the "confederate" flag is not the flag that was used by the confederate states of America.

It was the state of Tennessee battle flag during the civil war.

Answer 11

Southerners...many of them....take the Civil War more seriously...i.e historically... than people in the North.
They are more inclined to know which of their ancestors fought in which battle and where the battle was fought .
Its part of their history....family history.
And of course their state history.
Back in the 1800 loyalty to ones state trumped loyalty to federal government.
Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the United States Army and fought for Confederacy because he would not bear arms against VIRGINIA.
I have heard that statues on Confederate war heroes FACE NORTH.
I don't have problem with Confederate flag.
Just another attempt to find RACISTS .
Its racist this and racist that.