Why do southerners still fly the rebel flag?

Question

I've always wondered this, so I'm just asking out of curiosity. I don't understand why they would keep that flag, after all they did loose the war. I hear the flag associated with pride a lot. I don't understand what kind of pride you would get out of loosing a war. I myself think the flag is racist and quite Anti-American. Why can't southerns just fly the American flag like everyone else? By the way, I'm not saying that all people in the south do this.

Answer 1

I'm not trying to offend anyone, but in my eyes it is ignorant bigots that do this. That flag represents everything that the supporters of slavery believed in. How can anyone still be proud of that.

Answer 2

Ok, I have lived in the south all my life. The Confederate Flag in question is part of our heritage. It has nothing to do with racism or anti Americanism. We do fly the American Flag and we have more active members of the military overseas than any other section of the US. The south is rich in history and heritage. Just so everyone knows, many African Americans fought on the Confederate side during the war and by their own choice. People not from the South have no idea what it is truly like. I hate to break it to you, but we are just as modernized as the rest of the Nation. People watch to many movies that do a POOR job of representing the south. It is not the center of racism. And, there were just as many members of the klan in the north asn int he south. Do some research before you jump to any conclusions. Come visit and tour some of our sites and you just might have a better understanding. We do have running water and electricity down here. Oh and for the incest thing, get a life. That crap happens all over the world. Many southerners despise it.

Answer 3

Regional pride is not unique to southerners. For instance, in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, many French decendents fly the Acadian flag. Similarly, in Quebec, many French people fly the Quebec provincial flag, rather than the Canadian one, to demonstrate their pride of heritage. In Texas and California it is common to see the state flags flown. If you are living in the US and fly the American flag, what differentiates you?

I think it is all rather harmless. After all, they aren't hiding anything.

Answer 4

If your from the Deep South it meant honor,tradition and stubborn determination and pride still exsist in spirit. Today it's more related to white supremacy because after the Civil War it's a reminder of what they think how the world is in their eyes.

Answer 5

The same reason they sleep with close relatives. Habit.
Some it's tradition, some it's to make sure people know they are racist. We have a mechanic down here that flies the flag so that he doesn't get anyone who isn't white. Is it a surprise he's going out of business.

Answer 6

It doesn't mean war or racism
here in the south even black people wave rebel flags -
if you lived in the south you would understand

Answer 7

because we like it.and it is not the flag of the confederacy.the swastika was from other countries when the nazis used it.99%of us dont like the clan either.
the american flag flew over slaverey a lot longer than the confederat flag did.

Answer 8

In my mind it has nothing to do with racism. It is a symbol of Southern pride. We Southerners tend to have a lot of pride in who we are and our way of life. We have a saying,"American by birth and Southern by the grace of God." To me that pride has to do with being Christian, family oriented, hard working and a little slower in our pace of life.

Answer 9

They hate America. We really should have just let the south go during the civil war.

Answer 10

It has nothing to do with racism, and that war was well over a century ago. It's about freedom of expression. They are simply displaying their pride about their history.