Confederate flags?

Question

I'm orginally from MS living in Atlanta. I asked this guy what did his conferderate flag mean to him. He told me that he liked the colors and it represented him as a rebel. Umm, yeah right. Why do some people use conferdate flags as decals for their cars and their clothes. I just don't get it. Why are you stil waving these flags? The south LOST! Take the flag away. By being a black female, its very offensive.

I really appreciate the people who understand why the flag is offensive. For you others, please stop the cycle of hate. For those parents with children, I really hope you encourage and teach your children to love and accept people for who they are and not the sterotypes that America has created for them. And for the "African American" comment, I don't consider myself an African American, I'm a black female from African decent, or if you want, a "stolen" African. For everyone on this board who took the time to comment, thank you! May many blessings and prosperity be placed with you and your family!

Answer 1

I am a White man and I really hate the confederate flag and especially the people who fly them. People who still fly this flag are obviously racist and I wouldn't want to be associated with them at all. I am from the Midwest and rarely see this but I have when traveling to the southern parts of the U.S. Very disturbing stuff that shows how ignorant and racist people still are. Your points are well made.

Answer 2

It doesn't matter if you are offended. Your taking offense cannot stop someone else from representing what they respect, stand for, or whatever other reason they have the flag up. You may not like what other people stand for, but I'm sure there are people that dont respect what you stand for. You dont want them telling you what you can and cannot do, and in the same way, just because you dont like the Rebel Flag doesn't mean you can make it go away. Its a part of life, and you can't escape from everything that you don't like. The world doesn't revolve around you just because your feelings get hurt!

Answer 3

It is presicely for past offences that the rebel flag is a controversial symbol.

For some, it is as offensive as tha swastika is. (remember, the swastika is a centuries old symbol with many harmless meanings in different cultures, including our Native American Indians, as well as for some in Southern Asia)

Besides being flown, for some, as a sign of their rebeliousness, it is still the official state flag of Georgia. The problem is, that many have forgotten what the flag meant at the time it was flown during the American Civil War. It meant, among other things, the propagation and preservation of slavery.

Some people, now, display it as much as to show their sympathy if not downright solidarity with those who continue to hate all races but the white. It is this insidious use that makes it's display dangerous. Your friend may simply think he is cool by being a rebel, but whether or not he intends it, he aligns himself with those who tolerate and promote racism.

What prevents the total banishment of this flag is our nation's claim to tolerate free speech, and our right to display this banner, and the Nazi Swastika, the Rainbow Flag, and the Oakland Raider's pennant.

I will not support any movement that would declare ANY of these symbol illegal.

Yes, the South lost their war, so did Hitler's Nazis. The Raiders haven't won a Superbown in a LONG time. But I still wear the T shirt that promises a new season, year, after year, after year ....

Answer 4

It's offensive to me because a lot of the same people carrying confederate flags are the same people telling folks to get over slavery. Uh, the confederacy was what? 4 or 5 years old and slavery lasted hundreds of years. It's no secret that the south fought for the right to keep slaves along with their supposed quest for state's rights.

And I'm black and proud to be southern. I'm just not proud of my state's history.

Did you know that in a poll done about a year and a half ago more black people were proud to be southern than white people? Interesting, isn't it?

Answer 5

Hello,

I'm originally from Maine and I know what you mean.

Currently I'm stationed in Georgia and I was a bit confused at first too.

Let me state here first, though that while I am not black I am Irish American.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Many are not aware, but when my Irish ancestors first came to the United States during the mid- to late 1800's we were depicted as hulking, retarded, drinking, wenching, immoral people who should not be trusted.

Many, my great-grandmother included, came over as a result of being Catholic in Ireland and because they didn't convert to Protestantism their lands were taken away and my great, great-grandmother ended up having to sell.....yes, sell her then 12 year old daughter into indentured servitude so that she could come to the United States and have a better life.

In the United States at the time there were laws governing the care, feeding, housing, etc. of slaves.

There were none for indentured servants; which is why, in many cases indentured servants were treated worse than slaves were.

There was a song that was popular as late as the 1920's that was titled "No Irish, need apply".

That's why it was such a big thing when Kennedy won the White House.

An Irish American CATHOLIC as President of the United States?????

Here's the way it was explained to me.

Yes, there are many who use the stars and bars as a symbol of hate......in the North, far more than in the South.

The Civil War originally had nothing to do with slavery.

It was about the North taxing the South without the South having anything to say about the issue.

No taxation without representation.....sound familiar?

Right, that's why the Revolutionary War started.

It wasn't until about 1863 or 1864 that Lincoln threw in the anti-slavery issue to lure slaves to the North to fight for the Union Army.

During the Revolutionary War the British did the same thing, hence why there is a large black community in the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick, Canada area.

Okay, history lesson done.

Now, the reason the South still flies the stars and bars is because of what happened AFTER the Civil War as much as what happened during the Civil War.

After the Civil War the South was entirely decimated.

And the North left........just left.

No help re-building, no medical care, no help with food, clothing.......nothing.

And the South was desolate for many, many years while people's families, children, livestock, pets, etc. starved.

Black and white people.

But the South pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and re-built the South.

That's why many Southerners, yes, including many black Southerners fly the stars and bars.

For many it has nothing to do with racism but with Southern pride.

It's a reminder that the South had no help from the North and all of their accomplishments are their own.

That's the essence of the Southern rebel; a do it yourself, self-made, strong, survivor that feels he/she doesn't have to answer to anyone because nobody helped them out when they were down, but God.

American by birth, but Southern by the grace of God.

I cannot help but wonder; if the North treated our brothers and sisters in the South with the same dignity and respect that the United States treated Germany and Japan with after World War II if the entire Civil Rights Movement would have ever happened at all.

It probably wouldn't have been necessary and racism not even an issue.

Think about it.

Answer 6

Originally from D.C. - Roots in S.C.

It is offensive, and the problem with your questions is that you are telling people who embrace hate towards blacks and support lynchings to have a concious. They don't. It's not about embracing a culture, unless they are admitting that racism is their culture.

Check out your surroundings, Have the South really lost? What actually did they lose? You have some good in all races of people. You will find whites quite offended about the confederate flag. Live your life the best you can and just never forget or allow your children to forget the stain on America's soil from those who hold up the Confederate flag.

Although offensive, when I see this flag, it tells me that I am not welcome. Sometimes, I do appreciate that better than the whites who pretend to embrace you and call you a dumb N***** behind your back.

Answer 7

Most of the people flying them have no idea what the true flag symbolized. It was a war flag of a nation split apart from the United States and the split was not really about slavery. Slavery was brought in as a major issue only when Lincoln realized that many people in the US did not care one way or the other about the war. He used slavery as a political tool to rally citizens. The US won so guess what, history books have been rewritten to indicate that the war was all about slavery.

The idiots who wave the flag to show their "white" heritage offend me but so do people who don't know the true meaning of the flag. That includes the flag wavers who use it as a symbol of racism and the people who don't know the history and simply view the flag as a symbol of racism.

Answer 8

what is offensive to me(as a white male) is to see people no matter their color or race wearing the U.S. Flag as a part of their garment, this shows a great disrespect for what the united states flag stands for, if you have ever noticed when the flag is taken down from a flag pole it never touches the ground or if it is draped over a coffin it never touches the floor. this should tell someone the signifince of the flag.

Answer 9

Just because the south lost , Does not mean you can't be proud to be from the south.

The confedrate flag doesn't represent Hate , People do
If you don't know the people flying the colors & you judge them you are just as wrong as the Idiots who judge you because your African American

Answer 10

Because it is heritage. Being from Texas I support it. It is no different than being called "African American" when you are not from Africa.

Why are you offended by a flag? Sounds a little racist to me that you are offended by someone Else's right to demonstrate their culture. As a black person you above all should appreciate the freedom to embrace your culture.

Are you offended by a Mexican running around with a Mexican flag on the back windshield? I doubt it.

It sounds to me like you are nit picking...if you don't like it don't pay attention to it.

and you lost get over it??? That's real bright people...Germany lost WW so should we tell them they can't use their flag and just to "get over it"...that is an unintelligent remark.
Perhaps we as Americans should stop using our flag and "get over it" because we lost the vietnam war?

I can't believe that is all the more thought you would put into a statement.