How do you feel about people using the Confederate flag?

Question

I've seen people flying these flags and having bumper stickers and such. So many Americans died to keep the Union but these people act like the Confederacy was a good thing. How do you view it?

Philip - Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus during the Civil War and look who won that war. The south brought this war upon themselves.

I know this is freedom of speech but how as a person do you feel seeing a symbol of hatred that people are proudly bearing?

I'm from Texas which was on the Southern side but I disagree with the Confederates reasoning behind this war. Most people sided with the South because either their state had seceded or a family member had joined their cause. Other than that it seems like a direct support of some form of slavery.

Answer 1

I personally hate slavery and have ancestors from Vermont who volunteered and died in Civil War Battles. But I honestly think that the South had a point. That the National Government should have stuck to things enumerated for it under the Constitution.

For example, if Roe Versus Wade had not come about, then the NATIONAL government would be telling all women that they are criminals for having abortions. In a North America with two separate ex-U.S. Countries (The Union and the Confederacy), each country would have had the right to determine whether abortion should be legal or not, most likely legal in the North and illegal in the South. Consequently the polarization of this country would never have happened, as there would have been two separate countries going their separate ways, much like Spain and Mexico.

The liberalism of Lincoln arose from the New England Puritans who always felt their ways were not only right but gave them a right (or obligation) to enforce them on those disagreeing and against their will by force. This moral superiority was aided and abetted by the Dutch liberalism that taught equality of all peoples (which is still the truth IMO). So this end-result of the North winning has produced such things as Big Government telling me that I can't use marijuana but must drink to get intoxicated, when clearly morality (in the South's view) could never and should never be legislated; it also has gotten to the point where I, as a step-father, may not even spank my wife's child no matter how unruly it gets without her permission in writing and authorized by the court, even though all reasonable people know that spare the rod and spoil the child is a truism, and that any man with a view to the success of his child would not only want it to turn out the best it could be, but should seize the reins as any proper father should; that includes discipline, even spanking if necessary. The fact that some of you reading this may disagree with me about spanking is normal; to want there to be a jail sentence for it shows how warped Big Government has caused your thought processes to become; for after all, shouldn't I have the right to throw you in jail if you DON'T spank? Or can you see by my logic that this means that NEITHER of us has the right to throw anybody in jail unless someone is at the peril of death? That the only reason to be thrown in jail for drugs is if you ACTUALLY harm someone, not just because you think the use of it's wrong? Just think back to the European Wars of Religion where Catholics and Protestants were alternately persecuted because their views went against the government in power at the time. As Thoreau said: "That government is best which governs least."

All of this modern concept of an all-powerful National Government having the right to tell us how to act and what moral codes to follow and what beliefs are "right" and which are "wrong" (Nazism) is the direct result of Lincon's "country" forcing things down the throat of unwilling subjects. And let's get one thing straight - the South never wanted to go into battle, just be left alone. It was the North that just HAD to fight, because they thought that not only were their ways superior, but that this gave them the obligation to enforce them. That is freedom at the end of a gun IMO.

By the way, if you didn't know, the Rebel Flag was modeled on the Scottish Flag. The Scots, also were given "liberty" at the end of a gun, by the British who seized their legitimate king (Charles I), de-capitated him and then let those Dutch Regals (William and Mary) take over. So that means that it should be morally objectionable to you for me, as a person with Scottish blood, to display a Scottish flag because it may rub a Brit the wrong way because I should bow down to the Union Jack as the representation of the legitimate authority, not to mention the fact it looks like a Reb flag to boot?

I personally say: "Live free or die"; that is a Northern expression (the motto of New Hampshire) but it might as well be Southern. Fly Old Glory, I say. But Also Fly The Stars and Stripes. Let all of us choose sides now as there is going to be another Civil War, mark my words. Perhaps it can be avoided if the "North" just lets the "South" dissolve this partnership that should not have been kept together. Don't you really think everyone would be much happier? That way each "country" would perceive itself to have gained some control over forces trying to destroy it. Makes sense to me.

Always remember that history books are written by the victors. If the South had won, your question might have been: "How do you feel about people using the Stars and Stripes?"

Answer 2

Fly it proudly. My direct ancestors fought proudly beneath that flag and as a Southerner it is still a powerful symbol of Southern heritage.

I can never remove the stains of racial intolerance placed on that flag by the Klan and other hate groups...but an equal number of Americans shed their blood for that flag and it deserves to be accorded some level of tolerance for those of who wish to remember the sacrifice of 300,000 Americans who believed in America where the rights of the States and their people were not so easily trampled by the Federal Government as directed by another section of the country. Certainly, it is a good thing that the Union prevailed and that Slavery was abolished. But a great many Confederates and Union soldiers could not have cared less about the plight of the Slaves. The evidence is clear as Black Americans struggled for over 100 more years after the Civil War ended to get the rights supposedly won for them in 1865.

Keep in mind that the current Texas, Virginia, Alabama, and South Carolina state flags were also carried into battle by Confederate Regiments.

Does that bother anyone?

Answer 3

This question was asked a few days ago and a wise young lady from Louisiana (who gave me permission to quote her) answered it best:

The Confederacy no longer exists; therefore, the flag should have been retired along and destroyed along with all of the Confederate monies and other artifacts produced by the losing government, such as script, stamps, etc. The flag of the United States of America is what it is...and it is not the flag of the dead, defunct Confederacy. The Confederacy lost the war, had to resume participation in the Union, and therefore lost the right to a separate flag. Are you an American or are you a Confederate? Under the Constitution and the beliefs of our nation, you shall hold allegiance to no other flag over that of the United States, other than that of your own state and that allegiance is secondary to the allegiance to the country. Therefore, flying the flag of the confederacy is disrespectful to yourself and all other Americans.
This is the United States of America, not the Confederacy.

When you were a child you pledged allegiance to the flag, and to the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all...what part of that pledge did you not understand?

Answer 4

1st contrary to what some northern Idiots think the civil war was not fought over slavery , (a) Abraham Lincoln told the south and the nation 'the south can keep their slaves it was their constitutional right" (b) only about3% of southerners owned slaves, yet over 87%of the able bodied men from the south fought in the civil war, why? simple the northern textile mills only wanted to pay $3 a bale for cotton, France and England was paying $17 per bale so the south started selling their cotton to them,the northern Jew who owned the textile mills complained so much and had so much political power the conned Lincoln into blockading the southern harbors so they could not ship any thing in or out, that is when the south fired on fort Sumpter, under our constitution a state is a independent country, the gov only had limited powers , so the southern men fought for states rights which were guaranteed by our constitution , therefore I fly the Rebel flag in remembrance of the brave men who died fighting for what is right, some of you out there are so damned smart you don't have any sense,and I personally don't give a dam what you think.

Answer 5

I fly it, but it doesn't symbolize racism for me. First off the civil war was not about slavery.
To me it represents a time when people had enough of the government up north and made a stand. The south had a larger population with the slaves but the north wanted to prorate them as sub human 3 slaves represents 2 nonslaves. (straight out racism).
After the war the north did reconstruction and really made it hard for the southern population.

If you cannot fly the stars and bars then no one else should be able to fly there own flags other then old glory

Answer 6

I am from the south, Mobile, AL to be exact. I am proud of my southern heritage but do not wish to live in the past. The confederate flag was on the side that lost, and therefore it has no meaning to me anymore. However, it irritates me to no end to have it used as a political football in the racism game.

Answer 7

The Confederacy was a good idea at the time, and many people thought enough of the concept to fight & die for it. There are those who think the flags of the Confederacy stand only for slavery & racism, but it means so much more to those of us who appreciate the history, and have pride for what our ancestors attempted to accomplish. The Confederacy can't be swept under the rug, and we won't allow the ignorance of some people to whitewash the history and make it appear to be something other than what it was. The Confederate flag represents pride in our culture, our roots, and our history. Those who think it means only slavery & racism are very misinformed, and need to be educated.

Answer 8

You miss the point.
The Confederate flag stands for Independence.
The Confederacy and the Indians fought for freedom from the Oppressive Federal Government.
They were both destroyed.
Both wanted Freedom and both lost.

Answer 9

I think all these Yankees should not be able to even have an opinion. If you think that flag stands for racism, you are an ignorant fool who needs to go back and take a kids history course again. Slaves were a minuscule part of the civil war. Its having pride in your ancestry for people who fly this flag, Not racism.

Answer 10

It's in very poor taste. I'm an Amer living abroad where nearly everyone is fiercely pro(1) or pro(2) and every election turns into major fights (I know what it's like at home, but this is a horse of a different color- like military intervention). So, we go endlessly around and around the same mulberry bush. What I'm saying is, "Forget these old differences and turn your face to the future. There is NO GAIN AT ALL in maintaining 'disunity'."