What is the big deal with South Carolina flying a Confederate flat at a Civil War Memorial on state grounds ?

Question

Please do not say it represent racism and slavery. Especially when a majority of African slaves were captured and sold by other Africans. African blacks are just as complisate in the slave trade as Europeans and people who resided in America at that time

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with it. It is our heritage and it's not a symbol of hate. Slave ships sailed under American Flags and British Flags, does that mean we should never fly those flags because they are really symbols of slavery?

To NNW- As for the south being traitors, that is BS. Would the New England states be considered traitors? The Hartford Convention was intended for discussion of the New England states seceding from the Union many years before the War Between the States. They also quoted states rights. As for calling the South "terrorists", if anyone was a terrorist it would be General Sherman and his soldiers who marched through the South burning towns and plantation houses, stealing priceless family heirlooms and raping Southern women. What kind of low life would do things like that? No Confederate General would have even considered using such a low tactic to destroy the North. I think the flag should fly anywhere in South Carolina.

My family has been in Charleston since 1670, so people like myself have more authority to discuss the Confederate flag flying on states grounds than the millions of yankees from Ohio and New Jersey that swarm down here like locusts to devour what little bit of Southern culture we have left.

Answer 2

The problem isn't flying a Confederate flag, the problem is flying a particular Confederate flag. There were actually several different flags that the Confederacy used (see link below), but the one most people think of is the one with the crossed bands of stars on a red field, the Battle Flag. The problem with using this flag is that it has become inextricably associated with the KKK and various other white supremacist hate groups. It is very similar to the way in which the swastika, an ancient symbol only adopted, not invented, by the Nazis, has become irrevocably associated with the forces of hatred. If, as the second part of your question suggests, you are going to preclude mention of any association of the Battle Flag with racism, then it appears that you do not really want an explanation of the controversy, but rather a reinforcement of your own beliefs. If you want to get upset with someone, don't vent your anger against those who claim the Battle Flag is a symbol of racism and hatred, direct it instead against those racist hate groups that have adopted the flag as their symbol. It is they who have taken what many see as a symbol of self-determination, dissent, and even liberty, and stained it with the filth of racist hatred. If South Carolina wants to fly a Confederate flag that has not been thus contaminated, then they should fly the flag that was first adopted by the Confederacy, the so-called "Stars and Bars." That way they could celebrate their Confederate heritage without using a symbol that is so controversial. That is, of course, unless their intent is to cause controversy. As for the last part of your question, the fact that black Africans were involved in the slave trade is a complete non sequitur. That fact has not the remotest impact on the question at hand.

Answer 3

First and foremost lets remember that the Confederates Fired first. If anything the confederate flag symbolizes terrorism and traitors. Confederate apologists can wrap themselves in the fairy tale of state rights all they want.
The reality is that a small group of wealthy slave owners duped the poor population into fighting a war that was against their best interest. Getting caught up in romantic ideas of what Southern life was like is a very dangerous road to travel down.
The South was not altruistic.
The Confederates were traitors.

And one more thing. If the Confederates did believe in states rights so much then why (I stress why) did the confederate constitution ban states from seceding from it?
The Constitution of the Confederate States of America: Article 1, Section 10, Clause 1, "No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation...."
Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3, "nor shall any state...enter into any agreement or compact with another State."

Funny how states rights can be championed in one instance and quickly done away with when the argument doesn't fit your cause.

Interesting that none of those "self-taught" historians tell you that isn't it.

Dear Charleston Native,

Interesting how you can't rebuke the fact that the CSA's constitution kept a lid on states rights. As for General Sherman, don't get upset just because the superior general whooped the crap out of all those "honorable" people defending
"states rights" also known as "ensuring slavery." The South's "states' rights" defense is bull!$#%.

Answer 4

It's a question of political correctness. The flag in question, the Stars and Bars was never an official flag of the Confederacy. Rather it was a Confederate battle flag designed by Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard after First Manassas (Bull Run.) Based on that history, it is appropriate that the flag be displayed at a site honoring the Confederate soldier.

Unfortunately, it is the later usage of that flag that creates the problem. The KKK and other equally misguided and dangerous groups disgraced the flag by adopting it as their own. It is this later symbolism that is offensive.

I think a reasonable compromise is to fly the Stars and Bars at Confederate memorials but not on state capitols or other POLITICAL symbols. It's long past time we stopped trying to rewrite history to meet contemporary views of political correctness.

Answer 5

I dont believe it is a big deal. I was raised seeing the flag as a symbol of Southern pride, not racism. I am a proud southerner and would not live anywhere else. The war was fought for many more reasons than slavery! The flag represents South Carolina's history, and if it offends you don't live there.

Answer 6

Its a memorial to Confederates who died. The Confederate Flag does not represent racism and is not rude. Like it or not, it is part of history. Regardless of your beliefs, those soldiers died for what they believed. No, that belief was not slavery. The belief may have been a con proposed by some hot headed "southern gentlemen". More importantly, it was a loyalty to their respective states. Leave the fallen soldiers alone and let the flag fly.

Answer 7

If it is a memorial to the Confederate soldiers who died, it is totally appropriate to fly the confederate flag. I imagine most Civil War Memorials in South Carolina are in some way connected to the Confederate soldiers. I doubt they would put up a memorial to any Union soldiers.

Answer 8

There are those that do not understand the significance of the Confederate Flag:"It represents the; "rights of the southern states to determine their own future; economic and political; in accordance with the Constitution."
The original seven states [N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee] who in concert signed the papers of cessation. Please note: The papers of cessation were legal and submitted in accordance with the U.S. Constitution. As all the original states had agreed upon." quoted from http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/3869/Flag.html

The flag is raised over those who believed in their right to freedom from the tyranny of the government of that time. It has been abused and called everything from a banner of hate to the flag of traitors. It is neither, it is a flag of the farm and stock men who were and are wrongfully over taxed and forced to surrender without compensation a good portion of their products to storage. The flag is representative of the working class who is overburdened by the overlords who create business over foods and paperwork over all.

Answer 9

It's rude and insensitive.

When did rude and insensitive stop becoming a big deal?