I spit out of disgust on this guy's Confederate flag on his car. Was I way out of line?

Question

Well, Iobviously, it's pretty rude. But I intended it to be rude. I thought he deserved it. His car also had Confederate flags painted on his car, and he was wearing them on his tshirt and hat. I mean, what was this guy trying to prove? I know I know....they say that the flag isn't always associated with racism, and that it can just be a symbol of "traditional values" or "outlaw culture". But that's obviously just a cover for modern-day racism, billed as an almost patriotically fervent un-political correctness, to the point that it almost becomes fetishistic. So anyway, this guy made my blood boil. I wanted to confront him face to face but he we were in the post office and I didn't want to make a scene. So, instead, on the way out I spat on the flag on his car. I know this was rude. But do you think it was justified? Would you have done the same thing yourself? Or would you sympathize with my action even if you wouldn't go that far yourself? Or..........was I way, way out of line???

Seeing some of the responses so far, I think I need to make a point that some people seem to have missed. This is NOT a First Amendment Rights issue here! I have NO problem with the racist sharing his views. I'm not trying to silence him. I'm merely expressing my opinion of his values. Just as he's entitled to freedom of speech, I am entitled to freedom to judge his speech and disagree with it. I didn't rip it down. I spat on it. It is a temporary sign of disapproval, but it is not vandolism.

Answer 1

Well, at least you realize that it was rude of you to do that, but I don't think you were really out of line to do something like that. I wouldn't go that far if I were there (I'd just glare at him and make sure he saw me... and maybe talk intentionally loud to a friend so he can overhear us rag on him), but you were not way out of line.

However... I'd like to say that fetishes rock and that I don't appreciate you associating fetishism with racism in any way.

Answer 2

First off yall need to quit calling the Confederate Flag a racist symbol because it is far from it. You people that wanna cuss and spit on people who display symbols of their Southern Heritage are racist yourself. You are racist against the Southern people and against Southern Heritage. Maybe you needed to comfront this guy face to face so that he could straighten you out and explain his reasons but I don't think you'd do that cause you might actually learn something. You need a lesson in history and respect for other people and their property. He just wanted to show Southern Pride and you just wanted to be close minded and rude. If you had spit on my truck you would have been on here whining about the beating you just recieved!

Answer 3

Yes, you were out of line indeed! What in the world does a confedrate flag have to do with racism? You need to re-study your american history. The first slaves were as white as a sheet! The blacks only got involved becasue they were cheaper and more readily available. They would have taken green people as long as they could work long hours for nothing.

Most slaves were treated as family members and they were not mistreated in any way. They were loved an beloved by the families they served.

You should probably have tried to find out what he really thought about the issues. That was a very cowardly way to show your disapproval. Your spitting on his car did nothing to the man or his beliefs. He may have just been raised to love the south as the very emotional ties people in the south had to the land and their homes runs deep. I have known many men who have confederate flags in their homes and garages and they were and are not racists in any way. They just love the southern way of life, and the southern, lesiurely culture. Hot humid nights, bugs, slow meaningful music, pretty, puffy skirted belles, large families, large houses, and an aristocracy of cotton and tobacco. The war not only squashed an inapproriate moral, and political practice but it rendered asunder a culture rich with the love of God, country, and family. The fight was about lifestyle as much as way of life. The abuses of slaves and slavery are largely the part of hollywood and the ill informed. The war was about owning another person and that is morally and biblically wrong. The head of history and wisdom won out as we will never have slavery again in this country. We may indeed have another civil war but it will not be about slavery.

The problem here seems to be with you! You had an opportunity to find out how a man really thinks but he will never know. Maybe you should look the guy up. Find his crazy car again and ask him to forgive you for spitting on his car. He would probably love to tell you about his flags and you could learn bout his way of life. If he does have some quirky views then you could share with him the issues that you have with racism and the hatred of a group of people.

Since you took the cowards way the first time I would challenge you to step up to the plate and do the right thing this time. You might make a freind for life. You certainly did the wrong thing and the only person in this scenario that has a problem or is worthy of disgust is you in spitting in public and directing it at another persons property. I hope you do not have a wife or a child who saw this behavior or you have even more work in repenting and smoothing you behavior over with her and keeping your kids from behaving like you in the future.
A flag on a car does not make one a racist any more than spending the night in your garage would make you an automobile. Whatever it is that causes you to respond so violently might be well addressed in some kind of counseling.

Remember that ignorance is bliss and knowledge is power!

Answer 4

I find it interesting that you choose to as you say "not cause a scene" by not spitting on the man directly, and instead choose to avoid him and not leave any witness. Yes it was rude, it was a crime, that had you been caught doing you could have gone to jail for. You don't know that man's name and yet your body fluids are on his vehicle See that is the beauty of this country, you have your and opinion, and he has his. But you felt like your opinion was more valuable then his. So let's say he is exactly what you think he is, that still does not give you the right to spit on his car. In answer to your question you were way out of line.

Answer 5

I think you made a judgement without having the facts. You also did a cowardly thing that could have gotten you into a legal situation. Just learn from the experience and think how you can take proactive action to change the world we live in . There are positive ways to bring change. It starts within us. Deal with your anger , and grow up a little / have better judgement and an open mind. examine all facts before making judgements. hard to do / but worthwhile.

Answer 6

You were probably way off on what the poor guy was having all those flags for. He could have been part of a demonstrastion, some sort of history group, or other educational party where that could have been used in their fields. Academic Decathlon, a nation-wide program across thousands of high schools, has the civil war as their theme right now. Many groups are using the confederate flag as part of their symbol just for fun.

Learn not to judge,

Answer 7

I'm pretty sure spitting on someone's property can still be construed as harassment or something of the sort. Idiot liberals like you fail to realize that the Southern Flag can be a way of expressing pride in being a Southern, not that you lynched any black people personally or something.

I hope the guy slams your *** in court.

Answer 8

I think you were way out of line. In the South, lots of people have ancestors who served in the Confederate army and consider the "War Between the States" to be the second American Revolution fought on the grounds of states rights to govern themselves versus being dictated to by the Federal Government. Remember, most Southerners did not own slaves at the time of the war.

I do think this guy is obviously being tacky plastering the flag over everything like that. But you have to understand that while some people might use the Confederate flag as a racist symbol, many more see it as a symbol of Southern heritage -- think of it this way -- think of our own flag! We as Americans are not perfect but we still have pride in our flag and in the things we have to be proud of. The Confederate flag is the same, Southerners have a right to be proud and have many things to be proud of. The South has produced many achievements, and can't be seen solely through the lens of slavery.

Answer 9

You should be more amused than pissed off. It's like those 9/11 conspiracy people you see harassing people at political conferences and spamming up websites. You can get really mad and make a big fuss about how many brave rescuers sacrificed their lives on 9/11, or you can just laugh and and feel pity for their poor little souls.

Confront the man face to face if you have something to say. It is possible to do so politely, although from your anger, you probably weren't thinking straight and couldn't have at the moment. But really, spitting on his car makes you no better than him.

Answer 10

Well, you have the right to spit, just like the guy has the right to have whatever flag he wants on his own car.
Now, since you spit your saliva onto his flag, you trespassed on his property.
Doesn't matter how mad you got... that's your problem.
What if he got mad that you wore a blue shirt, or that you drive a red car. How would you like it if he came over and spit on you, or on your car, just because he didn't like something about it?
You justified in your mind that because he had a certain flag that he was racist, and that gave you the right to spit on his property?
You are a child... and you are very lucky that a 300 pound redneck didn't see you and "exercise his right" to beat you to a pulp.
The Nazis made everybody think it was fine to spit on Jews.
They had no trouble convincing people like you to do it.

Answer 11

Do you think he was promoting slavery and the beliefs of the old South, or do you think he was promoting pride in his southern heritage? You are making an assumption about that flag being a cover for modern day racism. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I think you were at fault for being just as intolerant as he is (if his flag was a sign of racism). I am surprised he didn't take some of his southern pride and kick your Yankee A$$. Or, maybe that's why you spit while he was in the post office.