Confederate Flag

[countrygirl12]

CF should have been taken down a long time ago and the Stars and Stripes should be flying in every state.  That's why we had the American Civil War for.

If you don't like the Confederate Flag then don't look at it.  As it has already been explained the Civil War was not about the Confederate Flag.  By what you are saying if another country comes in and invades the United States and God forbid were to ever take over the US then we should just take our flags and burn them and fly their flag and accept that is the way it is.

If people are that offended then they need to build a block wall with no windows and no access to the outside world and stay inside their little prison.  It is totally insane that someone can be offended by what is on my own personal property, my shirt, or whatever and can try to ban me from having it.   

[countrygirl12]

As a Northerner who moved South 30+ years ago,  I have never understood the Southern love of the confederate flag.  As a early teen I didn't see it as a racial divide but as a divide with the rest of the country.  I do agree it is a part of history and there is no reason that is shouldn't be displayed at Confederate soldiers memorials. grave sites, museums or any such related to the civil war.  As for display at state capitals, no way (otherwise with the same mentality we should be flying British or Spanish flags, ie: Mass was a British colony and Florida was Spanish).   

Where I live is known as the city of 5 flags so they've been flying the flags of Spain, France, Britain, Confederacy and United States. People here have been fighting to get the Confederate Flag removed from government buildings for a long time. I'm honestly not surprised that it took this to get it removed here when there were flyers being passed out for the KKK within the last year

Why is it such a huge deal that the KKK passes out flyers spewing hate for blacks when the Black Panthers pass out their crap spewing hate for whites?  Whites are just suppose to get over it or let them have their opinion.  What's the difference.

The more people try to ban the flag the more you will see it.  There are racist people of every color and every race.  Just seems certain races get more attention or make more noise.  I have been disrespected by other races more than once.  I am sure it will happen again.  Am I going to try to start a war with them?  No.  I don't care.

[BMaston12]

I don't understand why this discussion and debate is just coming into play now....

I believe that we Southerners have been the brunt of many Yankee jokes among other things. And that has nothing to do with race. We seem to have forgotten that we are all people of the same country. It should not matter what state you were born in or what country for that matter. Lets stop rewriting history and learn from t he past. We have a right to our heritage just like all people. BMaston12

[patti4me]

I agree rghvac69!  There are plenty of much more serious issues, but anything the race-baiters can throw out there, they will.  I'm from S.C. and I know not everyone agrees with michele2042 that the Confederate flag should be removed and it is not a racist issue that makes people want to keep the flag in place.

[sfreeman8]

As a Northerner who moved South 30+ years ago,  I have never understood the Southern love of the confederate flag.  As a early teen I didn't see it as a racial divide but as a divide with the rest of the country.  I do agree it is a part of history and there is no reason that is shouldn't be displayed at Confederate soldiers memorials. grave sites, museums or any such related to the civil war.  As for display at state capitals, no way (otherwise with the same mentality we should be flying British or Spanish flags, ie: Mass was a British colony and Florida was Spanish).   

Where I live is known as the city of 5 flags so they've been flying the flags of Spain, France, Britain, Confederacy and United States. People here have been fighting to get the Confederate Flag removed from government buildings for a long time. I'm honestly not surprised that it took this to get it removed here when there were flyers being passed out for the KKK within the last year

Why is it such a huge deal that the KKK passes out flyers spewing hate for blacks when the Black Panthers pass out their crap spewing hate for whites?  Whites are just suppose to get over it or let them have their opinion.  What's the difference.

The more people try to ban the flag the more you will see it.  There are racist people of every color and every race.  Just seems certain races get more attention or make more noise.  I have been disrespected by other races more than once.  I am sure it will happen again.  Am I going to try to start a war with them?  No.  I don't care.

The difference between KKK and Panthers is color. A lot of blacks have a need to make other races (not only whites) feel guilt for past behavior of their black ancestors (who were the slave traders to being with). There were more free blacks than slaves in the South but the most people only heard the stories about the slaves (because that was a history) and thus, the hatred began, spread by generation after generation. 

As for the American flag, I've already heard calls for the American flag to be taken down, too, because it offends different races. Protesters are already allowed to spit on it, stomp on it, burn it, and even wipe their butss, urinate or do a BM on it because that's considered freedom of speech by our wonderful SCOTUS, but the Confederate flag has to come down because it offends someone. Isn't that considered freedom of speech? Which is it?

Amazon and eBay sell flags for the Black Panther Party, Che Guevara, Japanese battle flag, Germany, Mexico, Iran, Russia, Syria, Libya, national flags,and only books of Confederate history which has the stars and bars on the cover.  Didn't we go to war with Japan and Germany? Should I call for a ban on their flags?

BTW, the Confederate flag was not flying on the state capital as some insinuate. It was only on the grounds...and either yesterday or today, a 30-year-old black woman shimmied up the pole and took the flag down after which she was promptly arrested.

There will be no peace until there is another civil war due to the media and the government keeping us divided. 

[ladavia89]

As a Northerner who moved South 30+ years ago,  I have never understood the Southern love of the confederate flag.  As a early teen I didn't see it as a racial divide but as a divide with the rest of the country.  I do agree it is a part of history and there is no reason that is shouldn't be displayed at Confederate soldiers memorials. grave sites, museums or any such related to the civil war.  As for display at state capitals, no way (otherwise with the same mentality we should be flying British or Spanish flags, ie: Mass was a British colony and Florida was Spanish).   

Where I live is known as the city of 5 flags so they've been flying the flags of Spain, France, Britain, Confederacy and United States. People here have been fighting to get the Confederate Flag removed from government buildings for a long time. I'm honestly not surprised that it took this to get it removed here when there were flyers being passed out for the KKK within the last year

Why is it such a huge deal that the KKK passes out flyers spewing hate for blacks when the Black Panthers pass out their crap spewing hate for whites?  Whites are just suppose to get over it or let them have their opinion.  What's the difference.

The more people try to ban the flag the more you will see it.  There are racist people of every color and every race.  Just seems certain races get more attention or make more noise.  I have been disrespected by other races more than once.  I am sure it will happen again.  Am I going to try to start a war with them?  No.  I don't care.

The difference between KKK and Panthers is color. A lot of blacks have a need to make other races (not only whites) feel guilt for past behavior of their black ancestors (who were the slave traders to being with). There were more free blacks than slaves in the South but the most people only heard the stories about the slaves (because that was a history) and thus, the hatred began, spread by generation after generation. 

As for the American flag, I've already heard calls for the American flag to be taken down, too, because it offends different races. Protesters are already allowed to spit on it, stomp on it, burn it, and even wipe their butss, urinate or do a BM on it because that's considered freedom of speech by our wonderful SCOTUS, but the Confederate flag has to come down because it offends someone. Isn't that considered freedom of speech? Which is it?

Amazon and eBay sell flags for the Black Panther Party, Che Guevara, Japanese battle flag, Germany, Mexico, Iran, Russia, Syria, Libya, national flags,and only books of Confederate history which has the stars and bars on the cover.  Didn't we go to war with Japan and Germany? Should I call for a ban on their flags?

BTW, the Confederate flag was not flying on the state capital as some insinuate. It was only on the grounds...and either yesterday or today, a 30-year-old black woman shimmied up the pole and took the flag down after which she was promptly arrested.

There will be no peace until there is another civil war due to the media and the government keeping us divided. 

Are you comparing a group that is against everyone that isn't Caucasian Christians to a group that formed to protest brutality against one race ?

There should be no hate groups period. One group spewing hate doesn't justify another doing it. It's wrong regardless of what the people look like. 

I've been disrespected by many people of a variety of backgrounds. Some people are just rude. The problem occurs when people are specifically rude and disrespectful to a specific group whether that be based on race, religion, sexual identity or gender. Were people mean to you because of what you look like or because that person was just rude in general? Have you ever been followed around the store because of your race? Have you ever been followed in certain areas because you don't look like everyone else? Have you ever been denied an opportunity based solely on how you look or even your name?

There actually weren't more free Blacks than slaves. Only about 10% were free before the Civil War/13th amendment being ratified. Even though these people were supposedly "free" they still didn't have the same rights of their White counterparts. There are many people still alive that grew up not being able to vote, be guaranteed equal wages or be able to actually choose where they could live, eat, sit, work and shop. There surely sounds like so much freedom to me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Bigots can think and feel whatever they like but it shouldn't be forced on other people.  Germany has the right idea. They've banned a symbol that many see as a sign of hatred. I guess that's too much like right for this country to do though.

[lynnc35]

Because of the kid that went into the church and shot colored people. He posted pictures of him with the confederate flag, so now everyone is jumping up and down and scared they are going to lose business over it and pulling it off of shelves. This bares resemblance to duck dynasty and the comment about gay people. They did the same thing. It is a money making thing. They are scared they will lose money. I don't think it has to do with a cause at all, but greed.

[countrygirl12]

@ladavia89- YES, I have been judged solely because of my race.  See, racism goes in every direction but most people can't see that.  White folks are judged because of their race by people of other races.  Just like every other race.  Some people are like that.  If a person as a different skin color then they don't like them.  I don't care what color your skin is.  I care how you act toward me.   

[lvstephanie]

Because of the kid that went into the church and shot colored people. He posted pictures of him with the confederate flag, so now everyone is jumping up and down and scared they are going to lose business over it and pulling it off of shelves. This bares resemblance to duck dynasty and the comment about gay people. They did the same thing. It is a money making thing. They are scared they will lose money. I don't think it has to do with a cause at all, but greed.

Exactly... When it comes to Walmart, Amazon, etc. deciding to pull the CF from their product offerings, no one is forcing the company to do so. The only "force" involved is Adam Smith's Invisible Hand causing companies to do some unintended social benefit via their own profit motive. Since the government isn't forcing the private businesses' activities, this isn't necessarily a Free Speech issue.

There should be no hate groups period. One group spewing hate doesn't justify another doing it. It's wrong regardless of what the people look like.
[....]
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Bigots can think and feel whatever they like but it shouldn't be forced on other people.  Germany has the right idea. They've banned a symbol that many see as a sign of hatred. I guess that's too much like right for this country to do though.

I'm more concerned with this sentiment... As you rightly stated, "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" no matter how hateful, bigoted, irrational that opinion is. This includes allowing hate groups to spew whatever hatred they have (as opposed to your first idea of getting rid of any hate group). The problem is that the law has no emotions, and thus cannot distinguish between a "hate" group vs. some other group that just has a difference of opinion. If the law cannot distinguish between these two types of groups, then in a free society, we must allow all groups, even those that we'd consider to be a "hate" group.

One of the main reasons why the US was established was because people were being prosecuted for speaking out against their government and its ideals. This is why the constitution ensured that the people's speech is protected. When Germany (as a country) outlaws the swastika, they are in fact suppressing free speech in their country. So it isn't that the US is so bigoted that they have decided to allow the CF but rather it is because unlike Germany, the US values free speech moreso. Thus I disagree that "Germany has the right idea" to have the government start dictating what speech is valid (and therefore allowed) vs. speech that may be considered "hate speech". I'd much rather have Adam Smith's invisible hands slowly moving the economy (and thus for the most part the country's collective opinions and beliefs) towards more tolerance than having a country / government dictate what can be done.

[phoenixashesrises702]

The confederate flag was nothing to do with racism. It was A BATTLE FLAG when used in the civil war. If your history teacher told you otherwise they need a new history lesson. What ignorance!

[JediJohnnie]

As a "Yankee" I never really knew much about the Confederate Flag (it's origins and so forth). I guess I always wondered why southerners still flew it. Not because it had ties to slavery or what have you, but because it's the sign of the losing side. Y'all wanted to secede from the Union and fought and lost the war. Why you wanna celebrate the losing side of a Civil War, where brother fought brother?

But, to me it should be a States issue. If you wanna fly it, go ahead. The Gov shouldn't tell you you can't. If they don't want to fly it at schools & courthouses as to not offend people, I can see that. But it is a free country after all. If you want to fly the Confederate Flag in your own backyard,you should have the right.

[ljrjess69]

i think its crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[southernhorizons]

Censorship of the Confederate flag is directly against the American spirit of freedom, and it's a shame that it was done so close to Independence Day. It certainly hows how far we've gotten from a spirit of liberty. Banning a flag because of wrong use by a few stupid people, validates the claims of those people. Rather than giving in and banning it, they should be ignored. Instead, we have our rights to free expression, and the ability to buy what we want, destroyed. It's really ironic that the same people who call for Confederate flag bans, are the ones who condemn Christian bakeries for refusing to cater to gay weddings. If they can't refuse service when they so choose, why can companies like Walmart, Zazzle, Ebay, etc. refuse service to those who want to buy Confederate merchandise?

[bretay]

i think they should leave the flag alone..it has nothing to do with slavery..its heritage from the war