No.
yes, it’s offensive. Sigh. I think that the Confederate battle flag is a better design than the US flag though. It’s too bad that the designer of the Confederate battle flag wasn’t around to create a better design for Old Glory.
YES
Born and reared in the South with several of my ancestors fighting on the Confederate side in the Civil War and I find it very racist. I’ve seen it used in a hateful manner most of my life. Now in its historical context no, but you hardly see it used that way anymore except for movies and documentaries.
Yes, but only because it tends to attract some rather unsavory folks as its defenders.
I’m from the South and it does not offend me. On the other hand, when I see it on the back of some good ol’ boy’s pickup, I strongly suspect certain things about that good ol’ boy.
No - since I don’t see it as an attempt to offend. If I did, I might have a different opinion. Note - however, I’m a white guy from Mississippi and I’ve seen the confederate flag displayed more times than most on this board - I’m sure. In fact, didn’t the Dukes of Hazzard or some such TV show have a nationally televised series where two law breakers drove around in a car named the General Lee with a big confederate flag painted on top? I didn’t notice any hidden meaning other than they guys were just good ole boys - never meaning no harm. Now - I don’t know how long ago that program was on - but I think how one views the confederate flag is pretty subjective.
Yes. When it’s displayed by private individuals or businesses, I assume that they are trying let people know their feelings on race, rather than celebrating their heritage. The use of the flag in a historical context (documentaries, and history lessons) doesn’t bother me.
Evil Captor and Ace#1 both answered what I would also say. Everyone in the South knows what it means, despite their pleas to “history”. Hell, I was one of those bigots back in high-school. I had the Rebal Flag on my truck and trucker cap. I claimed it was my “cultural heritage”; but I was lying, as is everyone else who claims it. It was about racial superiority. Fortunately, I grew up and learned to cast aside my prejudice. My personal history in that regard and the history behind that flag are shameful and shouldn’t be celebrated; acknowledged, yes, but not glorified.
There’s a bumper sticker on a truck I used to see back in Texarkana that I liked. It’s got the red circle with a slash over the flag and the text is: “You lost. Get over it.”
[QUOTE=Tigers2B1 In fact, didn’t the Dukes of Hazzard or some such TV show have a nationally televised series where two law breakers drove around in a car named the General Lee with a big confederate flag painted on top? I didn’t notice any hidden meaning other than they guys were just good ole boys - never meaning no harm. Now - I don’t know how long ago that program was on - but I think how one views the confederate flag is pretty subjective.[/QUOTE]
I guess you didn’t notice the lack of black people on the show either…opps, there was one. Nope, No hidden meaning there…Confederate Flag, all white town…
Dang – is THAT why there weren’t Black people in Mayberry also??
Yes. The Confederacy and those who supported it were traitors against the United States of America. Nothing to be proud of.
I don’t recall a car with a confederate flag driving in Mayberry. I don’t recall a strong Southern flavor in Mayberry either. Considering Mayberry ran from 1960-1968 it’s not surprising the lack of black faces. However the Dukes ran in 1976 to 1985, was based in the South; not exactly comparable are they?
Now if you wish to open a thread concerning the lack of African-Americans in the media, and the reasons thereof we can do that…however i won’t add more to hijack the thread.
Your rationalizations are familar.
What good was the banner of a bunch of traitorous, America-hating, racist scum like the Confederacy ever used for?
Yes. The Battle Flat of the evil, thank-Christ-its-dead Confederacy is a banner of hate, racism, discimrination, ignorance and malice. Any who would be proud of it must have souls as dark as a moonless night. Burning is too good for that filthy banner and all the evil it stands for.
To hell with the South. I will never go back.
The Dukes of Hazzard was a racist show? ----- got ya -
I’m not offended by it personally, but I do think it is offensive. If that makes any sense.
Speaking of which:
Huh?
Well - it is sort of like the confederate flag. It is what you think it is — no more, no less. Hence - if it’s intended to offend - it’s wrong. Not intended to offend - no problem —
That’s absurd. Niggardly is a word that has absolutely no etomological connection to the word “nigger” – you cannot say that the Confederate hate banner has absolutely no connection to the institution of slavery. The Confederacy was all about that evil, nothing more, nothing less.
Understood. Referencing the whole ‘gotcha!’ aspect of it.
I will flaunt the use of XXXX, which has a likelihood of upsetting black people. I will feign shock that black people get offended at it. I will explain the real meaning of it. (In one case, no real link. In the other, nothing more than historical revisionism). I will then use said reason, to show that in overreacting I was the one who was wronged.
It doesn’t MATTER the derivation of the word. It’s about your reaction and whether something is offensive based solely on your reaction or whether that limitation is based on my intent. A person can make a decision to put up a confederate flag for reasons wholly unrelated to the reasons most here seem to what to assign to that person. The person who displays the symbol decides what he or she is symbolizing. Otherwise, I doubt we could display much of anything without having to call it an offensive display at sometime with someone -