# The white hood: heritage, not hate! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 21, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050 "2015-06-21T02:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 32
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050/621 "2015-07-01T23:39:31Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It doesn’t matter that many or most who fly the flag today don’t regard it as a racist symbol – it’s still extremely obnoxious, in my view, to fly such a symbol when most people who were the target of its return to prominence feel that it is racist and offensive. I still don’t get this idea that the people who use an existing symbol decides what it means, period. It’s the same argument that people use to say “nigger” means a bad person or “faggot” refers to bad motorcyclist. The only reason why the oppressed are able to repurpose a symbol is because their use of it contradicts the original meaning. The juxtaposition makes it clear that the original meaning isn’t to be used. That doesn’t give them free reign, but it does allow them to say they are specifically negating the symbol. In fact, if Jewish people said the cross was an anti-Semitic symbol, I would probably reject that, unless they had proof the same way we do about about the origins of the Confederate flag and it being revived to be used in an anti-Jewish cause. I would try to be nice and not unnecessarily offend by using it, but I wouldn’t reject its use outright like I do the Confederate flag. Instead, the cross works like the American flag–what it stands for is not bad, even if what it does stand for has, in the past, done some bad things. It should be there in appropriate contexts. Notes: Yes, the swastika wasn’t designed to be bigoted, but the [original](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HinduSwastika.svg) was resurrected and redesigned for that use. And, no, the cross isn’t really a reclaimed symbol–yes, crosses were used for execution, but the [SIZE=“2”]✝ symbol wasn’t really used to mean that.[/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050/622 "2015-07-01T23:41:42Z")
Also, I want to say that, while I don’t agree with **Smartass** entirely, I am glad for our common ground on the state use of the flags. I still call personal use ignorant at best, but I agree that at least there is an argument for it–even if I don’t agree with it. What argument is there for state use? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050/623 "2015-07-02T00:12:05Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > …or “faggot” refers to bad motorcyclist. Wait, what? Where does that one come from? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050/624 "2015-07-02T00:44:38Z")
The general conclusion of the immature that incompetence indicates that one is less than a man, ie: homosexual. Same way “U R so gay!” is used. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050/625 "2015-07-02T09:53:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Wait, what? Where does that one come from? 😕 South Park episode. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-white-hood-heritage-not-hate/723050.md?page=31)