Nice to see you around Scylla.
Scylla:
There was a time when the Confederate flag was about short denim shorts on hot girls, fast cars, beer, Lynyrd Skynyrd, moonshine, and showing people that you were an anti-yuppie who was fun loving and unpretentious. It meant racist things before that time, and it means racist things now, but there may be some legitimate confusion or backlash by some well-meaning and let’s face it… Slow-minded individuals who’s perceptions are still stuck in 1980s Hazard County. You can see these people on You Tube all the time. Usually under “Redneck fail”…
Ok, but the NE hipsters (sic) that I went around with during the 1980s weren’t exactly into the Confederate flag. Here’s my take of that period:
When I was in college, one freshman put the Confederate flag in his window. It was fairly prominent: I would pass it every day. I never knowingly met the guy.
I grew up in the Northeast and this struck me as seriously weird. Ditto for another NE friend of mine. We figured some Southerners were living in the past. But mostly we were baffled. Why revere a rebellion dedicated to keeping slavery and possibly low tariffs on manufactured goods? (Today I buy the latter even less: I had an AP knowledge of US history at the time.)
Another friend from Virginia told me that the guy [flag displayer] was actually from upstate New York. Wow. Even weirder. When I asked why, I was told that the guy thought it was cool. …
It was also explained to me that among some, displaying the Confederate flag was a way of showing solidarity with the Klan. Oh. Didn’t know that. [Brrrrr.]
The flag remained in place in this northeastern college for 2 consecutive semesters, after which the guy moved elsewhere. I don’t recall anger or outrage. Personally, I was pretty quizzical [and a little freaked].
TLDR: I don’t think the Confederate flag produced rage so much as weariness or perhaps confusion among non-Southerners.
Again, I’m just adding to the historical record.
Finally,
But you know they really should. So on behalf of myself, New Jersey and Governor Christie I hereby apologize for Jersey Shore . Thankfully those 3 terrible years are now in the past and I implore my NE comrades not to erect monuments to that dark era.