No. I agree there will not be much confusion about that. I kind of knew that, but thanks for filling me in.
I have said that you shouldn’t display the confederate flag unless you want to identify as a racist. I hope you saw that. In light of that, I still don’t get where we disagree or how you are trying to enlighten me to something that isn’t painfully obvious.
I don’t want to sound like an apologist but this is a good summary of the situation. It was stupid and thoughtless, but not intended to be offensive. It may have even have been an attempt to give the Confederate Battle Flag a non-racist image. It’s a weak point in this controversy, but it is still offensive and TVLand should have realized that before now.
I don’t think that the nazi flag is a pretty unambiguous symbol. I think the confederate flag is an unambiguous symbol right now. However, I cite the famous Dukes of Hazard/lynyrd Skynyrd precedent as evidence that this has not always been so, and that there are currently people out there who are attached to the Confederate Flag who nevertheless oppose slavery and racism. Admittedly, these folks may be a little slow on the uptake, but the quarrel is really not with them.
In 1933, the state legislature merely made official the design first adopted in 1839 by the Republic of Texas. From 1879-1933 it was unofficial.
The flag you describe—yellow star on a blue field—was an older flag of the Republic of Texas, the Burnet Flag of 1836-1839. It was displaced by the Lone Star Flag as the main Texan flag in 1839, but was used as the “war flag” until 1879.
Times really have changed. I still have this really nice handmade wallet that I got Circa 1985 with the Confederate flag on it, that I got at a fair or a Skynyrd tribute band concert in Louisiana when I was in College. It seemed totally innocuous. I think it was somewhere around 1995 that I took it out of my wallet and cringed internally. I got another wallet and through the old one in a drawer somewhere. Times had changed. That wallet no longer meant what it did when I bought it, or maybe it had reverted back to its original meaning.
I put it to you that the Dukes of Hazzard precedent doesn’t significantly alter the current paradigm of “complete fucking idiot for not realizing the implications / humongous shithead for not caring or actually endorsing them”, because the facts both historical and current that led to this assessment were already in play back in the 80s, on account of it’s not like the Confederate Flag suddenly gained unfortunate connotations in 2015.
Retort. Or tell me a story as funny as the blimp one, that’d work for me too :o.
I mean, I *know *the past is a different country and all that. And as a budding historian I know judging historical facts by the standards of today is not just academical sin, it’s also pretty darn dumb and unfair. And I have learned to just politely shut up when my grandmother starts mumbling that Them Jews are okay but really when you think about it they’re really not and they’re an insular bunch with divided loyalties and you would not *believe *what those bastards did to our Ron (or words to that effect).
That doesn’t change the fact that my beloved gram-gram, who suffered through WW2 with a husband in the Resistance who knows where, who raised me when my parents were too busy being soulless yuppies to, who busted her arse sore every sorry fucking day god ever gave her and never asked for a penny nor a word of thanks in return, who still believes in the all-encompassing kindness of The Lord when her man died after long months of agony with liver & lung cancer, for whom I have all the love in the world and whose passing I will bitterly weep and gnash my teeth for if and when it comes… is a stupid, bigoted cunt. Inna final analysis and when it comes right down to it.
Because the state of South Carolina is flying that flag at their state Capitol. People are offended that the state is celebrating a symbol that’s associated with bigotry under the guise of celebrating their heritage.
I think they have no business doing so, and should take it down. Like I said, I think that the only legitimate reason to fly the confederate flag is to let the world know that you are racist. If that is not your intent you should not fly it.
Thanks for that. I think a lot of things fall into the category of it seemed like a good idea in the 1980s but looks pretty dumb in hindsight. The acceptability of the confederate flag during that time frame is probably a prime example.
The state governments in the southern states seem to have no interest in removing a racist symbol from public buildings. They’re pretty unique in doing that.
No way, dude that’s stupid. I agree that the Confederate flag needs to come down, but c’mon, show DOH like it was originally, or don’t show it at all. Your idea just sounds completely retarded.
Eh, depends where you’re looking at it from. From my POV this piece of legislation is more about “they’re doing this, can we shut it down without a huge, possibly lawsuit-worthy and in any case hugely bothersome stink ?” than “We’ll graciously allow it”. With a side order of “OY ! We want a cut of the action !”.