What does the Confederate flag represent to you?

[Callate]

It represents a bitter unwillingness to accept reality. An idealization of an era that was anything but ideal. And an attitude towards the rest of the United States that is almost as hateful and cynical as it is hypocritical.

If you want to tie yourself to that, be my guest- it's a free country, despite what the original bearers of that banner might have willed. Just be aware of the impression you've earned.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

To me it represents Southern Pride (despite being from the South I don't know why you would even have Southern Pride) but most people use it as a shield for racism (in my experience) so I'm indifferent to this.

 

[mr_rubino]

Another example of the NAACP idiots finding reasons to be offended and see it as a personal attack at everything.

The sky is blue! Why can't it be rainbow! The sky is racist! We demand an ass kissing and an apology!

look at the post above yours

We are talking about people who use the flag as a symbol of the Southern spirit (extending to the music style) not for racism and slavery. I do understand a lot of people who use it that way are racist, but many others use it as a symbol of togetherness etc.

The south didn't even secede just because slavery, it was the argument over states rights.

The vice president of the confederacy said it spesifically started because of slavery. States rights to leave the union because they wanted to keep slavery and disagreed that slavery was wrong.

And saying it doesn't represent that anymore is bull, that's like someone saying "Oh I'm not a racist, I'm only part of the KKK for these awesome robes!"

Your just someone who likes to hold grudges. Probably one of those ultra-tolerant people I loathe so much.

The president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis said it was hardly because slavery, but because of the states inability to individualy nullify federal laws. I'm a history student I would know.

Also, poor analogy.

>Confederate supporter
>still clings to confederate flag
>denies reality about start of war
>denies reality that the constitution said blacks were ment to be slaves
>bitter about losing
>Says someone else holds a grudge
>MFW

I'm so sorry

I live in the "north" asstard.

Can't fault him for assuming. As is typical of the pro-Confederacy types, you're more concerned with throwing out weak, predictable "gotcha statements", as Ms. Palin used to call them, than using the collected knowledge of history.

Intellectual honesty is old hat. Just crib some one-liners from South Park and you're golden. Next word to shoe-horn into a sentence in place of arguments: smug. Go-go-go!

In other news: One politician doesn't represent an entire country... unless he does. Specifically, we're to judge him by the actions he totally said he would've done if he'd only had the chance to get around to them. (This is sounding familiar. Did Davis promise he'd free the blacks "with all deliberate speed", by any chance?)

 

[Flac00]

Look, I get that for a lot of southerners today the confederate flag is about independence, rebellion and regional pride. So I don't get pissed off at people that display it.

I just think that there are so many other symbols that can represent Southern pride. Why choose one that packs so much history of violence, racism, and hatred. People have done some horrible things in the name of that flag, not to mention the nation that was founded under it was one designed to protect slavery. My opinions aside; there are so many better options. Why this one?

 

[Wolfenbarg]

To me, it represents the epitome of the old idea of limited federal control. The idea of independence of a much greater degree than we currently practice. People unfortunately remember bigotry and racism, which is reinforced by a lot of people that still hang the flag having those values, but it was something quite different. Jefferson Davis and General Lee were not horrible, evil, people. They held qualities that were quite admirable, though we only remember the latter for being such. It's also an important reminder of what happens when the federal government behaves in a way that is almost seen as abusive to its territories. The US is made up of states that have their own rights, and we need to remember that.

It's also just a cool looking flag, trumped only by the Union Jack in aesthetic appeal.

 

[Callate]

The vice president of the confederacy said it spesifically started because of slavery. States rights to leave the union because they wanted to keep slavery and disagreed that slavery was wrong.

Care to back that up?

"Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition." -Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy

Slavery- directly- was certainly not the only issue of the civil war. But it most certainly was an important one.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

It's a flag~ It goes woosh when the wind blow real fast, ehehehe~


Anyways, it's really nothing I care about. The flag has a bad history, but unless the guy's waving it for racisim and bigotry, I wouldn't look to much into it.

 

[MasterWhatever]

I live in Canada and are as far north as possible. So I don't hear of or see the flag that much. Though I did attended school in the states for some time, and I find it represents stupidity and death after learning of the civil war.

 

[velcrokidneyz]

the civil war wasnt even about slavery hardly at all. it was primarily about restoring the union, its just the people who you see associated with it that give it a bad connotation, its not a racist symbol.

But it was about slavery, that is why the union was divided. You cannot deny that slavery was a driving fact in the whole war.

i am currently in a military history course and we talked about this the other day.

yes slavery was a factor but only until later in the war. it is just that the north was industrialized and didnt require them, immigrants wanted jobs so they made jobs instead of slavery. it was mainly about restoring the union. heck about 90 percent of soldiers for the south didnt even own slaves, and only a few journals ever even mentioned slavery. one big factor was the replacement of national by sectional parties

 

[ZephrC]

Look, I get that for a lot of southerners today the confederate flag is about independence, rebellion and regional pride. So I don't get pissed off at people that display it.

I just think that there are so many other symbols that can represent Southern pride. Why choose one that packs so much history of violence, racism, and hatred. People have done some horrible things in the name of that flag, not to mention the nation that was founded under it was one designed to protect slavery. My opinions aside; there are so many better options. Why this one?

I agree. In fact if you go all the way to the end of my overly long post there I conclude that it's good to call them on it when they do use it. I just don't get pissed off at people that use it, because I think most of them don't really know what they're doing.

 

[fenderstrat]

ignorance and racism.

 

[flim.geek.chic]

Banjo!


I choose you!

OT: As an Englishman, I don't really know about the civil war factions of America. I do know that a lot of awesome songs came from that era though.

Whistling dixy. Oh yeaaaah!

Certainly not the worst clip from "deleverance you could have picked

OT: well it's one of those gray area things... to me it represents a confused, Dark part of our American History but also Rebelion and the bravery it took to stand up for something you truely belive in...even if that something was a horrible crime againest humanity.

 

[Haydyn]

Let me start off by saying I am a huge redneck hater and condemn hill billies to the miserable lives they live. I make fun of white people more than any other ethnic group. And even I'm calling bullshit on the NAACP.

STATES RIGHTS was the biggest issue in the Civil War. Abolishing slavery came at the end of the war, and it wasn't the goal of the Union going into the war to end slavery. I see the Confederate flag as just another flag. I do however feel sorry for it, as rednecks have taken it upon themselves to link the Confederate flag to the uneducated.

Side note: I find it hilarious when people think I'm racist toward African Americans/Hispanics when my hatred is centered towards different groups of white people.

 

[Aur0ra145]

For those of ya'll out there, this is how I saw the war. I will say, this is how I and most of my friends (most of which are southerners) view the war. It was a disagreement that got way out of hand.

 

[springheeljack]

I think of it as a huge symbol of hate and racism
the original meaning of the flag was lost when the klu klux klan made it their symbol

 

[Icehearted]

Slavery
White oppression
Incest.... maybe?

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition."

It's a symbol of racism and slavery, and nothing else.


@SL33TBL1ND
Thanks, the only time I really want to write "check em" in a post here

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

It has no significance whatsoever for me, I'm not American.

Slavery
White oppression
Incest.... maybe?

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition."

It's a symbol of racism and slavery, and nothing else.

Nice post count.

 

[CleverCover]

It represents bigotry, hatred, ignorance, and fracture.

It might have meant something like freedom to one person at one time long long ago, but it's been twisted and turned into something horrible. I can't see how anyone can look at it and think "rebel" or even states' rights.