Outrage!!!!!!! Warning racists and idiots may be offended!!!!!

[der_tim_von_ib]

Looking through one of my exfriend's picture collections after she reapplied on the friends list I found this picture in her profile. I was completed and utterly disgusted and outraged by it. Do you confederate supporting idiots even understand what this flag means? Do you know the suffering and anguish of the symbol. I can try but I could never

Comments

[fool4him]

I know here in the North the Confederate Flag has the connotation of slavery and racial injustice, but in the South it's more of a heritage thing. Slavery is unfortunately linked to it, but to a lot of people its a sign of pride. And I can see their view, because as far as I'm concerned the Civil War was about States Rights, and quite frankly the really did have every right to secede. I'm not saying that they should have, or that I'm glad they did, or anything. But I know for a lot of people they're proud that their ancestors had the guts to stand up and do something like that for what they believed in. It didn't necessarily have anything to do with slavery. Slavery just happens to be connected to that flag because of where we happened to grow up and the education that connected it that way.

I'd say it was akin to thinking "holocaust" everytime you saw someone waving a German Flag. Probably unfair to jump to conclusions like that, because chances are they aren't stuck with the same preconceptions as you.

[summertrain]

I personally am offended by the picture. "It's the RIGHT thing!" What's the right thing? The Southern 19th century belief of states' rights? I don't think that's what it's referring to. The picture is not-so-subtly, in my opinion, racist.

Also, your analogy of the Holocaust/German flag is a flawed one. It would be unfair to jump to conclusions like that, but what would you think if someone was waving a Nazi flag around? See why your analogy doesn't work?

But Josh, I do understand the point you make about Southern pride. It's just that the Confederate Flag has too much of an association with racism. People, especially nowadays, should understand why it isn't apropos. Then again, the South does get a lot of flack from the North; I could see why they'd want to tout a Southern pride symbol. However, all I think it does is worsen racial tensions. And race relations is a huge issue in our country that isn't meaningfully discussed at all. Have we really made all that many advances in the last few decades? I could go on and on about race

[summertrain]

I should reiterate. The picture isn't racist, per se; there isn't enough evidence to give it that label. But it's undoubtedly ignorant. And ignorance is almost as bad as racism... and it's not even funny how many ignorant people there are when it comes to racism/race relations. I've heard the most ridiculous comments from people. Man, I could go off. I hate racial jokes and I don't think I've ever put someone down because of their race (I'm talking solely minorities here), save a couple times which I regret... I'm not perfect. However, I have called white people "crackers" in response to some dumb racist joke/insult which I never find funny. It's a way to play it off as if it's not a big deal and I regret not telling people that I don't think it's funny at all. But yeah. I'm using a lot of comment space. Perhaps I'll make an entry about all this sometime.

[fool4him]

I totally agree that the flag and "Its the RIGHT thing!" is not entirely appropriate or sensitive. But I know that there are a lot of people who are proud to wave the Confederate flag, and I'm sure most of them don't mean it with the connotation of racial inequity. I was trying to think from their perspective, and see if I could articulate some coherent reason why anyone would have that view. I do still think that's its probably a regional thing then anything else.

[eeexish]

gee. and i thought u just used flags so that u don't get kicked off the land like the native americans did.