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This Question and topic is for anyone to answer. I am curious to know.
About the controveries last year and prior Regarding Flying the Confederate flag at the state capitols and all; I want to know why they do not compromise and fly a different confederate flag. I agree in a way; not that the flag represented slavery at the time; but since then it has become a symbol of hatred and bigotry towards African Americans. That is hard to disagree with. But that symbol is the Battle Flag and or the Navy Jack Flag.
They should fly the Stars and Bars Flag, or the Bonnie Blue Flag instead. This would still honor the brave men who sacrificed their lives and it would, in turn, not be a symbol of hatred and everything would be settled.
I don't have an answer to your question but I think most of the shrill voices you hear condemning flying the Confederate Battle Flag probably know very little history about the various flags the South used. My guess is most of them thing the stars and bars WAS the confederate national flag. It would surprise me to no end if the majority of these folks knew what a Bonnie Blue flag was too. That's just my humble opinion of course.
I'm very proud of my Confederate ancestors (and the lone Union one) and the stand they took for their beliefs. But did you ever stop to think what a wonderful country we live in that even ALLOWS the flag representing a rebellion against the government to be still flown and honored. Where else but here could that possibly happen?
The War Between The States may or may not have involved a rebellion, but the English Civil War quite definitely did. The flags flown in that war do not have anything like the iconic value of the Confederate Battleflag, but if anyone wanted to fly any of them today they would be perfectly free to do so. There are statues of Oliver Cromwell and King Charles within a few hundred yards of each other in central London - the equivalent of having statues of Lincoln & Jefferson Davis at opposite ends of the same street in an American town.
Thanks for enlightening me Bill. I will admit to not knowing a lot about such things in Europe. I guess I had in mind countries with a less democratic government and frame of mind.
Unfortunately not every Southern good ole boy thinks with his head nor has he spent much time reading books or looking at the vast array of flags used by the Confederate states and armies in the American Civil War. Many battle flags (the bars and stars) are flown for no other reason than as a macho exercise for the sole purpose of enciting response. Yes, many folks do hoist that same flag out of respect for their heritage, but not as many as one might hope. I should be out flying the 35 star US flag in honor of my Union ancestors. One can't even find that symbol of the Civil War in any gift shop I've seen in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama or Mississippi. Lots of folks I've encountered in Tennessee suspect the National flag of the Confederacy has something to do with the American Revolution. That one could fly unmolested most anywhere. The Bonnie Blue flag is none of the above, having been a symbol of Texas. Lots of us don't know where Texas is located, much less the history of that noble flag. We're a bunch of humans, that might be the problem.
About the controveries last year and prior Regarding Flying the Confederate flag at the state capitols and all -Frank
Was there ever much of a flag controversy anywhere that didn't center around the flag flying over a state government building?
Flags are supposed to mean something...symbolize something....or else, why bother? And the flags that fly atop government buildings are supposed to represent the government(s) that are currently represented there. The flagpoles on top of capitol buildings are not there for displaying icons of defunct governments of past centuries.
I can certainly see how many considered it improper to fly the confederate battleflag above the SC capitol building because it implies that the confederacy and/or its ideals live on in the government housed below.
The Museum of the Confederacy's Historian/Librarian Dr. John Coski is releasing his newest book, "The Embattled Flag." If you're in Richmond on April 9 (1-3), he is signing it at the Museum.
It discusses the entire controversy over the flag. Check it out.
As for controversy that didn't include disagreement about a flag flying over a state capitol, I can remember, for instance, an incident in southern Kentucky a few years back where a young white man flying a battle flag (stars and bars) from his pick-up was shot from relatively close distance by some unapproving viewers. I posed the question about opinions concerning the stars and bars to a close friend who happens to be of African descent. He quickly responded that many of his origin boil inside when they see this flag and are reminded of their past in a most uncomfortable way. As they say, a mile in someone's shoes...... As for me, I just see a symbol of a period in our history and hope to leave it at that.
Unfortunately, the stars and bars have become more a redneck symbol than anything else to most people.
As long as we're talking controversy, I personally don't like to see the stars and bars used on T shirts and stuff integrated with a big bass, deer, truck, bike, etc., etc. (like some T-shirt makers do). Now I like bass, deer, truck, and bikes as much as anybody but to me that's being disrespectful of the flag. Its just a colorful way to get noticed mostly. Certainly nothing wrong with it on shirts, caps, etc. that display it with some respect - don't get me wrong on that.
I know some understand the flag's significance - I just wish everyone who wore it or flew it did. And, I wish it didn't offend Negroes so much - I know it doesn't offend all of them. When I display it, I mean no offense to anyone. I just want to honor my ancestors and the thousands like him who were in the War.
As for controversy that didn't include disagreement about a flag flying over a state capitol, I can remember, for instance, an incident in southern Kentucky a few years back where a young white man flying a battle flag (stars and bars) from his pick-up was shot from relatively close distance by some unapproving viewers.
Well I'm certainly not endorsing shooting people who fly it from their trucks or on their front yard.
Quote:
As for me, I just see a symbol of a period in our history and hope to leave it at that.
What is your opinion of it flying over a state capitol building or a public school?
Last edited by cedarstripper; 03-23-2005 at 03:46 PM.
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