It should be pointed out that: Slavery existed under the Confederate Flag for 4 years (1861-1865). Slavery existed under the US flag for 87 years (1776-1863). Slavery existed under the French flag in North America for 93 years (1710-1803). Slavery existed under the British flag in North America for 163 years (1619-1781). Slavery existed under the Spanish flag in North America for 370 years (1516-1886) So why is the Confederate flag being singled out as a symbol of slavery?
As much as I hate to say this, this topic has been an issue at LSU as long as I can remember. When I attended LSU late 80's early 90's and graduated in 93. The exact same issue was being discussed. Nothing has changed. The only thing that has is the date and time. Lets move on...... Heather :geauxtige
As I have said elsewhere, Southern opponents of the civil rights movement used the rebel flag as a symbol of their opposition to social progress. None of the other flags that you mention have been misused in that manner.
Agreed. The hooded ones and their skinhead brethren have adopted the Flag. But that doesn't give them "ownership" of it. I don't see why any of the rest of us are supposed to feel shame for something those bozo's did. And others that try to ignore, rewrite, or censor Civil War history because they are offended by the symbolism of klansmen carrying the flag are just too . . .damned . . . sensitive.
sometimes i think the solution is exposure therapy. force the horrible symbols into view and encourage their use until they are divorced from the meaning that makes the stupid little sensitive losers give up on their sympathy ploy. i have no respect for people looking for excuses to be offended. hehe, no i just like the idea if kwanzaa because it is a brand new silly holiday, clearly manufactured to compete for attention. however, since kwanzaa is actually a secular holiday that celebrats rational concepts, it at least can say it is not as stupid a the other wizard holidays. if we celebrated holidays in order of real importance, i would prefer july 4th to the rest. so, i am not black, but i certainly am not proud of my dumbass WASP heritage.
martin, if you converted to Roman Catholicism, nobody could ever call you a "dumbass WASP" again. HA HA (bad joke) Anyway, I'm sure that you know that Kwanzaa was invented by a Black Revolutionary Activist who was also a murderer. I wish very strongly that we could fly the Rebel Flag without offending folks, but we can't. Some idiots like to compare the Rebel Flag with the Swastika flag from Hitler's Third Reich, but there is really no comparison. The Confederacy had some racist elements, but the Nazi determination to annihilate the Jews is nothing like what existed in the Confederacy. Finally, so what if we can't fly the Rebel Flag/ CS Army battle flag/ CS Naval Ensign? We can still fly the Stars and Bars.
I have a pal in Spanish Town who flies the Bonnie Blue flag. It's his own personal statement and almost nobody "gets it". There was a guy in the 90's who used a Confederate battle flag as a curtain in his office overlooking the courtyard of the Howe-Russell Bldg. His director eventually asked him to remove it, so he replaced it with the Stars and Bars. It remained there as long as the guy did. I asked his director once why he didn't object to the replacement flag and he said ,"Nobody really objects to a Texas flag." He wouldn't know a Confederate flag if it jumped up and bit him on the ass.
Bingo! The Stars and Bars was the actual Confederate States of America flag and nobody has a problem with it, so fly it. The "Rebel Flag", as we know it in it's rectangular form, was only the Confederate States Navy flag, yet this is the objectionable one. I say fly the REAL Confederate flag: the Stars and Bars.
