Southern Pride

[SUGARKAHNE]

I was just reading an article in the newspaper about a woman in South Carolina who went to the Coastal Carolina Fair. Apparently she saw a vendor there selling Dixie T-shirts and she didn't like it. She bought one that said "Confederately Correct Civil Rights for Southern Whites" and stood outside the gates, asking everyone who walked by what they thought about it, refusing to leave until she was arrested. She said that the shirt promotes hate, is offensive, and is inappropriate for children. In her words: "The more people generalize, the more people hate, the more divided the cultures are going to be. It is so ugly here in the South."
This just makes my blood boil. When other cultures are being discussed, everyone's all for free speech and diversity, but let someone mention southern heritage, and immediately someone tries to shut you up, saying you're "hateful". I am not a bit prejudiced and I don't hate anyone, but I proudly wear my southern shirts and fly my Confederate flag, along with the American flag. It's an important part of history, and I don't see why someone would make such a big deal and say it's "inappropriate for children" when the only ones being hateful are themselves. Honestly!

[Yellowhammer]

I know what you mean, I get so sick of hearing about this stuff.

[OJR]

I agree and this pedellum has really swung way to far over! The problem is that it is not going to be corrected as long as we have this stupid "politically correct" attitude among us!

[wtnhunt]

Sad how things are twisted around. Really this problem is only getting worse.

[Newarcher]

Sorry, I am from the South and I disagree with the Rebel flag. While I certainly agree that it has its place in history, that place should be a museum and not flying over a State Capitol.

Inherently, the flag is not racist but I will guarantee you that 90% of the people who wear it aren't wearing it to further history. They aren't wearing it because they feel that State's rights was the real issue behind the Civil War. They wear it to be a thumb in the eye to blacks. Usually, I see them on jacked up four wheel drives with young, stupid white kids in them....I know they are stupid just by looking at them and the way they act.

On my way home, there is a patch of land where several people dress in civil war outfits occasionally and wave the Rebel flag.

I have nothing against the flag nor the history it represents...moreover what it has become to represent thanks to a bunch of miscreants.

New

[gabuckbuster03]

i agree with ya kahne i tired of all this crap to

[wtnhunt]

[ QUOTE ]
They aren't wearing it because they feel that State's rights was the real issue behind the Civil War. They wear it to be a thumb in the eye to blacks. Usually, I see them on jacked up four wheel drives with young, stupid white kids in them....I know they are stupid just by looking at them and the way they act.



[/ QUOTE ]

The only reason for people to take the flag and what they think it symbolizes New is for another reason to cry, and I have to strongly disagree with what you say here. I think your generalization here is way too broad an assumption, not everyone wearing or flying a rebel flag is white supremacist. Come on, isn't there enough crying in the world today. It is a flag, get over it, have seen things at work where some people complained over a shirt someone wore. So happens the person was in a position and on casual Friday elected to wear a shirt that had a confederate flag. The persons who complained said it was racist????

Give me a freaking break, how is a shirt with a flag racist unless the person wearing it is making it into a racist issue? It is the mentality just like your assumption here that leads way to giving in to just what they want. Removal of anything and everything you don't like leading way to opprresing whites. They have learned that if you don't get your way, cry about it and eventually you will get your way. Really is sad to see where this country is headed.

[Newarcher]

No, it isn't an assumption or a too broad generalization.

I sincerely doubt that here in GA all the 16-20'ish kids I see running around with huge rebel flags flying in the stake pockets of their 4x4 aren't waving it because they think that the South was right to demand state's rights. They are doing it to be inflammatory and are using it as an instrument of hate.

For years that flag has been flown by the KKK and used as an insturment of hate. There is no denying that....comeon.

There is a large faction in GA that tried to get the rebel flag as a ballod option for the new GA flag. Not all of them are racists....some are historians and recognize the flag for what it is, history. But most want the flag kept because they feel the blacks that consider it inflammatory are winning their way.

I don't feel the slightest bit oppressed because a symbol of hatred is gone. The flag itself isn't an instrument of hate, it was the flag of the day during the civil war. It is how redneck racists have used that flag since that got it removed. Had they not misused the flag of GA as an instrument of hatred, it would be flying today.

As for the shirt you mention, I suppose the person was black that complained. Perhaps that black person made an assumption about the wearer and probably was RIGHT. But because of the misuse of the flag, it is considered an instrument of hate. Don't blame the messenger, blame the idiots that created it all.

New

[wtnhunt]

The woman I was referring to who was wearing the shirt likes Larry the cable guy, likes redneck jokes and Foxworthy, and thought this particular shirt was cool. She is an educated person, a director of nursing. Yes, it started with one black person and then some more blacks complained and said they would file a complaint if she did not change or cover it up, because they felt it was offending them. Pretty sad that they can complain about being offended by things like this and due to the aclu and other ignorant non sense out there they can in a sense rule us on things so petty.

New, I grew up in the south buddy, and spent a little time in Macon as well. I know a little about the kkk and about what you are saying here, but simply think that some of those people flying the flag are not trying to stir up more hatred like you are suggesting. There was a kid I went to school with in Ocoee and Winter Garden Florida whose father was pretty big in the kkk, they were in my opinion a bit different, and they did seem to me to be filled with hate. I also knew kids who flew the confederate flag I went to school with on 4wd trucks who were not in any way affiliated with the kkk and did not have anywhere even remotely close to the same views, nor did they ever express any sentiment of hatred towards blacks.

You basically are saying that the kids flying the flag are doing it for no reason other than that they hate blacks or to stir up problems, that is like saying the Mexicans who fly their flags here hate America, that is whether you accept it or not a generalization. I would not make the assumption that just because the kids are flying the flag because they hate blacks, that is stereotyping. Kids are kids, maybe some think it is cool and really dont have any ill feeling towards blacks whatsoever. Think you are making more out of this than is there.

Racism in this country today in my opinion is quite possibly worse than it was 20-25 years ago, but it is not extending from the same direction as it did back then. I do not think racism as it was 20 years ago when it was most commonly linked to whites being racist against blacks is as common now as is racism from the other direction if that makes sense.

[Newarcher]

Wtn,

I have seen the stars and bars on some hunting shirts and shirts about Southern hunting, etc. I don't have a problem with something innoculous like that.

But name me one reason for a punk kid to go tearing down the road with an 8x5 rebel flag flying behind their trucks. Sure, they are pain in the butt kids. Agreed. But what is the point? To stir a rousing debate about history? Come on, no offense, but the clear insinuation is that they are doing it to be offensive in a racist way. Pure and simple. If not, explain one reason why a punk kid would feel it important to fly it...other than the "the south was right and black should still be slaves argument".

If the shirt was part of Larry the Cable guy or a foxworthy shirt, fine. Otherwisse, to the untrained eye she looks like a racist. Probably is one. If she feels it appropriate to wear such a shirt to a mixed place knowing how some people feel about it, she probably deserves the title. Wear it on your own time, so be it.

Are we having fun yet?

New

[wtnhunt]

[ QUOTE ]
to the untrained eye she looks like a racist. Probably is one

[/ QUOTE ]

See this is exactly where we have the problem New. This post started with what? A shirt. People want to make assumptions and think because they see something that they know what this person is all about. You are wearing a shirt or cap with a rebel flag, you MUST be a racist. Give me a break buddy. Since when do we need to censor what we wear so long as it does not have vulgar language to not offend a group of people already just looking to have a reason to cry. You are giving in to taking away our rights too easily here buddy. From seeing the emotion you have put into your political posts and your concerns with our rights I don't see why you don't seem to understand that the crying and whining crap is leading way to removal of our rights all around us. This right here is one in the same even if the intent of the kids is to stir on hatred, that is still a right we are free to under our constitution. Last I understood we do still a right to freedom of expression in this country unless I am wrong. It is not about the punk kids flying the flags so much as it is about preserving our rights to freedom of expression, maybe you are right and they are flying the flag for the wrong reasons and should not be, but do we really want to remove more rights so we are not offending someone? Giving in and letting all the little and large groups continue to peck away is just not very wise in my opinion and a growing part of what is wrong with this country today.

[Newarcher]

I am not advocating a law against wearing it.

I stand by my point that decorum is the word of the day. You don't wear a rebel flag on casual day to a place where blacks work. Given the history I have stated, I believe wearing it says someting about you and your intentions for wearing it. If you want to wear it on your own time, fine, but know that people are going to assume things about you and your reasons for wearing it.

There are assumptions made about you every day. Fat? you eat too much. Wearing camo? redneck. With certain actions comes assumptions.

Call it heritage....call it history.....call it tradition. But in the end it is about most people feeling sore about the blacks getting their way and having the flag taken down.

Gee, the swastikka is just 6 lines, why not fly it?

New

[Andrea]

Having pride in your southern heritage is one thing. But I know EXACTLY what New is talking about. There are way too many folks down here that wave that flag for one reason and one reason only.... to incite hatred towards black people. Yes, there are a handful that do not.


When I was in high school there were several boys who thought it would be adventurous to place a HUGE Rebel flag in the back of their pickup truck and go barreling through the black neighborhoods with Hank's " If the South Woulda Won" blaring from their speakers.

Southern pride? I don't think so.

If they want to fly that flag over the capitol and other places, fine. I don't have a problem with that. Placing that flag in it's proper place is great. But placing that flag on t-shirts with racist slogans is downright rude.

Basically it's all in how the flag is being used.

[Newarcher]

Here is the quandry.

There are certain things you can do in life that aren't inherently wrong, illegal, or controversial in and of themseslves. However, the assumption by those people seeing you do them is widely known as X.

If you then go out and do these things knowing what the assumption about you is going to be, then don't you subscribe to that belief of what you are by doing it?

The last time I saw a rebel flag bumper sticker it had some dumb saying on it like 'these colors don't run'. Beside that, there was a sticker that said "All things considered, I would have picked my own cotton". I'll leave that one right there.

I have plenty of souther pride. Being southern means hunting and fishing, apple pies and mama. Some people relish being southern because of our history and a desire to go back there. Those are the flag wavers, IMHO.

New

[MUDRUNNER]

I don't post often in this room,but thought I would put in my 2 cents.

I understand both sides of this debate.I agree with Wtnhunt that there is still a lot of racism in this country,but it has turned 180 degrees.Certain things are to the point now that that blacks can get away with more and get by with less.Governmant funded projects are one example....a certain percentage of these projects are required by law to be handed to african american contractors,regardless of their quality of work or the price of a job.If you have a white man and a black man bid on a certain job,the odds are stacked against the white man getting the job.

I can also see News point,that these kids are just out to raise a rucous and cause trouble.If thats the case they are not doing anything but drawing attention from the law and I gaurantee they will be caught doing something wrong eventually and will realize that they brought it on themselves for acting like meatheads.

As far as the confederate flag goes,I see no problem with it.I drove a jacked up 4X4 in high school that had a confederate bumper sticker,but I'm not racist at all.For us it was a symbol that we were country boys who hunted,fished,worked hard and played hard,and nothing more.