Should we ban the Confederate Flag? - Page 2

Aegis · September 1st, 2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

As the title says, should the Confederate flag be allowed to be waved in the Union States of America? The reason I ask this is because (from my point of view) to brand that flag anywhere but in a history book or reenactment (as in bumper stickers or flags on your front porch) is to say that you support the rebellion, you support slavery, and you support anything the Confederates of the time supported.

What do you think? I personally think that I'm sick of alot of ignorant people waving it around saying it's about their heritage and what-not and they still love this country and totally fail to see that when they do that they support everything this country is against. I condone however using it for historical education, as it is in fact an important part of our history. I just don't think it should be waved around because someone wants to

This is a horrible breach of freedom, and any person should be able to express the fact that they wish the Confederacy had won the Civil War. This is a horrible idea, sorry. Someone has every right to wave that flag.

Hentai-Addict · September 1st, 2009, 10:44 PM

It shouldn't be banned... as already said, what it means to someone means something else to someone else. It's a piece of history for the bloodiest war on American soil. People wave pirate flags, but that doesn't mean they go around hijacking ships. Not to mention Lynard Skynard concerts would be boring.

Ventux · September 2nd, 2009, 10:40 PM

It shouldn't be banned but it shouldn't be on federal buildings

Shade737 · September 3rd, 2009, 04:20 AM

Well they didn't ban the burning of a confederate flag.

Square Ninja · September 3rd, 2009, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

As the title says, should the Confederate flag be allowed to be waved in the Union States of America? The reason I ask this is because (from my point of view) to brand that flag anywhere but in a history book or reenactment (as in bumper stickers or flags on your front porch) is to say that you support the rebellion, you support slavery, and you support anything the Confederates of the time supported.

There is something very American about rebellion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azrael

What do you think? I personally think that I'm sick of alot of ignorant people waving it around saying it's about their heritage and what-not and they still love this country and totally fail to see that when they do that they support everything this country is against. I condone however using it for historical education, as it is in fact an important part of our history. I just don't think it should be waved around because someone wants to

...and who are you to decide when flying the Confederate flag is okay? Free Speech goes both ways.

Also, you're taking the flag for face value. The Confederate flag wasn't about slavery. Slavery just happened to be vital to the South's economy. Why they rallied behind a secessionist symbol was because largely the other half of Union and the federal government was demanding that the South just abandon its primary industry immediately. Farming was damn near the only way people knew how to live. Even if the South had conceded and attempted to restructure its economy, the South would have been in deep trouble economically. The scale of the plantation farms would have been forced to downsize significantly, not to mention a shift like that would have severely weakened the economy of the US as a whole.

The Confederacy was much less about emptying your .45s in the air, hooting and hollering, and loving slavery than it was about the rights of the state. Whether or not those who seceded did so for such altruistic reasons is irrelevant, the symbol itself is what is being questioned here.

Tenyas · September 3rd, 2009, 09:30 PM

I don't think it should be banned. I think I have some Confederate blood in me but then again, I don't go waving that thing around. The most that should be done is just turning your head the other way if you don't support it.

SilverJ-17 · September 4th, 2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marksman

I live in Missouri and I'm tired of that flag being all over the county fair.

We were a northern state, feel free to ban it.

You're kind of right there. However, Missouri was more of a split state. Part of Missouri's people fought for the South, even though the majority of the state's government ended up siding with the union. To add to this, there were several states that sided with the union, but had a fair share of people who fought for the South. Just because it's said they sided with the Union doesn't mean a good portion of the people thought that way.

Also, what part of Missouri are you from? If you're from the southern part, then there's their reason. Most of those who sided with the south were surprise.. surprise.. from the southern half of Missouri.

As for my opinion.. no.. Though I'm kind of iffy on Federal Buildings, I see no issue in Rednecks, Hicks, Hillbillies, Southerners themselves, or whatever you want to call them waving those flags. Also, it's not necessarily the slavery they're sympathizing with, but uhh.. you know what.. forget it..

Oh, and as for rebelling? I think the rebel spirit comes from our roots. After all, we Americans rebelled and broke a way from Great Britain, didn't we? So naturally, you got those people who are proud to call themselves rebels and what not.

krexia · September 4th, 2009, 08:50 AM

If you ban the Confederate Flag, will you go on to ban all other potentially offensive symbols as well? The Swastika, the Hammer and Sickle?

Duality · September 5th, 2009, 06:59 AM

For the people who are using the "freedom of speech" argument, ask yourself this:

Should we tolerate the intolerant?

Ventux · September 5th, 2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duality

For the people who are using the "freedom of speech" argument, ask yourself this:

Should we tolerate the intolerant?

You don't stop intolerance with more intolerance.

Bangkok Superpussy · September 5th, 2009, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duality

For the people who are using the "freedom of speech" argument, ask yourself this:

Should we tolerate the intolerant?

There's a difference between socially resisting intolerance and using the legal system as a tool to completely suppress it.

If you can't defend their right to freedom of expression then you can't defend your own. Simple as that.

Phoenix · September 5th, 2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Should we tolerate the intolerant?

Yes. That's the difference between them and us.

Duality · September 7th, 2009, 10:13 AM

To those of you who responded, sorry for not making myself more clear, but it was merely me playing devil's advocate. It's not my serious opinion.

I mean, I despise these ignorant Confederates so much, and wish I could abolish their ideas. But it's a slippery slope - what can be banned and what shouldn't be? A very difficult judgment, indeed.

krexia · September 7th, 2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duality

Should we tolerate the intolerant?

Who decides where the difference lies between intolerance and legitimate minority opinion? Curbing the rights of people we disagree with is a dangerous path to take.

productofsociety · September 7th, 2009, 04:08 PM

I think a lot of people have pride in the confederate flag without knowing what it actually stood for at one time.
I live in the south. As a child I went into someones home and they had a huge confederate flag on their wall, so I asked what it meant. They told me it meant they support the south. I grew up and went to history class and found out that it meant a lot more than that.

I don't think that it should be banned, but I do think that a lot more people should be educated on what it stands for.
I think now people think it stands for something different than what it use to.
Recently I saw a white chick wearing a confederate flag and an older black lady shopping together, neither seemed to be offended.
I suppose it is just how others interpret it.

I personally, don't like the flag.