Certainly people need to be more conscious of their presentation wherever they go.

As I have a home-girl from the Bronx, she does attest to folks not being too friendly about the matter of which you speak.

But it should be noted that these people may not likely be giving solemn reverence to that era. They are likely wannabee white patriots who know not what they do. They are not really worth anyone’s time.

It’s more complicated than flying flags and such.

Not me, and maybe not most, but I’m in the Bronx. There are a lot of things people from other places need to learn not to here that they may do at home.

The flying of the Confederate flag has two meanings, according to the media. To blacks in America, the flag is racist. …

I can well image the Texas flag flying in yards. After all, the United States attached itself to Texas and we are all glad to be associated with it. (Except those with Bush derangement syndrome, of course.)

Really? They get like that over a Flag? Well hopefully they don’t just bum-rush people.

What I meant was that people just enjoy what they enjoy and don’t cross my personal boundaries. That’s generally when it’s on.

In Cincinnati people are generally content with it displayed on their porches and such. I rarely see it displayed on someone’s person, which is rather surprising since Cincinnati is considered by many to be the “gateway” to the South; in a positive AND pejorative sense.

Yeah, sporting that flag here in my area in NY could cause grievous injury.

Here is a statement from
http://www.usflag.org/history/confederatestarsandbars.html

“Note: It is necessary to disclaim any connection of these flags to neo-nazis, red-necks, skin-heads and the like. These groups have adopted this flag and desecrated it by their acts. They have no right to use this flag – it is a flag of honor, designed by the confederacy as a banner representing state’s rights and still revered by the South. In fact, under attack, it still flies over the South Carolina capitol building. The South denies any relation to these hate groups and denies them the right to use the flags of the confederacy for any purpose. The crimes committed by these groups under the stolen banner of the conderacy only exacerbate the lies which link the seccesion to slavery interests when, from a Southerner’s view, the cause was state’s rights.”

If this confession were mere uniformly held and CONFESSED, then so much of the rancor regarding this matter would be mitigated.

You don’t get to Texas much, do you? My sister & my mom live there, and I see at least as many Texas flags as American flags when I go to visit, and many of the Texas flags are flown alone.

Some people need an identity, and they seek a reminder of a time that they or their people were at their finest. For Southerners, perhaps the Stars & Stripes are a constant reminder that they’re losers, and the Confederate flag brings them back to the glory days of defiant independence. (I say this as a non-Southerner.)

And now that I say this about the flag, perhaps that’s why Obama strikes such a chord for blacks. He’s black America’s finest moment, and they want to cling to that glory. (I say this as a non-black.)

Just a thought or two…

Excuse my spelling of fathom above. Brain freeze. : )

I’m no bleeding heart, but there are certain areas of which we all have some sensitivity. As much as I may be conservative in most of my social and political views (this comes from my faith in Christ and not some allegiance to the right wing portion of what I feel is our corrupted political system) there are times when things are just “freakin personal” for lack of a better term.

I’m not looking to debate the issue, for in these times, with the real problems we all face, it really is an inane topic. I also understand that some may have an affinty for it for various reasons.

To me it’s one of those issues that will forever be in debate because of the impossibility for people to ever really “walk in the shoes” of others. It’s kind of like the N-word debate. As a white man you will never understand the emotions that may arise in someone upon seeing that flag, or by hearing that word.

As I cannot phatom how this flag, regardless of the personal sentimental attachement some may have, can be seen as so important that it must be displayed in arenas that are shared with a large portion of this countries population that sees it as a “scourge” on the history of this country. Like I said previously, private property yes, government property no.

We’ll have to agree to disagree I guess. By the way, I don’t see the problem with me referring to the American Flag as “inclusive”, nor do I see why you would have a problem being included. I guess you could always secede. j/k

And while I think it’s inclusion as part of a state flag should be, like anything else, up to the constituents of the state to decide through the democratic system, I don’t think it’s appropriate for the Stars & Bars to fly by its lonesome on government property.

Furthermore, I seldom notice anyone flying a lone state flag.

Now, I realize that people in the family may have died fighting for the Confederate States. But what is so important in the family history that people still feel a compulsion to connect with the “lost cause”?

Perhaps there should be a specific symbol that denotes a person who is related by blood to someone who was a slave. Then, those who want to memorialize that chapter in our history could fly their unique flag. And some could ride down the road and look at the slave flag and wonder what that is all about.

I fully support your right to fly the stars and bars. I think the NAACP is idiotic to go after it. What I don’t agree with that it is a benign symbol and people should just see it a meaningless decoration. Conversely, if I were to pass by the “slavery” flag I have posited, I would wonder why they “can’t get over it.”

Oh, like say the drop out rate? The high birth rate to unmarried teens? Black on black crime?…

I am more than happy to respect your feelings, since I wouldn’t do anything with malice or offensive intent, but understanding goes both ways.

As a Southerner, I see flying the Confederate flag as akin to flying an American flag with a circular pattern of stars. I don’t care for “inclusion”, nor do I think an entire sense of identity – since there are strong ties to family and heritage down here – can be tossed out the window just like that.

Sure, the issue has become confused by legitimate racists that sport the Confederate battle flag on their white robes, conflating pride in familial heritage and pride in racial heritage.

What hasn’t.

But, your looking at everyone who disagrees with you on this issue as though they are either covert racists (as I gather from the statement where you say people “lie about what the flag really means”) or complete and total jackasses doesn’t help. It’ll only divert your attention from real instances of racism that should be called out and condemned.