Avery Tooley at Stereo Describes My Scenario summed up my feelings about the confederate flag exactly, in a post today called Flagged Off.
Basically, the cbf belongs in the same category as Saddam's flag and the Nazi flag, among others, as the representative of an opposing force that was crushed by the American Army. Period. I would be willing to bet big money that no cbf apologist would fix his lips to say "Iraqi citizens who were loyal to Saddam have the right to fly his flag if they want." What's the difference? Moreover, we're not talking about one of the other flags used in the confederacy, we're talking about the confederate battle flag. The one they flew as they were fighting to maintain slavery.
... The other argument I hear cbf apologists make has something to do with some nebulous Southern heritage. Now, I'll be right up front and tell you that I love it Down South. Ever since undergrad, I have been planning to move down there at some point, and not to Atlanta. I'm talking about back in the cut Down South. But let me tell you, nothing that I appreciate about the South is represented by the cbf. That's a piece of the history of the South, but that's not its heritage. I wouldn't care if my great-great granddaddy owned a plantation and worked his way up to general in the confederate army, I would still refuse to capitalize confederate and I would still say that no matter how brave he was, he was pure-d wrong. That would be a part of my family's history, but that don't make it my heritage; my legacy would not be that of a slave-owning Black man unless I chose to embrace that.It's worth reading the rest of it, and perusing the rest of his site for some excellent discussions on education, identification, and some completely fascinating discussion of language and dialect from the perspective of a member of the Conservative Brotherhood.
Okay so why is this (non)issue being brought up again?
Although I suppose with all of the blogging and commenting on the Vietnam War, it was only a matter of time before we’d get around to refighting the Civil War. ;)
Because I like Avery's writing, and wanted to link to his blog.
Thorley, you have nailed it. The passing of the Baby Boomers from the scene (in 50 years) won't end the re-hashing of the Viet Nam war. The Civil War's been over for 140 years and we're still re-fighting it.
For me, the turning point was actualy a South Park episode (the one with the South Park flag).
I laughed and laughed when they brought out the flag design, and then I had to agree that the people complaining about the confederate flag had a valid point.
I'm from Asheville NC, where lives H.K. Edgerton, an interesting character. I don't know what I think of his views about the battle flag and the Confederacy, but it certainly is a different perspective.
Read more here
The hysteria over the cbf is really funny. I couldn't care less about the cbf but I just wish the people who want to rail against it will use the same criteria to judge the US flag.
I suppose the United States flag should be changed or removed too then based upon such thing as:
Slavery was legal under the US flag for the 4 score and 10 years until it was finally outlawed.
The US flag was flown by US Army units who forced Indians into reservations, killing thousands in the process.
The Philippines were basically subjugated by the US following the Spanish-American War in 1898. Thousands of Filipinos died. The Filipinos couldn't even have a local election until 1916. The Filipinos weren't given the right to self determination until 1934. All that happened under the US flag.
The US flag flew over the country while women and minorities were denied equal rights for almost 200 years.
The US flag flew at the internment camps during WW2.
Which other flags that continue to fly over other countries should we also be upset about? The Union Jack? The French Tri-colors? Both of those countries subjugated millions of people around the world, including the US. Both made money off the slave trade to the US.
I was born in Georgia, I live in Andersonville, GA where 13000 Union prisoners died. I think the South was wrong for trying to secede, I'm glad the South lost. I argue with pro-South people all the time about the ACW. But I'm sick of the hypocrisy of those who attack one flag that flew for 3 years while looking past the events occurred under another flag for hundreds of years.
steps down from soapbox
These days - for most people - it's just a fun symbol of the south. Most people flying it aren't attaching all the heavy meaning to it that the anti-flag folks are. It's Dukes of Hazzard, General Lee, Lynyrd Skynyrd, folks. The "PC" attempts to take it down only make it seem "cooler" and more desireable.
People need to just chill out about this stuff sometimes and stop taking themselves so seriously.