Confederate Flag to Fly at City Hill in Belleview, Florida

[Forty Two]

Why are the South singled out?

Maybe for honouring the soldiers and their leaders who fought for the right to own slaves?

They actually fought for the right to split from the Union.
The motivation behind the war was not as simple and clear-cut as you like to portray it.
And anyway, after the war of independence, slavery was legal in the US under the stars and stripes for nearly a hundred years.
Millions of people lived their whole lives as legally owned slaves, with the stars and stripes as their flag.

And, many other flags too, such as the Spanish flag, Portuguese flag, German flag, Brazilian flag, even the British flag....

[Animavore]

Various groups have bitched about it and tried to have it taken down, but it's on private land (Confederate Memorial Park), so it will remain there no matter how many people it pisses off.This here's the Gunshine State, AKA the "Fuck All Y'all State".

Nothing wrong with it being on private land, but the government shouldn't be promoting KKK symbolism.

[Animavore]

I mean, even Lynyrd Skynyrd stopped using the flag. Lynyrd - fucking -Skynyrd.

[Forty Two]

No one is, or should be arguing that Confederate history should be never examined, or that no-one should ever catch a glimpse of that evil flag (seen as bumper stickers in southern states quite often, I believe)

On this point, I would suggest that the flag they're flying here is not the one typically associated with the confederacy. It's not the one on the General Lee car in Dukes of Hazzard. It's the last flag of the Confederacy, known as the third flag, which looks like this:



The news reports were showing the confederate battle flag of the army of Northern Virginia, which is the General Lee's flag, and the one people are most familiar with.

What is obviously of concern here is the flag being officially flown at a government building. I know what would have happened to someone trying to do that in, say, 1870, with plenty of pissed-off Union soldiers around...

It is an interesting issue. The relevance, I think, is that Florida was, actually, part of the Confederacy, so it is literally part of the history of the State of Florida, and the group that pushed for it to be displayed is the the Sons of Confederate Soldiers, and the members typically are descendants of Confederate soldiers.

[Forty Two]

Various groups have bitched about it and tried to have it taken down, but it's on private land (Confederate Memorial Park), so it will remain there no matter how many people it pisses off.This here's the Gunshine State, AKA the "Fuck All Y'all State".

Nothing wrong with it being on private land, but the government shouldn't be promoting KKK symbolism.

The KKK doesn't own it. In the 1970s, it wasn't something that would for most people immediately bring to mind an association with the KKK.

This is the symbol of the KKK -

[Forty Two]

Also, some US states have some or all of the Confederate flag's symbolism in their flags, so, in terms of it "flying on a government building...":

Mississippi -

[Brian Peacock]

The KKK doesn't own it. In the 1970s, it wasn't something that would for most people immediately bring to mind an association with the KKK.

This is the symbol of the KKK -

Fair point. The KKK don't own the flag, they and similar groups are just associated with it.













The flag clearly has a bit of an image problem.

[Animavore]

That's like saying, "The Nazis don't own the Swatztika". It's technically true, but would you wear a t-shirt with a Swatztika and try argue that point.

The KKK definitely see it as their flag even if others try to argue otherwise.

https://newrepublic.com/article/122216/ ... ecause-kkk

Therefore the government has a responsibility not to come across as shitting on the black community by flying it.

[Forty Two]

Some folks are trying to do this to versions of the American flag, too.



The NAACP has said the Betsy Ross flag is associated with racial supremacy.

I'm not really keen on letting racists and hate groups take over all the symbols of the country.

[Forty Two]

That's like saying, "The Nazis don't own the Swatztika". It's technically true, but would you wear a t-shirt with a Swatztika and try argue that point.

I would think that a Jain might.

The KKK definitely see it as their flag even if others try to argue otherwise.

Oh, well, so did Lynyrd Skynyrd.

So did Bill Clinton and Al Gore - I didn't realize they were in the KKK. Maybe they were just carrying water for the KKK, or supporting their hateful message.

Therefore the government has a responsibility not to come across as shitting on the black community by flying it.

The flag that Belleview is putting up is the third confederate flag, which isn't the one the KKK uses. See above.

[Animavore]

I love watching crackers who aren't affected by such symbolism or racism try to argue for allowing racist symbology because it's their history. Reminds me of Orange Men in the North. The lack of self awareness amuses me. Not going to argue with such obstinate stupidity. Just gonna stand here smirking as they try argue themselves out of a hole.

[Forty Two]

LOL, you're going to sit there in Ireland and smirk at an American discussing an American issue about an American historical flag, and whether it should be flown on a flagpole in a town in the United States, because you love watching people who "aren't affected by such symbolism or racism try to argue..." I find that rather humorous, particularly the part where you use the racist term "cracker" and suggest that the "cracker" is not affected by racism.

Smirk, indeed.

[Animavore]

[Brian Peacock]

Do you disavow the charge that the Confederate flag has a certain and particular association with Southern far-right and white- supremacist groups 42?

[Forty Two]

Do you disavow the charge that the Confederate flag has a certain and particular association with Southern far-right and white- supremacist groups 42?

Do I deny support for the charge that the confederate flag has an association with southern far right and white supremacist groups? I don't think that's a coherent question. But, if what you mean is, do I deny the charge that the confederate flag is used by southern far right and white supremacist groups? Of course not. Some racists like to waive that flag. So? Some racists wrap themselves in the American flag. They can't have that one to themselves either, IMO.