The S.B.C. apologized for its support of slavery and white supremacy many years ago. I thought the result below would be a long time in the future.
"The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday urged Christians to stop displaying the Confederate battle flag, recognizing that it is perceived by many as a "symbol of hatred, bigotry and racism" that offends millions of people."
One day, it will only be the Klan and white supremacists who display it. If you want to show support for Confederate soldiers, show the official Confederate flag. It hasn't been co-opted by white supremacists yet.
From what I've seen over the last three or four decades, the symbolism of that battle flag is rebelliousness against (simplest put) the Big Nanny federal government. The people I know who like it have zero interest in any aspect of slavery; they find it as repugnant as any of the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteMe? It's a good sneer at political correctness, Big Nanny, and any other group that wants to try to define reality for "just us folks".
Art
What the Confederate battle flag represents to me are the thousands of Americans who fought and died to defend their communities and homes. True, the slave culture with its racist tenet was an abhorrent practice and needed to be abolished. That said, the U.S. fag and Christian cross are also displayed by racists? I don't hear a lot of ballyhoo about those cherished items. Like it or not, the confederate battle flag is a part of our country's history. The past can't be redesigned anymore than people's biology. Regardless of what the PC movement claims.
ReplyDeleteWhat flag do we fly to honor American veterans? The U.S. flag. They fought for their country. What is the flag of the 'country' for which Confederate soldiers fought? That flag is not the Confederate battle flag.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a flag to symbolize resistance to excessive government, why not use the "Don't tread on me" flag. It doesn't have the slavery or white supremacy overtones. It symbolizes the American revolutionary spirit. What spirit is more central, the revolutionary spirit or the slavery/white supremacy spirit?
Manipulating symbols cannot change reality. History exists independent of its symbols. Claims of 'trying to define reality' seem a little far-fetched to me.
I cannot defend the social policies nor civil actions of the confederate government. But to be fair, today's confederate graves and memorials are still honored by the old south's battle flag. Regarding the 2nd and 3rd official flags of the confederacy, the St. Andrew's cross is also the canton of the stainless and blood stained banners, respectively. Southern forces defended their American homeland under the battle flag. Sadly, racism and slavery go further back to the 18th century's revolutionary period. This is our country's historical reality. IMHO, the only manipulation that occurred is with today's PC culture. Respectfully.
ReplyDelete