The Confederate flag

Some people say the Confederate flag is not a symbol of racism, oppression, or hatred. I wonder where somebody might even get the idea that it is?

Oh, wait....there's this.....

The KKK is scheduling a peaceful protest in Charlseston to voice concerns over the removal of the Confederate Flag. Klan Rally Scheduled

Kinda puts the debate in context, doesn't it?

"We want to go as far as we can to eliminate the presence of that flag … I personally find it an offensive symbol, so there is no daylight how we feel about it and our sensitivity to others who feel the same way. We’re working with the industry to see how far we can go to get that flag to be disassociated entirely from our events."

“I think it’s offensive to an entire race, it belongs in the history books and that’s about it.”

The Grand Dragon of the KKK loves corn on the cob, and so does PJ. That apparently proves that PJ is a racist.

DonDiego sorta likes free speech. Everybody defends free speech with which they agree. But the only time that defending free speech matters is when the free speech under discussion is something with which the defender disagrees.

DonDiego says it's only a flag. Some folks think waving a Confederate Flag is offensive; some don't. Some folks think stepping on an American Flag is offensive; some folks don't.

DonDiego says one of the good things about the Constitution of the United States is that there is no acknowledgement of the right of citizens to never be offended.

Amazon has decided to stop selling Confederate Flags; they continue to sell Nazi Flags. Some State Governments are deciding to no longer fly the Confederate Flag; some aren't.
DonDiego has no problem with any of this.

And if lots of folks and organizations continue to buy/sell or not-buy/sell or fly or not-fly or whatever they do regarding the Confederate Flag DonDiego has no problem.

For the record:
DonDiego does not possess a Confederate Flag. So far as DonDiego can remember he has never owned a Confederate Flag or even a piece of clothing with a Confederate Flag on it.
DonDiego possesses lots of books addressing the US Civil War and other historical events in which the Confederate Flag appears. He intends to keep them.
DonDiego does posses some Pirate Flags and he drinks from a large coffee mug emblazoned with 15 different Caribbean Pirate Flags, . . . quite educational actually. He intends to keep them. Man-oh-man ! It must've been cool being a pirate, sailing the seas, doing whatever one wanted, . . . DonDiego was born to late for a lot of good things. But DonDiego digresses.

An admission:
DonDiego is a little bothered by the apparent decision of the national Parks Service to discontinue selling Confederate Flags at Battlefield Parks. Whatever one's opinion, the existence of the Confederate Flag is an historical fact.

In Oceania, the job of Winston Smith was to erase history so that the infallibility of The Party could never be questioned. As it turns out, . . . it worked. The citizens did believe The Party was infallible.
Ref: 1984

The largest and most impressive statue on the Gettysburg National Battlefield site is Robert E. Lee on horseback.

I have no problem with any flag or emblem anyone wants to display on their personal property. Although I must admit some people strike me as mighty ignorant or just plain dumb with what they display. I am dead set against any form of censorship.

For the life of me I can't understand why any government building would want to display a battle flag of a group who wanted to secede from our nation. I will say I just can't wrap my head around this whole heritage thing. I am German and Irish. My grandfather came here when Hitler was rose to power. I am American and that is all I am. You will see hell freeze over before I display a German flag or an Irish flag.

There is only one flag for me and that is the star and stripes.

All of these people on both sides of the issue going crazy are just plain silly but as mentioned above the rebel flag should not fly over any government building.

As far a businesses selling or not selling certain items, that is their right as a private business. If it bothers you speak with your pocket book.

Who said anything about killing free speech?

The KKK has my full support to protest peacefully in front of the state capital in South Carolina. They also have my full support to choose whatever flag they feel best represents their flagrantly racist agenda. And the people of South Carolina have my full support to choose whatever flag they feel best represents their values above government buildings. For decades they have chosen the same flag as the people in white sheets. While people are exercising their free speech in this debate some will say the Confederate Flag is not a symbol of racism. I might suggest the planned rally might make that argument a little bit ....ah .....entertaining.

There are many who try to explain the whole civil war, slavery, confederate flag as being totally misunderstood.

This in an excerpt from the famous cornerstone speech given by Alexander H. Stephens the Vice President of the Confederate States of America, explaining the cornerstone of the new nation.

So yes, the south went to war over the right to own slave. So yes the people who fought in this war, both blacks and whites, fought to defend the right to own slaves. And yes the southern cross was the battle flag these people flew when they went into battle. So the confederate flags represents people who fought to defend slavery.

The flag has morphed to stand for many things but first and foremost it was used in battles that were fought to defend the right to own slaves.

Here is a brief excerpt from the speech

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery — subordination to the superior race — is his natural and normal condition. [Applause.] This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North, who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. "

Anyone can do a search and find the whole speech.

Like in any war the poor were the enlisted soldiers on the battle front. The poor white southern non-officer and uneducated soldiers most definitely did not own slaves nor did they fight for slavery. They fought for their states and states rights and because it was the right thing to do as a southern man. If relatives want to put a confederate flag on their great-great grandfathers grave, I don't have a problem with that. I understand that the KKK and other groups have turned the flag into something entirely different. By the way I'm a Yankee, that has studied and attempted to understand Civil War history.

I guess all those poor uneducated Nazi soldiers working at the gas chambers were just doing the right thing as a German citizen.

And although most people in the south did not own slaves those fighting in the Civil War were fighting for a nation who believed in slave ownership.

And yes I don't have any problem with anything someone puts on their relatives graves. It is their right.