I would agree, Big Daddy, that the flag is not a symbol I would want to parade around today. That said, it is appropriate to discuss the flag in its context in history and its meaning today.

So, for the record, I am not proud of the Confederate flag, but I do think we need to remember its past and its present...<BR>

If we as a nation can do one thing to ease racial tension, that one thing is to ban the Confederate flag from it's state's flagpole. Now, I don't agree with making it illegal to display it as an individual right, but we all know its negative history. Besides, that battle was lost 135 yrs ago. Isn't it about time we lay that to rest?

Postal Chief - You are correct, it holds no bearing on a current state office.

So since Jefferson was so insensitive as to own slaves, he should be removed from all money, the Constitution, and any govt office.

Besides the Battle Flag of the Confederacy was not based solely on slavery, just as the Stars and Stripes are not based solely on the deaths of innocent women and children in Vietnam.

If the States general populace agrees to make the flag illegal to be posted in a govt office, fine. But dont try and make it a national law - we have enough of those already.

When people make laws with their hearts instead of their minds, the laws are not just. I am sure that many of you "feel it is the right thing to do".

There is nothing logical said that can make the Confederate Battle Flag illegal.

National and state laws prohibiting the display of certain "offensive" flags are blatantly in violation of the First Amendment.

I realize there are those who believe that there are some things that should be banned from display, but unless you change the Constitution, it is usually illegal and suppressive.

Who decides what to censor and what not to censor? You? Me?

I thought I had heard the last of this when the flag was removed from the statehouse dome here in S.C.

1)If we ban anything that had ties to the "War Between the States" it would outlaw many state flags.

2) The hypocrisy of the stance by the NAACP is laughable. They unsuccessfully boycotted the State of South Carolina,while all the while completely ignoring the fact that the state flag of GA had the same symbolism in it's state flag. It has made little or no attempt to put the same pressure on the state of GA.

mmaddog
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"When you're not the lead dog in the pack, the view is always the same"

OFGS............. I guess this means that since I have white sheets on my bed that I'm a member of the KKK!!!!!!!!!! How can you attribute emotion to an inanimate object??

ps: the sheets don't have eyeholes

I always thought that the confederate flag stood for some group of tobbacco chewing(including the women), boot wearing, rednecks that drive around in old beat up pickups w/huge tires listening to Hank Jr.

Ok, all kidding aside. I can see where this flag can be compared to the Nazi swastika flag. But, I can also see the side of the people who are not racist that see the flag as a symbol of Southern heritage. Unfortunately, this flag has been adopted by hate groups like the KKK & that is where it gets the most exposure. Maybe the KKK could change their flag to a picture of a big horse's *** , since it would be more fitting.



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It looks I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!

Mark:

Wasn't South Carolina more of a Republican state ve the democratic state of Georgia? Isn't that why Jesse Jackson and the other people in the Monochrome Coalition boycotted SC?



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bk

bk:

BINGO!!!! You win the prize.

There were several other though processeses to why it never happened in GA also. One being that Atlanta has a very large branch of the NAACP there, has a large number of minority owned businesses that cater to the convention business, and would be hurt by a boycott, and the fact that it had ALL of it resources dedicated to the fight in SC and didn't feel that it could "win the battle" in both states.

What is funny is that during the boycott tourism was up 6% over the previous year, and this year is enjoying another increase still. The convention business has declined, but SC has never been a state to attract a major convention because it has no really large major city to accomodate one.

mmaddog
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"When you're not the lead dog in the pack, the view is always the same"

[This message has been edited by Mark Kilgore (edited 10-06-2000).]

I find the Confederate flag as offensive as that African Tribal stuff (especially at College Graduations) and the Malcom X hats.

They're all about heritage, right? And they are about dividing the Union of this republic.

United we stand, dived we fall.

It seems rather funny and sad that the symbol of a failed rebellion 135 years ago still stirs such emotion. The flag means different things to different people. There are many Southerners who still refer to Northerners as Yankees. Which I find rather funny when you consider that many of their ancestors either moved from the North or had not yet immigrated when the Civil War took place. A friend of mine who moved to the south was caught off guard when his son came home from school rather confused because as he said “ Dad I thought the North were the good guys” Apparently there was some discussion of the “War of the Northern oppression”. I personally would not want a rebel flag as part of my state flag but, I think that it is none of my business what the other states do. That should be up to the citizens of those states to decide.

I would rather be offended than censored

[This message has been edited by RCGChief (edited 10-06-2000).]

It's never offended me. It's just a battle flag of a failed rebellion. How it's equated with slavery is a PC hot topic of debate.

If History is not recalled, It is bound to repeat itself.

The history of these states, good or bad, is exactly that, History. The issues before and leading up to the Civil War, right or wrong are still part of those states history.
People and states current situations are affected by this history, and it should be remembered, not "swept under a rug" because a political interest wishes to make issue of it.

I guess I just have thick skin. I see things every day that I may not like, or agree with, but I have realized that life just isn't always fair...and the best method for me is just to "move on" and not worry about it.

When the Malcom X hats came out in the early 90's, in an attempt at ironic humor, I had a black hat embroidered with a large 0. I had a counterargument for almost every issue raised by the X. IF it was about "unknown", my 0 meant "known" as in I know MY history.

The flag is not, what it stands for is not, the way it is used in this day and age is....

But the flag that causes all the problems is the Confederate Battle flag...if the Flag of the Confederate States was used, I doubt if anyone would even know what or whos flag is was....

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joe

"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
-Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback and sports analyst