Is sporting the Confederate flag realy that bad?
To claim that the Confederate flag only represents the “positive elements” of Southern pride (whatever those are…illiteracy and inbreeding, perhaps?), while completely ignoring those little inconvenient negative elements of antebellum culture in Dixie is playing a con game with history. The millions of Southerners who fought under that flag weren’t doing so just because they really disliked the North; they recognized that the election of Lincoln meant an end to slavery, period. The Confederate flag is irreversibly a symbol of a “nation” that existed largely so that a few rich, white men could continue to practice slavery. And since the end of the Civil War, it has become a very popular symbol among the KKK and various neo-Nazi, white supremacist groups. So yes, it really is that bad. Do understand that when you display the Confederate flag in public, many African-Americans, Northerners, and others don’t see it as being all that much better than the swastika.
In point of fact, since the United States was founded on a VOLUNTARY association, it would be the flag of the Union during the civil war that represents TREASON. The Confederate States had every right to break away if they believed the country no longer represented them. As would any state that wanted to today (not that it would be the smartest thing to do, economically or diplomatically speaking). The Confederate flag does not represent slavery or racism any more than the flag of any other country that condoned racism (including the US, the UK, and, well, almost everyone). Nor does its display by the KKK mean anything, considering they also display the US flag. However, if you plan to fly it, you are opening yourself up to protests or attacks by people who disagree, so you should be prepared for that.
There are A LOT of things in the south to be proud of (personally Lynard Skynrd is numero uno) but that flag is not one of them. I’m a big ole redneck but I’m not a racist and that flag represents people who wanted to leave our United States so they could have their own little country where they could buy and sell HUMAN BEINGS. It represents hate and treason and things no real southern man would be proud of. That flag has just been handed down through so many generations, that people think it’s a symbol of the south, but it’s not, and it needs to go.
