Confederate flags on The Fourth of July

[Cyrano]

My S.O. is visiting friends in a village in Tennessee. Earlier, she texted me pics of the local Independence Day Parade. I won't repost them here, as I want to protect her identity.

There weren't many people in the parade, but when I enlarged the pic and expanded it, I saw a couple of folks with small American flags in one hand and small confederate flags in the other.

And yeah, there was a pickup truck with a large American flag hanging from one side of the rear bumper, and a large confederate flag hanging from the other side.

I'm not one for public displays of my beliefs, and I've never felt the need to wave a flag to demonstrate who or what I am.

And if I ever did feel the need to display an American flag, it would be small, tasteful, and more in appreciation of some of the incredible good our country has done in the world, as opposed to some of the geopolitical horrors committed in our name.

But let me get to the point. July 4th is a celebration of a declaration of independence from Great Britain. It is not a celebration of "Southern Heritage," "Regional Pride," ignorance, bigotry, hatred, or slavery.

I truly believe that the southern flag should be displayed only in museums, alongside all those southern statues. They are a reminder of a terrible era in America.

Those confederate flags were being waved and honored by their wavers, long before Trump came along. But he's telling them that their ignorance and bigotry are just fine. He's telling them that it's okay to hate "The Other." He's telling them that they're "Right."

Ignorance and hatred are not "Right," and neither is waving a confederate flag on July 4th.

Perhaps, someday, universal education will come into being and the poisons that mean-spirited people have spread throughout our country for centuries will be a thing of the past.

I don't know if any of us will live to see it. But I hold out hope for the future.

[greyl]

1. Nice, and damn right.

Aristocrats on a mountain climb
Making money, losing time
Communism is just a word
But if the government turn over
It'll be the only word that's heard
Keep the children free.

Little sister making minimum wage
Living in a 1-room jungle-monkey cage
Can't get over, she's almost dead
She may not be in the black
But she's happy she ain't in the red

Freedom Love Joy Peace

Jimmy Nothing never went 2 school
They made him pledge allegiance
He said it wasn't cool
Nothing made Jimmy proud
Now Jimmy lives on a mushroom cloud

America, America
God shed his grace on thee
America, America
Keep the children free

Freedom Love Joy Peace

Boom, boom, boom, boom
The bomb go
Boom, boom, boom, boom
The bomb go boom.
Teacher, why won't Jimmy pledge allegiance?

[JohnnyRingo]

2. The flag of treason.

Flown literally by traitors to The United States Of America.

That can't be glossed over with time.

[safeinOhio]

4. not being very PC, I'll call it what it is,

The Surrender Monkey Flag. I'd like to see April 10 made a National Holliday in honor of General Lee surrender at Appomattox.

[exboyfil]

3. I watched a documentary film about

The 4th in Ivanhoe, VA. I was impressed that I did not see a traitor flag in their parade. It is a good short film that can be found on The Atlantic website. Title is something like The town that was cursed.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Good Call, Cyrano

I also don't get the military worship on the 4th. This is not commemorating any military event. It's intended to recall the declaring of independence as a stand alone nation.

Did it lead to war? Yes. But, it was basically a conglomeration of civilians that took on the role of a standing army. We didn't even have a formal military on July 4, 1776.

[zipplewrath]

6. Of all days

Saw a guy up at the corner with a large one hanging off of his motorcycle. I really wanted to say something about the traitor flag, but thought better of it. Anyone choosing to fly that flag isn't going to be affected by reason or thought.

[PJMcK]

7. We're visiting family in North Carolina

We drove down from NYC and when we hit the Virginia state line, there were BIG Confederate flags flying and a huge sign that read, "The South Begins Here."

In another place, a house had a U.S. flag and the Confederate flag flying side by side. Doesn't that person understand the dissonance of flying those two flags together?

Traitors. This is the result of the failure of Presidents Lincoln and Johnson to prosecute the traitors at the end of the Civil War. It allowed their followers to glorify and romanticize these traitors. They should have been tried, convicted and punished. This, I believe, is a big part of the divisions we have in our country today.

[eShirl]

8. Talk about disrespectful!

Figures they'd look up to America's Traitors.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. My Favorite Confederate Flag