confederate flags

[Sabien]

I live in the upper Midwest.

I think I've seen more confederate flags (mostly on vehicles) but also being carried, or worn in the past 3 weeks or so than I have in the past 10 years.

I've lived in Middle Tennessee and Northern Virginia and don't think I ever saw them that much when I was living in those places.

But to see some generic white dude flying the confederate flag up here just makes me scratch my head. Perhaps I take it a bit personal because My GGGrandfather died fighting for the Union cause @ Petersburg, VA on April 2, 1865.

Are others seeing this as well?

[Historic NY]

1. The flag of the losers.

[titoresque]

2. Yep, new neighbors down the street

just moved in a couple months ago. Starting flying the confederate flag the 2nd week.
Also, they have two teenage boys who look like skinheads.....not just buzzed cuts, but completely bald.
I live in a neighborhood about 75% hispanic. I'm pretty sure they knew they were going to piss people off.

[Ian David]

3. Try these...

http://www.cafepress.com/southdiversity

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. A real confederate flag or the Dukes of Hazard one?

[nc4bo]

5. NC - I see them all the time even when the shrub was in office.

Just another day in the south.

[mwooldri]

12. They're even on the license tags...

Sons of confederate veterans.

[Lex]

21. which is crazy because NC used its own flag during the Civil War, not that one

NC only fought under this flag during the civil war:

[Yupster]

North Carolina lost

more men in the Civil War than any other state.

Kind of surprising.

[Lex]

26. Yes, and NC had more deserters. Not much of a plantation state

either.

[Yupster]

24. North Carolina lost

more men in the Civil War than any other state.

Kind of surprising.

[JVS]

6. They make great toilet paper

[doc03]

7. I have seen many pop up in the last few months

I think it's kind of code for we can't accept no uppity black as the President.

[madeline_con]

8. Bingo! n/t

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. One has to wonder what it's meant to symbolise.

Is it an emblem of racism, or of right-wing rebellion? You can't really deny that it's probably the most overt symbol of rebellion in American history. But the question of racial motivation remains as well, especially given the racist undertones of the 'birther' movement. Either way, it seems rather ill-considered.

Personally, I'm somewhat ambivalent on the issue of the Confederate flag. Slavery is a hideous stain on American history, but the roots of it go all the way back to the early days of colonisation; it wasn't only practised in the South. My own g-g-g-grandfather, who never owned a single slave, enlisted in the Confederate army in 1864 when he was 46 years old and well past military age because his home was directly in the path of Sherman's march to the sea. In his place I'd have done the same thing. So, probably, would you.

[mdmc]

11. It means different things to different people

for me it is a symbol that our union is one of free will - that states had the right to leave. They had joined an union, not a gang.

[Arugula Latte]

17. That's funny, to me it means the person wearing it is saying:

"I'm a big fucking ignorant racist dumbass."

[Yupster]

25. That's what the southern states thought too

Until they were stomped into dust.

My state of Texas was an interesting example.

Texas left Mexico in 1836 and became a Republic.

In 1848 they voted to join the USA.

In 1861 they voted to leave the USA and join the CSA.

It really wasn't that big a deal to them. In 25 years they had been in four different countries. They voted to join the US, then voted to leave it by an 80-20 % vote.

They really didn't expect that vote to lead to them being invaded and forcibly brought back into the union.

[Winterblues]

29. States did not have the right to leave or there would have been no Civil War.

You personally have the right to leave though...

[TexasObserver]

10. In today's world it symbolizes Racism, Bigotry, and Stupidity.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Which flag, the 2nd Confederate Navy Jack,, the flag of the army of Nothern Virginia,

or the Stainless Banner, or even the real Stars and Bars?

There was an incident at my daughters' school over this with teachers and staff ended up looking like buffoons.


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/ProgressiveProfessor/8

[havocmom]

14. Have seen a few in Montana

But not really surprising. Many of the homesteaders who settled here were from the South.

[Sabien]

15. saw another one on the back of a pickup

A soldier in G.I. fatigues and a black beret got in and drove off.

[and-justice-for-all]

16. The flag of FAIL...or FAILED..nt

[Joe the Liberal]

18. they actually sell them here....

at the Hobby Lobby down the street, it's a handkerchief though not the actual sized flag.

[mitchtv]

19. Stars and Bars?

to this old New Yorker it stands for treason and rebellion

[Lex]

22. Saw one in upstate New York, flying in someone's yard on a pole.

Was weird because I just wasn't expecting that. Now I know better.

[Crabby Appleton]

20. My Great Grandfather's brother was kill near Petersburg VA

at Hatcher's Run in Feb 1865, serving in the 150th Pennsylvania Regiment.

[mitchtv]

27. mine was with the fighting 69th

mostly Irish NY'rs. I don't know where they fought

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

23. Now that's a grudge.

[seabeyond]

28. confederate flag = white power. nt