So who's taking the flag off their Chargers?

[keith88]

Although i dont support taking it off the general lee (Dukes of Hazzard being one of the most none racist shows of its time) i do support removing it from other things and if you want to fly it at your house that is your business ,but its roots are founded in racist behavior and i can see that point of view and it is sad that a few racist morons have used it to cause hate and discontent. My wife is German but that dont mean i have the right to fly a Nazi flag because its her heritage ..same rules apply here. I also know this wont be accepted well and I am sorry about that.

[Brock Lee]

I'm offended by homosexuals, but the laws are designed to protect their rights, not mine. Welcome to our new age, where crime is legalised and speaking against it is banned.

Just had to preserve that...

[Cncguy]

Although i dont support taking it off the general lee (Dukes of Hazzard being one of the most none racist shows of its time) i do support removing it from other things and if you want to fly it at your house that is your business ,but its roots are founded in racist behavior and i can see that point of view and it is sad that a few racist morons have used it to cause hate and discontent. My wife is German but that dont mean i have the right to fly a Nazi flag because its her heritage ..same rules apply here. I also know this wont be accepted well and I am sorry about that.

The American Flag flew over slaves long before the confederate flags did. Guess we should ban that too.
And the British flag before that.

[wingcar]

Several quick points to what some have now made a major issue:

1.  Buy your Dukes of Hazard model Charger now....they will more than likely be pulled from the shelf or the flag will be taken out of the kit.

2.  Since the General Lee has such a huge part of the TV show....will the show be pulled off the air?  And, since the General Lee proudly displays it's flag...is it racist, or just a racy car....?

3.  You can't change history (although it seems many try)....the flag and Civil War are a part of American History.   Just as slavery is.   And for that matter, just as the Nazi flag is a part of German History and late 30's China history is a part of Japanese history.  Any country that has been around, and has been a world player has something in their past they would rather forget...but, not talking about it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

4.  How long does a presant day person or country pay for past crimes in history against some group of people?  And, can we really understand looking at the past though today's eyes?

5.  One persons evil act shouldn't be used to condemn everyone else or a group.

Just my two cents.....And, I leave on this note, PC is killing this nation....people need to grow a backbone and realize that there is evil in the world and not all of us will like each other....but we can respent each others rights....

[Mike DC]

            

I think something is being forgotten here.  



The PC police aren't saying the Confederate flag caused the racist shooting.

The PC police are upset on principle.  
After a white racist shooting of blacks, even though the US & other flags were at half mast, the Confederate flag stayed at full mast - on the STATE CAPITAL.  


Okay now, quick - name any flag that gets more white/black inequality flak the USA than the Confederate flag.  
There isn't one.    





The Confederate flag is under attack now because of the capital's dumbass insensitivity not to lower that flag to half-mast after the shooting on principle.  The region is still trying to shake the bad image of inequality that lingered well into modern times.  That flag has been under attack for the last few decades already.  They REALLY should have known better in this case.  




Yes, I know there was a legal issue keeping it at full-mast.  It was dumbass insensitivity for them not to have lowered it anyway.  If I was in charge I would have gotten that thing down to half-mast even if I had to send an employee out to buy some bolt-cutters with my own personal cash to do it.  

They are gonna be lowering it a whole lot more now in the aftermath.  
                           

[rt green]

ah the media. look what they did with one bad batch of firestone tires.  they take it and ride the pony till it gets out of hand. them reports on that.

[Matthan]

I may take the flag off my Charger or just repaint my Charger......I live in South Carolina and I am about 2 hours from Charleston and 1 Hour from the State House. It is not worth someone vandalizing my car, because it is an investment. I have also thought about putting an American Flag instead of the Confederate Flag on it.

[HPP]

I quick scan of Ebay for swastika shows 6500 items. All of which are historical in nature under categories of collectibles, vintage, money, stamps, many of which are 1930-40s vintage.  A similar search for Confederate turns up over 65,000 items which are not only collectibles from the era of proper vintage but also include apparel, books, hobbies, autos, motorcycles, home items, sporting goods, etc that are modern in era...

An issue with both emblems is they have been embraced by and held up as symbols by white supremists, racists, and other hate groups over the last 60-70 years to perpetuate their beliefs. A big difference between the two is one has had global pushback against its use and is illegal in a number of countries. The other has been used in such commercialization that no one has ever pushed back against its use as a symbol of hatred and instead was held as a symbol of pride while ignoring and not fighting against its inappropriate usage. Some of the very states which now use the stars and bars in their state flags did so not immediately after the civil war as a point of pride, but much later and often as a political statement against Federal de-segregation policies in the last century. That seems to carry a pretty modern interpretation of intolerance.

As a point of pride, I can get that. Ultimately, many Southerners of that era saw themselves as the new revolutionaries and felt they had to moral obligation to stand up to the Federal government much like the founders of the country did to their masters a century prior.  And I think that perception is still valid today and could have been a very positive fundamental point of using the flag into the modern era. But ultimately the Confederate States lost that fight and unfortunately, the flag can't be used both ways without eventually leading to backlash. As Mike points out, failure to lower said flag after the event only served to further push perception of the indifference, never mind outright racism, brought about by such a symbol.   

[Baldwinvette77]

noone seems to be offended when you paint the Jolly Roger on things, even though it straight up means "im gonna kill you and everyone you ever knew"

And Racism/ hate crimes happen all over the world, not just in the lower half of the USA, By that logic, every flag across the globe should be taken down because of the hateful crimes they represent 

[cbrestorations]

i wonder how this will affect the sale of general lee replicas...or maybe it will spike up as southern pride just did

[el dub]

This was nothing but a political move to discredit one of the strongest republican strongholds in the us, and their leaders. where are the mods?

[stripedelete]

This was nothing but a political move to discredit one of the strongest republican strongholds in the us, and their leaders. where are the mods?

Nikki Haley led the charge.  Didn't she?

[el dub]

 You think she did it on her own?  She's a Republican and the state's first non-white governor, and made the speech while flanked by a diverse group of South Carolina politicians. 

[Ponch ®]

What I said in the OT thread, in a nutshell:

1) Even if somehow we buy the argument that the flag is not racist (pro-tip: if a large segment of the population is offended by it, then it probably is. If I wear a "your mom is a whore t-shirt" but I don't intend to offend your mom, it doesn't mean she wont be offended - especially if she IS a whore) - the whole "Southern Pride"  and heritage thing is BS:

2)The flag was flown by a bunch of rebels (read: traitors) who did not want to be part of the United States anymore, so they went to war against the United States. So basically, its a big F-you to the United States as a country. That makes it unpatriotic and treasonous

3) Would you feel the same way if, say, Texas or California decided to fly the Mexican flag from their state capitols? I mean, those states were part of Mexico at some point, so the natives should be able to express their mexican heritage pride, right? yeah, didn't think so. In fact, when Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, etc have their parades and fly their flags, it's always "godammn it, this is America and we only have one flag....if you like ___, then move out of this country". Well, goddamn it, this is America and we only have one flag. Not to mention that there are some people (often the very same ones who defend the confederate flag) who still get their panties in a bunch at the mere mention of anything Japanese.

4) And for all the Constitutional scholars that have come out of the wooodwork lately: This is NOT an infringement on YOUR first amendment rights. These are private corporations making a business decision for PR reasons or whatever. No government is "forcing" anyone to take their confederate flags down or banning them - and its unlikely to do so.

[el dub]

They could have gone about doing it in a different way. Maybe using the laws in this great country instead of listening to a woman spout off to further her political connections. I don't care one way or the other what they do. That flag didn't figure in my life until they started making news off of it.
     All it  will probably do is divide further.

[GOTWING]

maybe they would be happier with a rainbow flag on the roof of the General Lee. 

[Ponch ®]

maybe they would be happier with a rainbow flag on the roof of the General Lee.  

Well, it would still be about "Southern PRIDE"!  

[keith88]

Ponch is right,but people south of the mason dixon anit going to like that. All in all to me its not about the General lee anyway.

[el dub]

 

[ACUDANUT]

You can't even compare a swastika flag to the confederate flag.  One stood for murder, the other was States standing up to the Federal Government.  To this date, we have more states slowly doing this again.  The Feds says no Marijuana is legal, and a lot of States are now saying mind your own business.    Let's not even go into guns.

[keith88]

You can if your black !
2)The flag was flown by a bunch of rebels (read: traitors) who did not want to be part of the United States anymore, so they went to war against the United States. So basically, its a big F-you to the United States as a country. That makes it unpatriotic and treasono

[ACUDANUT]

Just remind our friends of color, that their own people sold them off.  No one studies history anyone. Slaves go back to the B.C. area. 
Is it wrong ? HELL YES.

[tan top]

  I can believe , these politically correct  people ,  the world gone nuts  ,  its them who are crazy & out of control 

[keith88]

That still dont make it right now, one is so blind for one who will not see, We have a difference of opinion on this. I lived down south for a while when i was young and was run out and harassed for being a Yankee and not even knowing what that was at the time it hasn't changed much! That is all im saying on this.

[ACUDANUT]

When I was stationed in Japan, I went half way into a bar and was stopped. They told me in English "No Yankees allowed".   I said what ? I hate the Yankees and I was born in the South.