9 years ago
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The surprisingly uncomplicated racist history of the Confederate flag
In the wake of a horrific mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in which a young white man with an apparent history of racism is accused of killing nine black people during Bible study at a church, many are calling for the removal of the Confederate flag on statehouse grounds in South Carolina's capital. But the politics are tricky for Republicans in this conservative state. Last year, six in 10 South Carolinians said the flag should stay.
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Here's what I know- I lived in Virginia for 9 years. During that time I met many, many people who fly the Confederate flag in one form or another- be it a flag, a hat, a bumper sticker, or whatever. I never once heard one of them talk about the Confederate flag in a racist manner. Every time it came up, and I brought it up many times, it was always a discussion about state's rights and "the War of Northern Aggression".
So, while 150 years ago it may have been a symbol of racism, today it is a symbol of the struggle against an oppressive government.
The meaning of words and things can change over time. Gay used to mean happy and pot used to be something you cooked a stew in.
The argument that "it offends some people" is just laughable bullshit. I live in wine grape country and I am recovered alcoholic. Every time I drive past these massive vineyards I think of all of the destroyed lives that will be a result of all of the alcohol they are creating and it offends me. So, should they be forced to rip those vineyards out? Or, is it more reasonable to expect me to just deal with my bullshit and quit being a crybaby? Yeah, that's what I thought.