confederate flag: offensive or historical?

mcgruff10

I'm an 8th grade teacher in New Jersey and my class saw a segment today about a kid being suspended for wearing a shirt with the confederate flag on it. What do you guys think, is the flag offensive or is it historical? Just looking for everyone's opinion. Thanks.

Mike

JimmyV

If the flag is preserved in a museum or on display as part of an exhibit, then it is historical. If someone is wearing it as a shirt or displaying it outside their home it is not historical. I wouldn't be offended by it but it is not a historical display. It is a political display.

BinauralJam

It's Both for some people.

It's Offensive to some people.

It's historical for some people.

Getting suspended for wearing it is ridiculous.

brianlux

Every now and then I see this ratty old pick up with this huge confederate flag flying from it. What do I think? Well, like Carlin once said, that kind of thing is for the symbol minded.

ryph raph

Losers of conflicts are not allowed to fly the banner under which their army was defeated.You don't see people displaying the Nazi flag of Germany or the rising sun of Japan. Nothing good will ever come out of the south.

kw18

I don't see it as an "either/or" question -- something historical can be offensive.

Offense is subjective. Like BJ said, it will depend on the person.

kw18

ryph raph wrote:

Losers of conflicts are not allowed to fly the banner under which their army was defeated.You don't see people displaying the Nazi flag of Germany or the rising sun of Japan. Nothing good will ever come out of the south.

re: the Nazi flag, the swastika is illegal in Germany, and many other countries.

Kevinman

My opinion: offensive.

mikepegg44

historically offensive?

I am only offended when I see someone with that in their window here in MN and I know the reasons they have it and it has nothing to do with Southern Heritage.

Offended probably isn't the right word...angered is more like it...

Kevinman

mikepegg44 wrote:

historically offensive?

I am only offended when I see someone with that in their window here in MN and I know the reasons they have it and it has nothing to do with Southern Heritage.

Offended probably isn't the right word...angered is more like it...

This is how I feel.

Godfather.

historical.

Godfather.

Jason P

historical, offensive, and awesome. depends on what prism it is viewed from.

josevolution

Historical till the KKK got a hold of it then it became a symbol of bigotry & hate .....So when i see it that is what comes to mind ...

pandora

The Confederate Flag represents all kinds of feelings. My little town the site
of battles and much history.

I have actually known more prejudice people in the North than I have in
my time here in the South. Far more segregated living too.
I don't assume someone displaying this historic flag to be doing so out of hate.

Jason P

This mountain carving in Georgia which features Confederate Generals is getting some debate on whether it should be eliminated.





It's huge! I can't believe I had never heard of it before.

It started carving in 1928 and finished in 1972. It measures 90 feet by 200 feet.

JTH

http://youtu.be/6PgybnWsbJM

Look, here comes another one, 4-wheel-drive.
Look there in the window, man. Sakes alive.
That good old boy's waving the stars and bars.
It's a red, white and blue flag, but it ain't ours.

Wave that flag, hoss. Wave it high.
Do you know what it means? Do you know why?
Maybe being a rebel ain't no big deal
But if somebody owned your ass, how would ya feel?

I'm a different kind, but I'm a rebel, too.
Like to do my own thing, man. How 'bout you?
You can whistle "Dixie" all day long.
If the tables turned, wouldn't you hate that song?

Wave that flag, hoss. Wave it high.
Do you know what it means? Do you know why?
Maybe being a rebel ain't no big deal
But if somebody owned your ass, how would ya feel?

Wave that flag, hoss. Wave it high.
Do you know what it means? Do you know why?
Maybe being a rebel ain't no big deal
But if somebody owned your ass, how would you feel?

How would ya feel?
How would ya feel?
How would ya feel?

Look, here comes another one, 4-wheel-drive.
Look there in the window, man. Sakes alive.
That good old boy's waving the stars and bars.
It's a red, white and blue flag, but it ain't ours.

Who Princess

I'm a Texan (and therefore Southern even tho not the deep South) and my dad belonged to the Sons of the Confederacy. I think the flag is offensive because of the way it's been misused. There are better ways to remember history than to display a flag that's been associated with groups who use it to show hate.

riotgrl

The Confederate flag was created in 1861 as the flag of the seceded Confederate States. Why did they secede? Over states rights. Which state right was under debate? Oh yeah, slavery. This is NOT a symbol of southern heritage unless you still want to secede from the union which the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional. As someone said before, I am not offended I am angered by the fact that people not only continue to display the flag but that people still defend its use.

Jeanwah

It depends on how it's used, but in people waving the flag at the homes or out of the trucks? The first thing I think of is that someone still refuses to accept that the North won the Civil War, and that we're all still one country.

JonnyPistachio

The boys with the confederate flags in Florida... we know where they're coming from.

pandora

riotgrl wrote:

The Confederate flag was created in 1861 as the flag of the seceded Confederate States. Why did they secede? Over states rights. Which state right was under debate? Oh yeah, slavery. This is NOT a symbol of southern heritage unless you still want to secede from the union which the Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional. As someone said before, I am not offended I am angered by the fact that people not only continue to display the flag but that people still defend its use.

It is a symbol to some who lost family in the fight. Whether they agree it was a good fight or not
they will defend the memory of those lost. It is a matter of family, pride and courage,
worthy things to defend.

hedonist

BinauralJam wrote:

It's Both for some people.

It's Offensive to some people.

It's historical for some people.

Getting suspended for wearing it is ridiculous.

Agreed.

Also, some people get offended by American flags being displayed.

Last-12-Exit

South Carolina removed the confederate flag from the top of the capitol building in Columbia about 6 years ago or so and moved it elsewhere on the capitol grounds due to protests from its own citizens. (And a protest from Serena or Venus Williams refusing to participate in the family circle cup).
I also remember a story around the same time where a black student at (I believe) south Carolina state university was highly criticized for hanging a confederate flag in his dorm room.

That being said, as a transplant from Indiana to south Carolina, I have no feelings either way about the flag. People should have the right to hang the flag wherever they want and for a child to be suspended from school for wearing a shirt with the flag on it is absurd.

JTH

Last-12-Exit wrote:

...for a child to be suspended from school for wearing a shirt with the flag on it is absurd.

hedonist wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

Getting suspended for wearing it is ridiculous.

Agreed.

Also, some people get offended by American flags being displayed.

Just wondering, do you three know the circumstances that led to the suspension? Do you know the context in which the shirt was worn?

I sure don't. So maybe the suspension was absurd/ridiculous. Or maybe there was a very good reason for it.

Last-12-Exit

JTH wrote:

Last-12-Exit wrote:

...for a child to be suspended from school for wearing a shirt with the flag on it is absurd.

hedonist wrote:

BinauralJam wrote:

Getting suspended for wearing it is ridiculous.

Agreed.

Also, some people get offended by American flags being displayed.

Just wondering, do you three know the circumstances that led to the suspension? Do you know the context in which the shirt was worn?

I sure don't. So maybe the suspension was absurd/ridiculous. Or maybe there was a very good reason for it.

Of course if the shirt had the flag on the front and said bring back slavery on the back there's a problem there. And no, I don't know the details, but if it was just a shirt with the flag on it (or NRA support) there should be no suspensions.

BinauralJam

JTH wrote:

I sure don't. So maybe the suspension was absurd/ridiculous. Or maybe there was a very good reason for it.

I see your point.

On a side note if that happened in my school, i would wear one the next day and get a week's vacation, and that's me.

JTH

Hold on a bit. Did this happen in Arizona? If so, it looks like there was no suspension and that the kid wasn't wearing a confederate flag shirt. He was wearing the flag as a cape...

...to celebrate REDNECK DAY.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/20130501queen-creek-high-redneck-day-angers-some.html?nclick_check=1

I think I'm officially in the ridiculous/absurd camp.

cincybearcat

Jason P wrote:

This mountain carving in Georgia which features Confederate Generals is getting some debate on whether it should be eliminated.





It's huge! I can't believe I had never heard of it before.

It started carving in 1928 and finished in 1972. It measures 90 feet by 200 feet.

Stone Mountain right?

even flow - question mark

As offensive as wearing a pot leaf, Che, any flag of a coutry I hate, any sports team I can't stand, curious george, superman, batman, flash, I'm with stupid, the "arrow", etc.!

gimmesometruth27

which flag are we talking about? the national flag or the battle flag?


First national flag with 13 stars
(November 28, 1861 – May 1, 1863)

or



Third National flag


or




The battle flag of the Army of Tennessee

mcgruff10

the flag in question is the battle flag.