Back to topic?
The Confederate flag has a swirling mass of falsehood surrounding it. As a MS historian by hobby, it's always been at the forefront when topics that impact current era are discussed. The "Southern Cross" is a recognizable symbol to most people. Some view it as a symbol of Southern heritage, while others simply see it as a reminder of hate and racism. Hmmmm...who is right? Both are.
The Southern cross was used as a battle flag after the South's secession. That being the case, there can be a staunch support for the historical side of things. The flag does represent, in theory, one of the most beautiful aspect of our country. That being the will of a people to step away from the whole when they feel that things are not being done in their best interest.(read as states' rights) Whether you believe the war between the states was simply over slavery, or not, you have to respect that there were thousands of people standing up for a cause they believed to be just at the time. You cannot convince me that huge fields ran wet and deep with blood just so farming would be easier. I feel the Confderacy meant more than support of slavery. Too many lives lost to justify it that way. That's another discussion though. I digress. It was a different world then, and maybe we can't appreciate the environment these people were seeing that caused their decisions to be what they were. In any case, the formation of the Confederacy was a worthwhile moment in the history of our country. If you choose to accept that and take it a bit farther, you can say that the Southern Cross flag or the (Navy Jack flag) is a symbol of that time period. A symbol of the will of a people. HOWEVER.....this was only one of three flags used during this period. There are other options if you choose to celebrate your heritage with a symbol.
I'd suggest this flag, the ORIGINAL FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY, which seems most appropriate if you're choosing to back the positive side of the history of states' rights.
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<img src="http://atlas.imagemagician.com/images/joby/cflag1">
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The older I get, the more I have to side with the people who view it as a symbol of hate. Loving grups such as the KKK, and your local beer joint redneck racist crowd from the woods, along with countless other extremist groups have adoppted it as a form of hate on a stick. As much as the history of the Civil War era is represented by the Southern Cross Battle Flag, or the Navy Jack flag that is acutally more of what we recognize as the "Confederate Flag," so is the history since then. Since there aren't any people alive that flew the flag as a symbol of their love of country during the war, I'd dare say that the focus on the history of the flag should be on the history of those who flew it most recently. Those people are predominantly the ones who supported the state flag changes during the 50's and 60's as a passive way to boycott equal rights. A cultural undercurrent since then has been that anyone disliking minorities will use the flag to rally likeminded folks without saying the words, "We hate jew, gooks, niggers...___________ you fill in the blank." They can say, "Let's celebrate our history."
Whether you like it or not, the The Southern Cross is no longer simply a flag from a timelong ago where people fought for a cause they believed in. It has since been used as a symbol of racism, hate, violence, and close minds. It's history has been desecrated by extremists groups. You cannot be selective when it comes to history. You can't ignore that the idiots of the world manipulated a flag to serve a purpose less than admirable. Flatly, if you choose to honor the Confederate Battle Flag, which was never an official symbol of the Confederacy or the official flag of any state, you're choosing to honor the full and complete history. You can say Hitler was a great speaker, but you don't forget his message. You can say the flag is a symbol of heritage, but heritage is history.....and it's history has been stained.
Joby
The Confederate flag has a swirling mass of falsehood surrounding it. As a MS historian by hobby, it's always been at the forefront when topics that impact current era are discussed. The "Southern Cross" is a recognizable symbol to most people. Some view it as a symbol of Southern heritage, while others simply see it as a reminder of hate and racism. Hmmmm...who is right? Both are.
The Southern cross was used as a battle flag after the South's secession. That being the case, there can be a staunch support for the historical side of things. The flag does represent, in theory, one of the most beautiful aspect of our country. That being the will of a people to step away from the whole when they feel that things are not being done in their best interest.(read as states' rights) Whether you believe the war between the states was simply over slavery, or not, you have to respect that there were thousands of people standing up for a cause they believed to be just at the time. You cannot convince me that huge fields ran wet and deep with blood just so farming would be easier. I feel the Confderacy meant more than support of slavery. Too many lives lost to justify it that way. That's another discussion though. I digress. It was a different world then, and maybe we can't appreciate the environment these people were seeing that caused their decisions to be what they were. In any case, the formation of the Confederacy was a worthwhile moment in the history of our country. If you choose to accept that and take it a bit farther, you can say that the Southern Cross flag or the (Navy Jack flag) is a symbol of that time period. A symbol of the will of a people. HOWEVER.....this was only one of three flags used during this period. There are other options if you choose to celebrate your heritage with a symbol.
I'd suggest this flag, the ORIGINAL FLAG OF THE CONFEDERACY, which seems most appropriate if you're choosing to back the positive side of the history of states' rights.
<br><br>
<img src="http://atlas.imagemagician.com/images/joby/cflag1">
<br><br>
The older I get, the more I have to side with the people who view it as a symbol of hate. Loving grups such as the KKK, and your local beer joint redneck racist crowd from the woods, along with countless other extremist groups have adoppted it as a form of hate on a stick. As much as the history of the Civil War era is represented by the Southern Cross Battle Flag, or the Navy Jack flag that is acutally more of what we recognize as the "Confederate Flag," so is the history since then. Since there aren't any people alive that flew the flag as a symbol of their love of country during the war, I'd dare say that the focus on the history of the flag should be on the history of those who flew it most recently. Those people are predominantly the ones who supported the state flag changes during the 50's and 60's as a passive way to boycott equal rights. A cultural undercurrent since then has been that anyone disliking minorities will use the flag to rally likeminded folks without saying the words, "We hate jew, gooks, niggers...___________ you fill in the blank." They can say, "Let's celebrate our history."
Whether you like it or not, the The Southern Cross is no longer simply a flag from a timelong ago where people fought for a cause they believed in. It has since been used as a symbol of racism, hate, violence, and close minds. It's history has been desecrated by extremists groups. You cannot be selective when it comes to history. You can't ignore that the idiots of the world manipulated a flag to serve a purpose less than admirable. Flatly, if you choose to honor the Confederate Battle Flag, which was never an official symbol of the Confederacy or the official flag of any state, you're choosing to honor the full and complete history. You can say Hitler was a great speaker, but you don't forget his message. You can say the flag is a symbol of heritage, but heritage is history.....and it's history has been stained.
Joby
