Skip to main content

Yes, The Confederate Flag Is Racist. Take It Down.

It's pretty simple: nobody gets a free pass to try to "reclaim" a symbol that has baggage without carrying the baggage. The Confederate battle flag says:

1. I agree with the people who started their own country just to continue owning other people;

2. I agree with the constitution of that rebel country, which prevented its own states from abolishing slavery;

3. I believe that the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution were just Northern "meddling";

4. I was happy when the state governments reclaimed their governments from those trying to secure those rights for the newly-liberated people;

5. I agree with those who resisted the racial integration of the southern states in the '50s and '60s;

6. I think all this talk of racism is overblown, even though nothing would have changed, had the whole nation not seen what was happening on their TVs at night.

Is it worth it, just to say you like Lynrd Skynyrd? I believe you, when you say you're not racist. Is the effort of bearing the message of this symbol worth it? Not to me.

And I'm sorry for supporting politicians in the past who failed to stand up and point this out. I don't like to be lectured by Northeastern liberals, either. I get that. But they're right on this. And if there is a culture of indifference at best behind the whole history of this symbol, do you want to perpetuate that? Why?

I'd rather live in the South, by the way. You won't see me moving to Boston. But the truth is the truth.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Thoughts On The Harrison Butker Commencement Speech

Update: I read the whole thing. I’m sorry, but what a weirdo. I thought you [Tom Darrow, of Denver, CO] made a trenchant case for why lockdowns are bad, and I definitely appreciated it. But a graduation speech is *not* the place for that. Secondly, this is an august event. It always is. I would never address the President of the United States in this manner. Never. Even the previous president, though he deserves it, if anyone does. Thirdly, the affirmations of Catholic identity should be more general. He has no authority to propound with specificity on all matters of great consequence. It has all the hallmarks of a culture war broadside, and again, a layman shouldn’t speak like this. The respect and reverence due the clergy is *always due,* even if they are weak, and outright wrong. We just don’t brush them aside like corrupt Mafia dons, to make a point. Fourthly, I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the TLM is how God demands to be worshipped. The Church doesn’t teach that. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more