Tag Archives: confederate flag

Patriotism as political correctness

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New Orleans is finally doing the right thing and taking down statues of famous traitors.  The linked story relates that “opponents see this as suppressing or rewriting history in the name of political correctness.”*  Says one such opponent:

This is American history, whether you like it or not.

I find it curious that the only way these opponents can see to preserve history is through monumental statues of traitors and enemies of our country.  (Side question:  how many of the opponents have American flags on their cars or sweaters or lapels?)

On the opponents’ theory, the only way we can learn the history of World War II would be to erect a statue of Adolph Hitler; avoid suppressing or rewriting the history of the Cold War by installing a statue of Stalin (perhaps the Russians a few extra lying around); tell the true story of all of the brave boys of the revolution by putting up a statue of George III?

No one is preventing anyone from learning about the history of the civil war, individual sacrifice and brutality on both sides, or who these guys were who used to be displayed greater-than-life-size in the middle of traffic circles.  Books — and movies and TV specials, for those less inclined to read — abound for learning just about everything you’d like to know about those awful years.  Hell, even our ignorant president seems curious about what the heck could possibly have caused the Civil War.  But the people we honor through giant carved slabs of rock should not include those who tried to rip our country apart in the name of enslaving our fellow humans.

Preview of coming blog posts I may or may not ever get the energy to write:  Conservatives don’t understand hypocrisy because you have to (1) be capable of rational thought (“one of these things is not like the other”); and (2) give enough of a shit to engage in it.  And, I suppose, (3) not have your entire worldview and sense of self defined by the need to reject it.

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*I also deeply love this use of political correctness:  now simple loyalty to country is dismissed as “PC.”

“Tear Down That Flag…”

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Bree Newsome, a courageous, badass, and very athletic civil rights hero climbed the flagpole in front of the South Carolina statehouse and took down the symbol of treason to our country and oppression of so many of our fellow Americans.

While she was clinging to the pole with the flag in hand, Newsome shouted: ‘You come against me with hatred and oppression and violence. 

‘I come against you in the name of God.

‘This flag comes down today.’

As she calmly descended the pole and lowered the flag into the waiting arms of police, Newsome said ‘the Lord is my light and my salvation’ and announced she was prepared to be arrested.

She is my hero.

She deserves the same respect as others who took down symbols of oppression and/or treason, for example the courageous Hungarians who toppled the statue of Lenin,

Image: Black and white photo of men gathered around the head and chest of an enormous statue of Lenin lying prone on the ground.

People gather around a fallen statue of Soviet leader Josef Stalin in front of the National Theater in Budapest, Hungary, in this Oct. 24, 1956 file photo. (AP Photo/Arpad Hazafi, file)

the jubilant people of Baghdad who pulled down the statue of Saddam,

Image: Wide angle shot of Baghdad square as the statue of Saddam is pulled down.

Photo credit: CNN

the jubilant Germans who “tore down that wall,”

Image: black & white photo of a man with a pick ax swung back over his shoulder, about to bring it down on a graffiti-filled wall.

Photo courtesy of the ITAR-TASS News Agency, via gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/after/fall.php

and even the patriots who tore down the statue of George III.

Image: painting of men and women in 18th century clothing pulling down a statue of George III on horseback.

Manhattan Patriots tearing down statue of King George III. By William Wallcut, 1854. Image from http://danielhutchinson.squarespace.com/hi334

We didn’t put the statues of George III or Saddam back up, but they did put the Confederate flag back up — just in time for the pro-treason flag rally later in the morning. 

Thank God for Bree Newsome, for Jim Obergefell, and for so many others who see something that needs to be done and go do it.

 

 

The Confederate flag was where???

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Virginia’s McAuliffe plans to phase out Confederate flag license plate – The Washington Post.

Easily the most depressing thing about the move to remove the Confederate flag is learning all of the places that — 150 years after we defeated these racist traitors — continued to display or sell this racist, traitorous symbol.  WTF, Virginia?  You had this on your license plates?  Even Texas went to the Supreme Court to resist putting the flag on their plates FFS.  Wal-Mart?  Amazon?  Sears?  Etsy??  WTF?

WTF eBay:

We have decided to prohibit Confederate flags and many items containing this image because we believe it has become a contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism,” eBay said in a statement.

Contemporary?  CONTEMPORARY?  It’s been a symbol of divisiveness, racism, and TREASON for over 150 years.  You had to wait for nine people to be slaughtered in a place of worship AND for popular opinion to tip the economic scales AND THEN you remove the flag?

*head explodes*