Let’s hope the SC legislature decides to keep it down permanently. A symbol of racism should not be displayed at a government installation, except in museums.
It was put back up immediately, in accordance with SC law. I’m not betting on their changing that law any time soon, but I’d love to be wrong about that.
I bet their legislature does take action. Peer pressure does work. Using the process and working within the system may keep the change more tolerable to those who oppose….a longer lasting change than force feeding it which causes unwanted digging in of feet out of stubbornness. Eventually the old ideas die off.
Flags are a distraction. The real issue should be ending human trafficking and slavery which is still going on – you may not have billboards and flyers up on all the CVS, Walgreens, and other stores in your neighborhood saying “If you are being held against your will, go inside and tell people here and they will help – or call this 800 number for help” and those flyers in 4-6 different languages, but we see them here. And there’s raids, and arrests and it still continues. It’s real. It’s alive. Bitter about slavery? Help stop it now.
The pressure for change is building. At least it feels that way. But that may last only as long as the headlines do.
Oh, it never goes away. But now there’s the added challenge of shimmying up that flag pole. Getting arrested is just a badge of honor for the young. Need someone to poke the ant bed once in a while
Well I appreciated her dignified poking. She brought it down carefully, never let it touch the ground, and submitted quietly to her arrest. She could have set fire to the whole thing, blown up the memorial, etc.
Done with grace. Hope others took note.
Not likely.
Looks like they have enough votes in their legislature. Gentle prodding, peer pressure, and using the established process is a good route – keeps the overall place stabilize – something that has worked in the past. Allows change without total chaos and destruction of the basic unit.
Back when people were up in arms about folks who were burning and otherwise disrespecting the flag of the United States, I was one of the few who said, “So what? Freedom of speech is only necessary when the speech is offensive.” I still have the same opinion. People are allowed to defecate on the Bible and even though I’m not religious, I can see how certain Christians might see that as offensive.
This isn’t about slavery. It’s about offensive symbolism and people who believe that words and their representative flag are the same thing as sticks and stones.
Now… all that said, I don’t really care whether it stays down or not. Just like the stars and stripes – it’s an offensive symbol to some people.
I’ve always thought if rather rude to unnecessarily offend someone else. Of course, we’ve become so ultra PC these days that everyone is claiming offense over something. It’s the “in” thing to do.
The question is how far. Rename counties? Streets? Tear down monuments? Close battlefields? I’m no lover of the Confederate Flag, but I am a lover of freedom. The same arguments for thought censorship are contained in Mein Kamph
Good point, and probably will have to be on a case-by-case basis. I don’t hold with rewriting history. Like changing all geographical place names that include “squaw.” And where do you stop, once you start down that road? What if the new name becomes offensive in 20 years? Battlefields, monuments, museums — that’s where history resides. In this particular case, however, I do think the flag should be moved off capitol grounds, and the deal with locking it in place and not lowering it to show respect that the proper times is ridiculous and insulting.
Doesn’t “Freedom of Speech” mean we have no right not to be insulted?
As far as I know, the constitution doesn’t address flags other than protocol for their being displayed in conjunction with the US flag.
Together the 9th and 10th amendments address items not contained within the main body of the constitution as rights reserved to the states or the people. Of course, Lincoln and the Northern Army pretty much nullified that little detail.
Yes, in theory, freedom of speech extends to everyone and so no one should have the right to be insulted. But they are, and do. Some make a career of it.
As for flags, you’re right. Wasn’t the court case limited to whether a confederate flag could be on a state-manufactured license plate? I’d look it up if I weren’t so tired.
The thing that bugs me about the NC flag is what I said before — that it’s locked in place so it can’t be lowered to show respect. There’s a certain arrogance in that thinking that angers me.
Indeed.
Let’s hope the SC legislature decides to keep it down permanently. A symbol of racism should not be displayed at a government installation, except in museums.
It was put back up immediately, in accordance with SC law. I’m not betting on their changing that law any time soon, but I’d love to be wrong about that.
I bet their legislature does take action. Peer pressure does work. Using the process and working within the system may keep the change more tolerable to those who oppose….a longer lasting change than force feeding it which causes unwanted digging in of feet out of stubbornness. Eventually the old ideas die off.
Flags are a distraction. The real issue should be ending human trafficking and slavery which is still going on – you may not have billboards and flyers up on all the CVS, Walgreens, and other stores in your neighborhood saying “If you are being held against your will, go inside and tell people here and they will help – or call this 800 number for help” and those flyers in 4-6 different languages, but we see them here. And there’s raids, and arrests and it still continues. It’s real. It’s alive. Bitter about slavery? Help stop it now.
The pressure for change is building. At least it feels that way. But that may last only as long as the headlines do.
Oh, it never goes away. But now there’s the added challenge of shimmying up that flag pole. Getting arrested is just a badge of honor for the young. Need someone to poke the ant bed once in a while
Well I appreciated her dignified poking. She brought it down carefully, never let it touch the ground, and submitted quietly to her arrest. She could have set fire to the whole thing, blown up the memorial, etc.
Done with grace. Hope others took note.
Not likely.
Looks like they have enough votes in their legislature. Gentle prodding, peer pressure, and using the established process is a good route – keeps the overall place stabilize – something that has worked in the past. Allows change without total chaos and destruction of the basic unit.
Back when people were up in arms about folks who were burning and otherwise disrespecting the flag of the United States, I was one of the few who said, “So what? Freedom of speech is only necessary when the speech is offensive.” I still have the same opinion. People are allowed to defecate on the Bible and even though I’m not religious, I can see how certain Christians might see that as offensive.
This isn’t about slavery. It’s about offensive symbolism and people who believe that words and their representative flag are the same thing as sticks and stones.
Now… all that said, I don’t really care whether it stays down or not. Just like the stars and stripes – it’s an offensive symbol to some people.
I’ve always thought if rather rude to unnecessarily offend someone else. Of course, we’ve become so ultra PC these days that everyone is claiming offense over something. It’s the “in” thing to do.
The question is how far. Rename counties? Streets? Tear down monuments? Close battlefields? I’m no lover of the Confederate Flag, but I am a lover of freedom. The same arguments for thought censorship are contained in Mein Kamph
Good point, and probably will have to be on a case-by-case basis. I don’t hold with rewriting history. Like changing all geographical place names that include “squaw.” And where do you stop, once you start down that road? What if the new name becomes offensive in 20 years? Battlefields, monuments, museums — that’s where history resides. In this particular case, however, I do think the flag should be moved off capitol grounds, and the deal with locking it in place and not lowering it to show respect that the proper times is ridiculous and insulting.
Doesn’t “Freedom of Speech” mean we have no right not to be insulted?
As far as I know, the constitution doesn’t address flags other than protocol for their being displayed in conjunction with the US flag.
Together the 9th and 10th amendments address items not contained within the main body of the constitution as rights reserved to the states or the people. Of course, Lincoln and the Northern Army pretty much nullified that little detail.
Yes, in theory, freedom of speech extends to everyone and so no one should have the right to be insulted. But they are, and do. Some make a career of it.
As for flags, you’re right. Wasn’t the court case limited to whether a confederate flag could be on a state-manufactured license plate? I’d look it up if I weren’t so tired.
The thing that bugs me about the NC flag is what I said before — that it’s locked in place so it can’t be lowered to show respect. There’s a certain arrogance in that thinking that angers me.