As a southern resident of Huskerboard, I'd like to chime in and give you my 2 cents.
One hundred & forty-four years ago (1865), the Confederate Battle Flag was not viewed as a racist symbol. It was what was to be the representation of a new country known as the Confederate States of America. Sometime in the past 144 years, it has been brought to the forefront of racist movements by ignorant people who choose to display the flag improperly. It's the people who can't see past their racist forefather's beliefs that all men are not created equal who make the display the flag in support of their racist beliefs. Because of this ignorant display, civil rights movement groups have grown to view the flag as racist, and that view has spread across the country.
I do not have any relatives who fought for the C.S.A. or U.S.A. in the civil war, as my family had not crossed the pond yet, nor am I African American, so I feel that I am an unbiased person who is right in the middle of it all. Please don't think that because I'm white that I am obliged to be biased to the flag.
I live in a state that flew the Confederate Battle Flag over the statehouse until 1998 or 1999. It is now still on the statehouse grounds at the Civil War Memorial, and activist groups are still fighting to get it removed because there is this view now that the flag is 'racist.' To them I say, face the facts, it is part of the history of the state. There is a memorial bearing the flag on the statehouse grounds. We don't tear down a statue of someone after they die, because they are still part of the history. Some activist groups go WAY too far. Next thing they will be trying to remove the CBF (Confederate Battle Flag) from the history books that we teach our children.
On the other hand, why are southern states so proud of a flag that was flown during a war that was lost? I can understand having some paraphernalia if family of yours fought in the Civil War for the C.S.A., hell, I'd even love to have some authentic Civil war materials (flags, bullets, anything) from either side, not as a fan of either side, but as a history buff. But to display the flag in public, have stickers all over their car, fly a flag from their car (seen it in SC... :facepalm: ), wear clothes bearing the CBF, is just despicable. All of these people are just trying to stir things up, not pride for your ancestors. So to these people, I say, if you are proud of your ancestors fighting for what they believed in, show them some honor & dignity by keeping this display to yourselves. Do what you want in your own house, but in public, show some respect to your family, yourself, and your fellow countrymen (& women).
Lastly, I want to share that the church that I attend was built in the 1850's. Being in the heart of SC, many of the founding members of our church fought for the C.S.A. in the Civil War. Many of those men died fighting for what they believed in. They are buried in our church cemetary. Each of these graves are marked with a small CBF, just as those who fought for the US have the stars & stripes flying above their grave. This has never been an issue for any members or visitors, and to my knowledge has never even been brought up. There is even a predominantly African American church down the road who frequently gets together with our church for community functions. Still, nothing has been said.
My point is, if a person going to display the CBF in any way, shape, or form, don't do it to cause a controversy. Show some class, dignity, respect, & honor to anyone who fought for it, against it, are descendants of either side, and equally as important, anyone who is a citizen of the United States of America, because, like it or not, whether northern or southern, yankee or rebel, we are all Americans.
:rant I'm off. Thank you for listening.
