Have any of you that agree with this simple statement, read history books about the "rise and use" of the rebel flag? Apparently not! Those of us who do not known our past, are bound to repeat it !

Peoples opinions on symbols change all the time. The Civil War wasn't even originally about freeing the slaves, it was about states rights. While Lincoln wanted to free them he didn't implement the plan to free the slaves (which was controversial as fuuuu at the time) until later in the war in order to encourage slaves in the South to rise up against their owners. Lincoln himself said that if he could end the war and keep slavery he would. Using another symbol, the swastika, as an example. Pretty much everyone views that symbol negatively, yet it is still used by the Hindu religion as a symbol of peace which is what it has always meant. Yet it took one group of people to fudge that up. So why can't people look at the Confederate Flag and see it as a representation of their family heritage? Why can't they look at it and honor their ancestors who in the least "tried" to fight for what they believed in? I for one would prefer to encourage people to take things that are viewed as symbols of hate and have them be turned into positive symbols. This world could always do with more positivity than negativity and if you take a negative symbol and turn it positive you make the world that much of a better place. It's people like you that are messing up this country. Who are you to tell someone what a certain symbol has to mean to them? If they want to see it as a symbol of their heritage then they have the right to see it that way. That does NOT make them racist and that does not make the Confederate Flag a symbol of hate and racism just like the swastika is not considered a symbol of Racism and hate. It is all really interpreted via the eye of the beholder. What one person views as beautiful another views it as atrocious. What one person displays as racist another displays it with no racist intent. The fact that people shouldn't display that flag because it is offensive to you is dumb. Don't get me wrong, you have every right to complain about it all you want but they have the right to display that flag all they want as well. It is all protected under the First Amendment. (And yes, I do not deny that there are some people who actually do display and use those as symbols of hate and racism and while I disagree with them they have to right to view it as such)

Wrong ... Wrong and wrong! Civil war=slavery, period! States rights to own slaves! Are you trolling myself? This is a easy one young fella!

You're only focusing on History. If you want to do that then okay. The Civil War was started because Lincoln wanted it to be so that, for any NEW state that entered the Union, slavery would be illegal. This law would not have effected the Southern States at all. They succeeded because they believed that Lincoln's idea violated states rights. They believed that the new states should decide for themselves on the issue of slavery. Then you had all the issues involving the new tariffs and trade regulations that were coming around that were more beneficial to the industrial North then the agricultural based South. Now that the History lesson is done please stop ignoring the important parts to what I have been saying and tell me why you think that you have the right to tell people how they should view a symbol? If they don't view it as a symbol of racism then what is the problem? Displaying that symbol has, and always will be, protected under the First Amendment whether you like it or not and if they don't view that flag as a symbol of hate and racism then you have absolutely no right to tell otherwise. You can have your own opinion on what the symbol represents but that does not mean that the other persons opinion is not valid. Their opinion matters just as much as yours.

Dude, just stop. They do not want to believe the truth & schools now just focus on the slavery angle & the South is evil, the North were perfect. Save yourself a headache trying to change their minds. I am slowly learning this lesson myself. They entirely miss your message, which is a very good one!

Damn... Reviving the dead lol

Oh wow, I completely missed the date stamp on your original replya Lmao. I am sorry Hoss, the app pulled it up as current & showed you had replied 6h ago, lmao. I know it may be hard to believe, but I have been having trouble with the app a lot lately. Replies to the wrong people, old content showing as new, etc.

No worries. I don't know about the current app problems myself since this post is around the last time I was on this app before you replied.

That battle flag should not be flown on public property. That's my issue.

Why not? What do you have against it?

It resurfaced during 1960s, used as a symbol in opposition to the civil rights movement. It was flown by an army fighting for the right to keep people as property, and a government should be neutral in terms of speech. I am all for freedom of speech, I hold our Bill of Rights to a near-sacred level. But governments do not have rights, they have powers, and are not entitled to clearly partisan symbols. I said nothing about private individuals flying the Stars and Bars.

Alright I can understand where your coming from and am glad to hear that you're not entirely against the flag. What about flags being removed from above state buildings like the issue in SC? It's been there forever so why remove it now?

And sorry if I seem angry or frustrated, I don't intend to.

Because it should have never gone up there, or should have been removed a long time ago. 9 people were murdered by a racist asshole, and that flag has incredibly racist connotations due to its use by a Confederate army and by those opposing the civil rights movement. It's just not an appropriate flag to fly on public property, and governments should be neutral. They've been trying to get it taken down for a pretty long time.

Yeah I guess. The problem is that it's gone farther than just public property. People are trying to erase it entirely.

Eh. Retailers are privately owned and can choose not to stock it/sell it. Any attempt to remove them from private property violates both property laws and the 1st Amendment. They absolutely won't be able to stamp it from existence.

Yeah. I'm just afraid that the one piece I have could potentially cause trouble or damage to my own property. That's the last thing I need right now.

Why fly it at all? I mean, it's a neat-looking flag, but it represents such pain to so many people, especially right now.

Remember the old license plate on the front of Burt Reynolds TA in smokey and the bandit...it's nostalgia, but many don't know or care to realize that. I may or may not put it on but I don't want trouble to erupt from it.