If the Confederate Flag is "heritage,"

[LibInternationalist]

should those who disagree start flying the Union Flag? It's a subtle difference

[deadmessengers]

1. oooh, I like it

That would get people's blood pressure up in the Confederacy...

[theorist]

2. Remember that they fly the Confederate Battle Flag.

The actual national flag of the Confederacy looks completely different. I find the Confederate Battle Flag (the one that flew over the state house in SC) to be a belligerant symbol of defiance towards the north. Totally unnecessary when speaking of heritage.

[LibInternationalist]

4. actually, the battle flag

corresponds to the canton of the national flag -- that's the upper left corner (as I just learned) -- so maybe we could go with the 35 white stars on a field of blue

[Dzimbowicz]

15. I am from SC and can expound upon your statement

To begin with, not everyone in SC considers that 'flag' heritage. Personally I despise that thing and am glad was removed. However, to appease those who do want to pay homage to the confederate veterans, it has been moved to an even more prominent location behind the confederate veteran's monument, located just a mere twenty feet from intersection of Gervais St. and Main St. It was in a location where one had to look up to see it, now it is right in everyone's face.

The 'flag' which was flown above the State House was the rectangular naval jack, not the battle flag, which was square. The 'flag' which is now behind the confederate monument is the square battle flag.

The SC state legislature passed an ordinance in 1962 to place that 'thing' over the State House to protest mandatory school integration. It was actually belligerence to the Supreme Court, not the north. But, some here are not intelligent enough to know the difference between the two.

Other states in the deep south took part in this defiance as well: GA, Ala and Miss. GA and Miss. actually incorporated the battle flag into their state flags, while Alabama (if I remember correctly) flew it from its own flag pole in front of their capital building.

I find it ironic that the new GA state flag, which was to replace that symbol of hatred, to be nothing more than a modified version of the original confederate flag. Just compare the original confederate flag (aka. the stars and bars) with the current Ga state flag. No offense to anyone from Ga, but hey, it is hard not to notice when one knows the history.

I am a native South Carolinian and I do not see this as a symbol of my heritage, rather rebellion and hatred. However, I seem to be in the minority around here.

[mitchum]

17. When I lived in SC, I advocated flying the Jolly Roger to honor...

our pirate heritage. That's the one I'm proud of!
I'm another native sandlapper who doesn't revere that stupid rag of sedition. I used to ask the flag-lovers, "Just what in the hell was rebellious about dying for a handful of rich planters?"

[Dzimbowicz]

20. Right On Dude!

I never thought about the pirate tradition. Leads to some interesting thoughts.

[RubyDuby in GA]

3. Yes and No

It's heritage, but who the hell in their right minds wants to proudly display for all the world to see that they are damned fools that can't stop living in the past (and besides that - we lost).

I was born in Missouri (sided with the Confederacy) and lived there for the first 5 years of my life, but I was raised in Georgia and consider myself to be "from here." So with that in mind, I have one but one thing to say to the "flaggers" that fight so damn hard to keep this relic flying: GET OVER YOURSELVES! Fucking morans.

[Goathead]

5. Missouri actually stayed in the Union

But they sent representatives to the Confederate Congress as well did Kentucky. One thing that I just found out about the Confederacy was that it was considered to be a military dictatorship. Never really thought about it but it makes sense.

[American Tragedy]

22. That's true, and I think that the attitude is different there too

I can't speak for Missouri, but I grew up in Louisville, and it identifies itself as part of the South, but I'm pretty sure that people would look at you funny if you were riding around with a Rebel flag bumper sticker. I almost never saw the Confederate flag at all.

[Frogtutor]

19. I visited Alabama once, and I was stunned

I'm from Texas (obviously), and we went to Alabama for an extended family reunion several years ago. One thing we did on that trip was take a tour of a plantation house. I was pretty surprised at how bitter the tour guide was when talking about the Civil war, but what struck me speechless was how proud she was that Nathan Bedford Forrest had stayed in the house! I think he had saved the house from being burned or something, and they regarded him as a hero! Maybe I was naive, but I just couldn't believe how screwed up this woman's thinking was, and I figure she wasn't the only one or she wouldn't have been so obvious about it! I suddenly felt like I was in a different country, or even on a different planet, it was so bizarre. I remember thinking the same thing; "Why are these people living in the past and so angry and bitter over something no one living even remembers?" You might think Texas would be pretty bad, but I live in an urban area. Occasionally you see some redneck with a Confederate flag, I think just for shock value. I was glad to get back home!

Frogtutor

[emulatorloo]

6. "Heritage" is a code word for reactionary, ala "Heritage Foundation"

a little googling will verify that most anything w "Heritage" in the name is rightwing and nasty. . .

[LibInternationalist]

7. oh, I know that -- I was looking for a way to piss them off

claiming real heritage

[JVS]

8. But the Union flag has stars that represent Southern states

So it isn't a good statement of Northern heritage

[LibInternationalist]

9. well, it is the flag that was carried into battle

and the reason it still has the stars is to deny their secession, so I think that's a good statement

[JVS]

11. Good enough

[Socialist Dem]

10. here's all the "official" flags and pennants of the Confederacy:

[LibInternationalist]

12. I love how they had to change flags because

one looked too much like a flag of surrender -- hi-larious

[SemiCharmedQuark]

13. And it proves that "conservatives" aren't creative AGAIN

They basically took the union's old flag and dropped some bars.

[Hobarticus]

14. Love it!!! How can I get one?

[Nosmo King]

16. Inspirational?

To my way of thinking, a flag is meant to inspire, rally troops on the field of battle and serve as an icon of national unity.

the Confederate Battle flag inspires racists to remember the "good old days" of Jim Crow; rallied troops in a losing effort, and reminds everyone of a nation bitterly divided in Civil War.

[Hobarticus]

18. But, this isn't a Confederate flag. It's a Union flag.

Welcome to DU, in any case.

[American Tragedy]

21. This southerner sure as hell doesn't fly the Confederate flag

Isn't it about time that we got over the Civil War? The meaning that it signifies to African-Americans should be reason enough to dispose of it.

I personally prefer the American flag. As far as I'm concerned, that's my heritage.

[buddysmellgood]

23. No, sorry we can't. You see we're working our way backwards. We've done

Nam, now we're going to pick a few veterans from each previous war and start questioning their honor, medals and service right back to the revolution.

[American Tragedy]

24. How did we get to the Civil War already?

We've skipped like five wars. There are some Korea, WWII, and WWI vets just ripe for being bashed.

[Pithlet]

26. Sorry.

When people are picking on the Confederate flag, they are picking on the institution of racism that it represents. NOT soldiers that died over 150 years ago.

[RUTalking2me]

25. I dont fly that flag

[Ekirh]

27. My Dad and brothers...

have all flown the flag, I personally could never stand it. I have nothing against one wanting to be proud of their Southern Heritage, but I just don't see the flying of the flag the greatest way of going about it. Hell, one of my brother's plan on getting it tattooed on his arm.... "shakes head".