citizenzen
Graduate Poster
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2011
- Messages
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As I said in an earlier, I was erred in my interpretation of your post.
I apologized then, and I'll apologize again for my mistake.
Confederate flag causing a flap in SC
- Thread starter Antiquehunter
- Start date
As I said in an earlier, I was erred in my interpretation of your post.
I apologized then, and I'll apologize again for my mistake.
Piggy
Unlicensed street skeptic
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 15,905
Just to get back to something I was commenting on before, and which I think is significant in any discussion of how the "rebel flag" is used today....
Just last week I got an email from a coworker, an invitation to a musical show at her church called "Music of Our Heritage", which was a co-production of the church and local historical and civic groups, featuring "music of the Civil War" presented by a choral group.
And this is what I'm trying to get at....
Just as most folks make the error of believing that their religious scriptures are speaking to their time, rather than the authors' times, it's also true that a lot of folks -- in the South anyway -- interpret the images, legends, and iconography of the Civil War in light of today's South.
In other places, where these icons of "heritage" have nothing to do with people's ancestry, much less their daily lives, it seems common-sensical that the rebel flag is of course a symbol of slavery. What else could it be?
But the truth is, around here, the rebel flag is primarily a symbol of contemporary Southern identity -- as steeped as that is in various remembrances and mis-remembrances of history -- and only secondarily a symbol of what actually happened in the 19th century.
And the problem with much of its use really has nothing directly to do with the war or with slavery, except as a matter of historical descent, but rather with the very real modern-day reality of racism.
In other words, when it's used as a racial wedge, it's not really harkening back to the 1800s. If it did that, its power would be extremely weak.
No, in fact, it's the present-day reality of racism that gives it this power.
But that use of the flag does not somehow negate other uses of the flag, and in much of mainstream white Southern culture, especially suburban and exurban Southern culture, the flag has become psychologically divorced from the historical realities of the war.
So young Jimbo shows up at football practice with a rebel flag on his cap, and proceeds to dress, practice, shower, and even eat with his black teammates, and then go hang out with them in the Burger King parking lot, and his black buddies don't bat an eye.
This is a far cry from the mantra of my day, when I was coming up... you don't swim with them, and you don't eat with them. Sharing water and food -- not coincidentally, I think, akin to the Christian sacraments of communion and baptism -- is no longer taboo.
And little Amber Lynn drives her truck with the rebel flag decal to the homecoming court meeting to plan a ceremony in which she'll un-self-consciously share the spotlight with black girls she's known all her life, gone to classes with, been in student council with, and danced with at pep rallies.
The black boys and girls may have their own opinion of Jimbo's and Amber's choice to display a rebel flag, might think it's a bit pretentious, a bit fake, misguided and "redneck", or maybe just "their thing" -- but they're not up in arms about it.
Then again, in some places, kids are up in arms about it.
Bottom line, it's much more complex than looking at that flag, identifying it as a Confederate flag, and glibly pronouncing that it must be a symbol of racism and hate for everyone who displays it.
Just last week I got an email from a coworker, an invitation to a musical show at her church called "Music of Our Heritage", which was a co-production of the church and local historical and civic groups, featuring "music of the Civil War" presented by a choral group.
And this is what I'm trying to get at....
Just as most folks make the error of believing that their religious scriptures are speaking to their time, rather than the authors' times, it's also true that a lot of folks -- in the South anyway -- interpret the images, legends, and iconography of the Civil War in light of today's South.
In other places, where these icons of "heritage" have nothing to do with people's ancestry, much less their daily lives, it seems common-sensical that the rebel flag is of course a symbol of slavery. What else could it be?
But the truth is, around here, the rebel flag is primarily a symbol of contemporary Southern identity -- as steeped as that is in various remembrances and mis-remembrances of history -- and only secondarily a symbol of what actually happened in the 19th century.
And the problem with much of its use really has nothing directly to do with the war or with slavery, except as a matter of historical descent, but rather with the very real modern-day reality of racism.
In other words, when it's used as a racial wedge, it's not really harkening back to the 1800s. If it did that, its power would be extremely weak.
No, in fact, it's the present-day reality of racism that gives it this power.
But that use of the flag does not somehow negate other uses of the flag, and in much of mainstream white Southern culture, especially suburban and exurban Southern culture, the flag has become psychologically divorced from the historical realities of the war.
So young Jimbo shows up at football practice with a rebel flag on his cap, and proceeds to dress, practice, shower, and even eat with his black teammates, and then go hang out with them in the Burger King parking lot, and his black buddies don't bat an eye.
This is a far cry from the mantra of my day, when I was coming up... you don't swim with them, and you don't eat with them. Sharing water and food -- not coincidentally, I think, akin to the Christian sacraments of communion and baptism -- is no longer taboo.
And little Amber Lynn drives her truck with the rebel flag decal to the homecoming court meeting to plan a ceremony in which she'll un-self-consciously share the spotlight with black girls she's known all her life, gone to classes with, been in student council with, and danced with at pep rallies.
The black boys and girls may have their own opinion of Jimbo's and Amber's choice to display a rebel flag, might think it's a bit pretentious, a bit fake, misguided and "redneck", or maybe just "their thing" -- but they're not up in arms about it.
Then again, in some places, kids are up in arms about it.
Bottom line, it's much more complex than looking at that flag, identifying it as a Confederate flag, and glibly pronouncing that it must be a symbol of racism and hate for everyone who displays it.
Piggy
Unlicensed street skeptic
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 15,905
Sorry, I posted a response w/out catching up with all the new posts.
My mistake, actually.
No apology necessary.