South Carolina, tear down that flag!

[sunmaster14]

The major difference is that the Founders rebelled against Britain to expand liberty.

Meh. You've drunk too much of the kool-aid they serve during US history classes. I'm certainly glad the Founders decided to break off from Britain, but their justifications were awfully weak. It's particularly ironic that some of the same people who call Tea Partiers "traitors," for peacefully protesting and participating in the political process, think of the founders as heroes for starting an armed insurrection because Britain wanted them to pay a little something for defending them in the French and Indian War.

 

[ponderingturtle]

While I agree with those protesting the confederate flag flying on the grounds of the SC Statehouse, I imagine that a corporate boycott, much the way that the homophobic "religious exemption" laws were defeated in Indiana, might be the only effective way to finally get that execrable piece of cloth removed.

It is to honor the man who first flew the flag there, George Wallace and his famous speech "You may take our lives, But you will never integrate our SCHOOLS!!!"

 

[The Mutha]

Wow, even ol' Lindsey Graham has called for the removal of the flag... We'll see if that makes a difference.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/22/politics/lindsey-graham-confederate-flag-come-down/index.html

 

[ponderingturtle]

The major difference is that the Founders rebelled against Britain to expand liberty.

Well that might be a bit of an overstatement too. They didn't want to pay their taxes, but political representation wouldn't be that helpful as the populations were too low in the colonies to be a meaningful voice.

There were some prohibited industries as well that was a policy to fight against(no native production of steel for example).

 

[Cleon]

While I agree with those protesting the confederate flag flying on the grounds of the SC Statehouse, I imagine that a corporate boycott, much the way that the homophobic "religious exemption" laws were defeated in Indiana, might be the only effective way to finally get that execrable piece of cloth removed.

Georgia and SC often compete for corporate investment, with regular legal fights and competing tax break bids between the two states to try and get Company X to build their plant here instead of there.

The fact that we junked our Confederate flag years ago is now becoming part of our state's advertising pitch.

 

[Crossbow]

Why fly the flag at all? It's like flying a Swastika at a German War memorial.

The usual response is "State's rights!". In other words, every state should be allowed to fly whatever flag they want to fly.

Note: by a strange coincidence, "State's rights!" was also the same thing said by slave holding states in order to justify the institution of slaverly back in the days of the US Civil War.

 

[Checkmite]

The best Confederate flag:

 

[kookbreaker]

Note: by a strange coincidence, "State's rights!" was also the same thing said by slave holding states in order to justify the institution of slaverly back in the days of the US Civil War.

Well, they liked state's rights until it started to interfere with them keeping their slaves - Fugitive Slave Law wasn't very state's righty.

 

[NoahFence]

And not even the confederate Battle Flag but the Battle Flag of the Army of Virginia. Why South Carolina would ignore their own army is interesting.

Looks like it has a crescent moon on it. Probably too "Islamish".

 

[pgwenthold]

Well, they liked state's rights until it started to interfere with them keeping their slaves - Fugitive Slave Law wasn't very state's righty.

The wikipedia read on this is interesting. The Virginia governor threatened to secede because Vermont passed a law to try to get them around the federal law. States' rights, indeed.

 

[dudalb]

And not even the confederate Battle Flag but the Battle Flag of the Army of Virginia. Why South Carolina would ignore their own army is interesting.

That is what puzzles me;most of the Confederate Regiments took their State Flag..or a version there of into battle.

Slight quibble:The Confederate Battle flag was used by all the Confederate Armies,not just the Army of Northren Virginia.

 

[dudalb]

And now the Confederate flag has become a hot button campaign issue.

It says something of how central to American History the Civil War was that 150 years later it can still raise emotions.

And go to your local book store and check out the US History section:Chances are the Civil War section is by far the largest single section. It continures to fascinate. (And ,Yes, I am a Civil War buff myself).

 

[sunmaster14]

And now the Confederate flag has become a hot button campaign issue.

It says something of how central to American History the Civil War was that 150 years later it can still raise emotions.

And go to your local book store and check out the US History section:Chances are the Civil War section is by far the largest single section. It continures to fascinate. (And ,Yes, I am a Civil War buff myself).

Well, it's hardly surprising that a civil war that killed 2% of the country's population should be a big deal, especially since it was "only" 150 years ago. People in other parts of the world stew over crap that happened over one thousand years ago. By the way, the last civil war widow died only 12 years ago.

ETA: Oops. That was the last Union soldier widow. The last Confederate soldier widow died in 2008.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Southern pride.

As to why the south prides itself on the Confederacy, I couldn't tell you.

Southern pride is racism. The South should be ashamed of their fight to keep slavery, not proud.

 

[Yuchi1]

Bigotry knows no borders.

 

[Olowkow]

Southern pride is racism. The South should be ashamed of their fight to keep slavery, not proud.

The pride should be in the newer generations' rejection of bigotry, not in the past of the shameful defeat of a failed idea.

Nikki Haley is weighing in finally. This is a big deal for South Carolina.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) called for the Confederate flag to be removed from the state capitol.

"That flag, while an integral part of our past, does not represent the future of our great state," Haley said Monday.

 

[Olowkow]

State wide ban on the confederate flag or a state wide ban on taking down the confederate flag?

Because, frankly, I'm willing to consider that it could be either.

It was an article that quoted some legislator expressing his hopes for a state law preventing display of the confederate flag in government buildings. Sorry, I should have linked it.

ETA: Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and even Lindsey Graham are joining the chorus of officials calling for the Confederate flag to be removed from the Statehouse today. Snowball effect could produce more changes in policy and attitudes.

 

[Meadmaker]

The best Confederate flag:

[qimg]http://cragsandclay.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/white-flag.jpg[/qimg]

 

[Mumbles]

If they flew the confederate battle flag at half-mast because a white supremacist murdered 9 black people in a historic black church, I would attack the state like General Sherman. This is exactly what that flag represents, and the people who raised it told us so. Leave it up and proudly advocate white supremacy, or put it in a museum.

Personally, I recommend the latter.

 

[Yuchi1]

April, 1865 is when the US entered the Empire Phase of it's lifespan as one only has to look at the concentration of wealth that transpired (1865-1915) with the northern railroad, mine, steel mill and oil owners/barons. When J.P. Morgan purchased Andrew Carnegie's steel mills and railroads on the golf course in ~1906, indexed to today's dollars, his check would dwarf Bill Gates' current net worth.

That, is what it was really all about...who was going to make all the money, going forward. Slavery was only the catalyst as subsequent Child Labor laws and the organized labor movement's gestation was accelerated by the aftermath.

Today, IMO, we're in the same slide as Athens, Rome, Vienna, London, etc. underwent as our empirical decline takes hold. Subsitute D.C. for Rome and USN, USAF, USMC, USA for Legions and the similarities are striking.