Confederate flag/racism issue at LSU persists

i agree with gman. words and symbols do not hurt. it is far more important for everyone to feel comfortable expressing themselves than to pander to those who are offended.

if i was black i would not be offended. even if if i was jewish and people had swastikas, i would not be offended. people have to learn to think like individuals. i dont care if people hate white, just because i am white. i would go so far as to say i wouldnt care if people had signs that said "we hate martin". screw em. the MOST important thing is that we create an environment where people feel comfortable expressing any opinion, no matter how incendiary. the content of the opinion does not matter.

i have seen thousands of people a half mile from my apartment carrying signs that say george bush and republicans are nazis, and putting his face in a swastika. this is obviously the stupidest most inflammatory and worthless opinion in the universe. but i am at least glad i know where these morons stand. i appreciate the fact that they feel comfortable enough to be so goddamn stupid in public, because i know that we really are free to say what we want.

when people wave stupid flags and say moronic things, we should be very happy.

literally nothing is more important.

(as i type this i notice i can barely think about anything that isnt LSU basketball, because i am so excited.)

 

Still, it would be very nice if we could somehow stop the extremists and racist groups from using the CS Army battle flag. There is NO WAY that Gen. R.E. Lee would approve of that misuse.

If there was some way that we could re-claim the flag as the historical artifact that it really is, perhaps we could change people's minds about what the flag stands for.

This is a long time away from becoming reality, however. As for reality and today, I can see that some people disagree with my own opinion regarding whether we should publicly display the CS Army battle flag in other than historical contexts. I agree that people need to have thick skins. However, given the fact that the CS Army battle flag is currently used by racist extremist organizations for their own agenda, I will decline to fly that flag outside my home. I know that many of us proudly fly the flag outside our homes, and I respect their opinion, because I know that they fly the flag for all the right reasons. Given the fact that my salary is paid for with US Govt funds, I must respect those many US citizens who are very offended by the public display of the CS Army battle flag.

It's easier for me to keep the flag inside than to have to explain to the whole world that I am not a racist extremist.

 

maybe so, but i think the problem lies with the people who are doing the misinterpreting and being offended.

for instance if i am ignorant of history and i say jean lafiitte is a murderous pirate and your displaying him offends me, and furthermore, he killed my european ancestors, would you be sensitive to my wishes that you get rid of him? of course not. it would be my problem not yours.

semi offtopic story: tonight i was riding the subway and this crazy eyed young arab guy in robes and crap got on and he was acting wierd and talking to himself real loud in crazy arab jibberish. then he kneeled down and the corner and concentrated and loudly prayed to himself real psycho-like. my friend i was with couldnt take it and took off away from the guy. he was making everyone around visibly nervous and we were all racists. finally he kinda yelled and stumbled off into the adjacent car, and we all lived.

 

I took down my U.S. flag this morning, which I display everyday and put up this one, it's race day! I'm sure I'll offend some people who pass by the house today. Geaux Jr!

 

Yeah, well shame on you. How insensitive of you to have reasonable fears for your life and safety, you racist pig.

 

I can respect that. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

Don't you realize how offensive that is to Waltrip fans?

 

Not Mikey, he's DEI. The #15 fans I believe like Jr. Maybe the #24 Gordon fans, now that might cause a fight! :hihi:

 

Around Christmas time you had a Kwanzaa greeting in your avatar, and I assumed that you are black . . . some people would say that I was racist for assuming that. Some people would say that I'm a racist because I like Robert E. Lee, and I think he was a great American. Some would call me a bad name because I love Jesus and country music. Some idiots compare the Confederacy to Hitler's Third Reich (which is a stupid ignorant thing to do.) You are right . . . we've got to stand up for what we believe in and be proud. You bring up Jean Lafitte as an example and gain my agreement that I wouldn't care enough to change my on-line identity if some people were offended by Lafitte. You might also find me wearing my R.E. Lee T-shirt and my CS belt buckle, even though they both would offend some people. However, the CS Army battle flag is misused today by extremist racist groups and it was used by many of us who opposed the Civil Rights movement. I wish people would not associate that flag with those bad things, but they do, and that's why in my judgment it must be treated differently than those other things.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a great Confederate leader and general. I would hesitate to wear a T shirt bearing his image, because of his well-known association with the KKK.

Just about all white people in 1860 in America were racists (including Abe Lincoln.) Some Confederates were hateful racists and some were benevolent racists. I could be wrong, but I seem to recollect that Forrest was kind of a hateful racist guy.

R E Lee was a prisoner of the racially prejudiced views commonly held in his day, but he always believed in treating all of God's Children with kindness. In my book, Lee is a great hero, but I know that not many African-Americans would agree with me.

 

This is going to be an every day thing, I see.