Not on the state capitol. It's the flag of another country. Does Texas fly the friggin' Mexican flag? Not appropriate at all. But some folks are now talking about removing confederate flags from "all public view" and that is just political correctness and trying to rewrite history. Flying it at civil war battlefields, confederate veterans memorials, and confederate cemeteries is entirely appropriate. I mean, you don't pretend something didn't exist. Those soldiers fought for their country and their states. Yes it is a symbol of hate to some people, but it is a symbol of history to others. At the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, which is now a museum, there are ten flag poles flying each of the national flags that have flown over Louisiana and that includes the CSA. It's an appropriate historical exhibit. Moreover it is not the Confederate battle flag, which never flew in Louisiana. That was a battle flag of the eastern armies, not the western armies which flew a blue and white battle flag. In Louisiana the Confederate national flag was flown until the Union armies occupied the state capitol in 1862. Most people don't even recognize the national flag. I realize that the battle flag offends a lot of people, but pretending it doesn't exist offends a lot of people, too. There is no constitutional protection against being offended. God help us if it did. Being offended is part of human existence and everybody just has to deal with it. The Constitution does protect freedom of speech. Even KKK racists have a right to be an asshole in this country. Let the anger flow to the racist murderers, not to a piece of cloth. That doesn't heal a damn thing, it just keeps stirring the pot.
The government did not order that. That was a sorry-ass weekend warrior officer that issued live ammunition and some poorly disciplined guardsmen that panicked from their own tear gas and overreacted to students shooting the bird at them from 100 feet away.
I didn't say the government ordered it. The point was that American troops willingly fired on unarmed fellow Americans.
I gave 22 years of my life and I'd gladly give 22 more for them to have the right to burn it. I also have the right to kick their ass but face different circumstances. You do what your collar can handle was the way we phrased it in the military. Of course they were and between them I'd bet a hundy that they couldn't spell flag. That is exactly my point.
It's not far fetched, several Hollywood movies have explored it, no doubt. But it hasn't actually happened. And if it did happen, it would be an illegal order and our well-educated and morally squared away fighting force would execute the contingency for dealing with an unlawful order. Hundreds's of Nazi's and imperial Japanese soldiers claimed that they were only following orders, but they got shot for war crimes. It makes soldiers very aware of what a lawful order is and what it ain't.
True, however war crimes only apply to the losing side :/. If Hitler won, who would have been executed instead? Valid points all around, but I think that the very fact that we have so many guns is a deterrence in itself. Though, I believe that as technology progresses, the less and less our guns really matter. I'd rather use a sword anyway.
Some thoughts posted earlier today on Facebook by South Carolinian Ben Watson of the New Orleans Saints. A lot of common sense going on here: https://www.facebook.com/BenjaminWatsonOfficial/posts/718321871628280
