GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Ken Webber wears his redneck heart out in the open, for all to see. On his right arm a red, white and blue tattoo depicts his skin ripped open to reveal an American flag and the words "100 percent American." On his left, the tears reveal a Confederate flag and the words "Pure Redneck." So when Webber was told to surrender the Confederate flag that flies from the CB antenna on his pickup truck – or be suspended from his job driving a school bus in Talent – the choice was easy. Webber chose his flag.HBW: Being Friday, I decided to post something funny. I found it ironically hilarious he has the "100% American" tattoo on one arm and the Confederate flag on another because the Confederates were all about seceding from America!! He claims the flag only means "Redneck pride" but most people from historians to average Americans understand that the Confederate flag will forever symbolize a flag of rebellion from the union and support of slavery.
The American Civil War was such a scaring period for the United States that it's roots, symbols, events and burned into our collective memory. The Confederate flag is and always will be a flag of rebellion from American values.
To says it's about "Southern pride" or "redneck pride" is just code for racism and rebellion from American government. If the Confederate flag is just about "Southern pride" or redneck culture, then is the Nazi flag merely a "German pride" flag? Of course not. The Nazi flag is a chilling, infamous symbol of hatred, violence and enslavement (of Jews).
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6 comments:
wow, you couldnt be so more backwards and ignorant than what you sounded in this post. honestly the southern flag does stand for pride and unification just as the american flag does. and by the way the confederates wanted an united states, just under a different government ran style. to call him a racist just because of the flag he chose, thats going to far because the confederate flag in which i fly in the state of indiana, a northern state, represents the pride and honor, let alone my family history in which we are proud to have relation to. atleast he is faithful and honest to his beliefs unlike many in your political party for starts. by the way how about the political and racial attempts on other races under the american flag such as the racial distrust and beatings of japanese-americans during pearl harbor, world war 2, and after. americans are so fast to judge those in their own country, yet we are unwilling to admit the faults of our own nation and the racism that occured under our red, white, and blue we so proudly thrust in the air. i am a confederate and an american. wow, someone of your stature would surely post something so backwards as this in which it does not surprise me. atleast he stood for something he believed in. flying the rebel flag is our right to memory of our heritage and where we came from. i dont see you posting things on here about african-americans flying their flag in our country, how about mexican-americans who in my town pulled down the american flag and flew the mexican flag, they werent persecuted but they were sure dealt with. i think its sad they are american yet they are allowed to fly the flag in which their heritage was originally born under. why cant i? or this gentleman? hypocrite is what you are. i stand in favor of this gentleman and i call you unamerican. atleast he holds true to something he believes in, he has more down below obviously than what you do because any true american, even some of us who sacrifice more than you could in service to our country fight for another nations freedom as we earned ours. yet, democrats dont even support that, how sad......
The difference between the American flag, and the Confederate flag is that Americans eventually saw the error of our ways, and ended the Japanese internment camps. As well as stopped killing Native Americans.
The Confederacy (while it was alive and fighting) never ended it's fight to enslave the African-Americans. Some still fight for that cause!! It's revisionist history to just call it the "Southern flag" and claim it simply stood for a different style of government. True, but one that allowed slavery of African-Americans.
And, yes, it does stand for unification but unification of states that sought to enslave human beings. The Confederacy never changed that all-important aspect of it's belief system. That's why, to most Americans, it symbolizes agreement with slavery and a rebellious attitude all things government.
Any "Southern Pride" it stands for is vastly diluted by it's connection to enslavement, which will forever be the thing people see it as. Maybe not so much in the South but there are other ways to show Southern pride without brandishing a flag that has so much bad history attached to it.
If you are going to fly it then you can't be surprised when people disagree (strongly) with your characterization of it as harmless. It seems to me that no one would fly that flag unless they privately wanted a confrontation.
Could you come up with a different flag? Like the "Don't Tread On Me" flag? Of a state flag? Or, why not use a bumper sticker that just says, "Southern Pride." People would get the point without wondering if your a racist who agrees with slavery.
I am proud to be from out West and so I have a sticker that shows the Colorado mountains." Why revive the old symbols of hate when there are many other ways to show pride.
Just because I disagree with you doesn't mean I don't stand for things I believe in. I don't believe people should pull down the American flag to fly a Mexican flag, either. Just because I don't mention other flags that people use doesn't mean I necessarily agree with them.
Well, if I'm a hypocrite than, so are you because you say that you or a family member fought to protect American freedoms. I had family who has too. Just as that freedom they fought for means you can fly your flag also means I can disagree with that action. As for the insults you hurled at me? Water off a duck's back. Insults are a sign of a weak argument, my friend.
it isnt necessarily me trying to through things at you against history. only those who lack the intelligence to let what they believe the flag stood for go. some of us know that what we do in life isnt determined by what skin color we are. we still divide ourselves as african-americans, mexican-americans, all do to the fact that is where we support where we cam from. if this american is to not be divided, then we would all just be americans. i was just stating the fact that if because he flies the confederate flag and you call him racist. thats a mistake on your part because the people of the united states dont all view the rebel flag or confederate flag as strictly related to racism because it is not. obviously the confederate flag isnt flown from our national capital so why does it worry you a small country man flies it. if and when you want to call hitler racist because of his actions to save his people from destitution and smite, but relate something entirely different to just one man for flying his flag. that is wrong. i would never compare and american to hitler no matter what you think upon him. enslavement was not the only thing that the south wanted. do you know the true form of anarchy was not as the youth of this nation sees it today. the south wanted a government where the political parties many choose between today were not evident. they want joe the plumber and good ol' farmers who actually work their land to decide on things.
not men in three piece suits. the government they would have chose would not have limited all black involvemnt in life because as we all no evolution changes things. they would have not been slaves as such here in this year as what many believed. all i am saying is you shouldnt judge someone for his opinion of how life should be when you cant judge your own. you are not so perfect sir, not one person should dare call another out because of his beliefs. that is what starts conflicts, who are you to judge anybody else?
@Longenboy1...you said:
"all i am saying is you shouldnt judge someone for his opinion of how life should be when you cant judge your own. you are not so perfect sir, not one person should dare call another out because of his beliefs. that is what starts conflicts, who are you to judge anybody else?"
Oh, you mean like what you said to me in your first comment? And I quote: "hypocrite is what you are. i stand in favor of this gentleman and i call you unamerican. atleast he holds true to something he believes in, he has more down below obviously than what you do because any true american, even some of us who sacrifice more than you could in service to our country fight for another nations freedom as we earned ours."
So, you see, I refuse to be called out for judging others when I was responding to your original judgments in your first comment.
We clearly live on two different planets and are like two ships passing in the night. Talking to you is like talking to a brick way--it's a waste of my time. But, thanks for trying to revise history. Next time, you might want to try it on someone who doesn't have a university degree in American history. Thanks for playing!!
For someone trying to teach other people about history, you should learn a bit more yourself. The swastika was historically a peaceful Hindu symbol.
@PJ...I am aware that it was historically a peaceful symbol from Hinduism. I've been a Buddhist for going on 11 years, now. Did you also know it's used in Buddhism?
I'm assuming you raised the swastika in relation to my general comment about the Nazi flag, within the post?
I didn't feel the need to bring up the Hindu/Buddhist connection. Because, in the context, that I brought up the Nazi flag, is was about showing how specific flags are used to represent hate, not peace.
If I was writing a post about Hinduism, Buddhism or symbols of peace, then, of course, I'd mention the peaceful symbolism. In writing, context is essential to understanding where an author is coming from. And, why they use one meaning of a symbol over another.
The overall thesis of this post was how certain flags represent hate. It's not a post specifically about the swastika--that's an entirely different conversation.
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