Question about confederate flag (hoping it's not ignorant..)

I don't particularly have an opinion.  I was just answering why I thought there was a lot of backlash after this particular hate crime.

As others have pointed out, it became front and center because it's been flying on the state government grounds. If these horrible deaths had taken place in another state where the confederate flag was not flying next to the US and state flags, it's likely that it wouldn't have happened yet. I am 100% in favor of it being removed from there; imo it has no place being prominently displayed on any government grounds. I am not, however, in favor of trying to completely erase history (ie I don't think the flag should be removed from Fort Sumter where The Civil War began). Much of history is ugly, but if we do not know our history, and if we do not learn from it, we are doomed to repeat it.

Maybe my perspective is different because of where I live, in the City of Five Flags, one of which is Confederate. All the flags are displayed (Spanish, French, British, Confederate, and American) with the U.S. flag center and highest to represent the different countries and cultures that have contributed to Pensacola in its almost 500 year history. Banning the Confederate flag doesn't erase that the Confederacy existed or that it was a separate country until it lost the Civil War and was reintegrated into the US.

DECADES-LONG BATTLE

(Excerpt from CNN - Confederate flag's half-century at South Carolina Capitol ends)

April 1961, South Carolina hoisted the Confederate battle flag over the Capitol dome in Columbia to honor the 100th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. And it kept it there, flying under the U.S. flag and the state's palmetto flag.

For years, African-Americans and others demanded the flag come down, saying it is a racist symbol that represents a war to uphold slavery and, later, a battle to oppose civil rights advances.

Uproar over the flag influenced lawmakers in 2000. In a compromise, the legislature passed the Heritage Act, which moved the flag from the Capitol dome to a pole next to a soldiers' monument on the Capitol grounds.

But debate renewed last month after a white gunman, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, killed nine African-American worshipers in Emanuel AME, a historic Charleston church.

Among those killed during a Bible study at the church was state Sen. Clementa Pinckney, who also was the church's pastor.

After the massacre, photos quickly surfaced of Roof holding the Confederate battle flag, which he apparently revered as a symbol of white supremacy.

The racially motivated attack triggered a national wave of sympathy and outrage, and it renewed calls to have the battle flag removed.

I have lived in SC for 31 years, and Lucy stated my opinion very well.  The flag does not belong on the grounds of the SC State House.  It was very respectfully moved to a museum, where it belongs.  

I think when the people of SC saw the members of the Mother Emmanuel AME Church respond to such a heinous act against them with so much love, forgiveness and grace, it set the tone for all of us to look at how we treat others, and have more understanding of how others view things.  It was way past time to take the flag down and put it in a museum.  We do not need any flags other than the USA and the SC flags to fly at the State House.  (and occasionally the USC Gamecocks flag when they win a national championship!!!  Also goes for other schools in the state).  

I think that's the most important thing - this isn't some relic from the Civil War, some antebellum "ah, Dixie" symbol. It's only been there for 50 years and as an "eff you" to civil rights. Who the heck wants that flying over their state building?

Yes. 

That flag should not be erased from our history.  It's proper place is in a museum and history books.  It should not be flown on any federal or state building/grounds EVER.

I also think that citizens should feel free to fly it on their personal property...but only so I can identify what ignoramuses they are, judge them 10 ways to Sunday and stay the hell away from them.

But if Wikipedia is correct, the Confederate flag flying in your city is not the same flag that was removed from the SC Capitol Building.  

As an aside to this discussion, I heard something on the radio the other day about the US House discussing or voting on a bill to prevent the Battle Flag from being placed at Confederate soldier's grave sites in NPS cemeteries.  Did anyone else hear about this?  Opinions?  I need to go google that.  I always forget to google things that I hear about in the car that I want to look up.

I think you missed the point - the Confederate flag that was removed was flying ON THE STATE CAPITOL GROUNDS - DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING AT THE STREET - it doesn't belong on any state government property.  We are not living under this flag.  Anyone who wants to fly it on private property is free to do so.  The flag that was removed was respectfully taken to it's proper place - a museum. 

Wow. So far today I've seen you support the rights of gun owners to leave their loaded weapons out where young children can find them and use them, based on the existence of legalized abortion, and now you're arguing the Confederate battle flag is okay to fly on state grounds, as long as civil rights activists continue to remind us of the officially-sanctioned violence perpetrated against citizens on the Edmund Pettus Bridge 50-some years ago.

Where did you say you learned to debate again??

There is a push to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma because Pettus was a Confederate general and Grand Dragon of the Alabama KKK. He repeatedly spoke out against giving freed slaves the same rights as white citizens.

I think, however, that it's appropriate to keep the name and continue the memorial marches over it. Pettus would be horrified that something named for him became a symbol of the civil rights movement and spurred the nation to change. And to that I say, good!

your post. I should have the other threads to see that the poster you quoted was a little off the rocker before I replied to her.

Really?  Having pride in the state you were born and raised in means you are saying "slavery was a good thing"?

Is there nothing to be proud of in the South?  

If there has been and never will be anything to be proud of about the South, then why are so many Northerners coming here to work? Why are so many Northerners coming here to vacation? Why do you not just cut us out of the union altogether and get rid of us  since you are so perfect and never have a "racist" feeling toward a group of people such as people from the South.  Do you not realize that your statement could be considered "racist".  Having "southern pride" does not in any way, shape or form mean slavery was a good thing.  

Am I, who have never owned or wished to own a slave, known anyone who has owned or wished to own a slave, walk with my head down and be ashamed of myself for what people in the past have done?  Should I move to the North and preach about how horrible I am for having been born in the South? 

By the way, We just returned to Texas after spending 18 years in PA. We were told constantly while we were there that we were outsiders and how Texans were not accepted there. My boys were 8 and 10 and both never returned after finishing college in the South. They grew up in PA but felt more accepted in the South.  School teachers ask us to tell our sons to quit saying "yes sir" and then at the same time talked about how well mannered and respectful they were.  When the leader of the Odyssey of the Mind group ask my son to tell the rest of the group what it was like living in a cult or commune was like my son asked him what he was talking about.  The leader responded "Aren't you from Texas?"  We will not even discuss how often we were asked how we survived living in the desert or how many horses we owned. Not one person had the nerve to ask us how many slaves we owned but they did ask us what we thought the first time we saw a tree as we landed in PA.  What?     

Was everyone we met or knew in PA this way? Absolutely not!! We had and still have some wonderful friends there and we would never dream of saying everyone in the North is racist about everyone from the South.

This is the problem with these types of discussions, throwing out statements that are just ridiculous.  How closed minded are you to make a statement like that!!!