Sales of Confederate flags jump 5,000% on Amazon

[Aerovette]

I wonder why no one is attacking displays of the Union Jack?

It also represents...

A time of oppression.
A defeated enemy.
An historical war on our soil.

[69camfrk]

Aerovette, even though I know that you know the answer, here ya go. Most people in this country are dumb as shit. Personally I'm disgusted how dumbed down the population has become. This whole flag flap thing is a non issue, but the .gov and the non informed have made it one. I don't see anyone demonizing the American flag where slavery and oppression was the norm for well over 100 years. Also, the south was being plundered by the north, but who cares about the truth in history anyway???? The revised versions make for better reading I suppose.

[onedef92]

You can't legislate away hate.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by onedef92

You can't legislate away hate.

No, but you can pray away the gay.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

No, but you can pray away the gay.

Or get surgery and just roll with it.

There's more money in that.

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Or get surgery and just roll with it.

There's more money in that.

Sea had the surgery, but they left the useless parts

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

Sea had the surgery, but they left the useless parts

Is that called the "box and balls" special or the "hole and pole"?

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Iron Chef

Well now Tom....let's be honest...those who believe in the cause of the Confederacy really have no business complaining about "oppression and tyranny."

That said, people in this country are WAAAAYYYYY too sensitive about things. You can't legislate away hate. If we did more ignoring and less protesting, we'd probably get more accomplished.

On the contrary, IC, they have every right to complain about oppression and tyranny. The civil war was a pushback of an overbearing federal government trying to dictate to the states how things were going to be. Sound familiar? All the alphabet agencies running roughshod over the states, and ultimately the people? Yeah, they were all made possible by the US government crushing states that simply said, "hey, we no longer want to be part of what you are selling."

So look around at the EPA, IRS, OSHA, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy, etc. All that was what the Confederate states were hoping to avoid. When those states signed up to be part of the US, they were looking for a loose affiliation, with a few federal responsibilities, common defense, post office, and dealing with foreign nations. When it became clear the US government was heading down another path, they just wanted to leave amicably.

[itsaz]

Originally Posted by Iron Chef

Well now Tom....let's be honest...those who believe in the cause of the Confederacy really have no business complaining about "oppression and tyranny."

That said, people in this country are WAAAAYYYYY too sensitive about things. You can't legislate away hate. If we did more ignoring and less protesting, we'd probably get more accomplished.

That being said, did you miss or overlook this part? "It does not represent slavery, hatred, white supremacy or anything else as so many uneducated, ignorant people so foolishly believe and abuse its image." Common sense cannot be legislated either!

[Iron Chef]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

On the contrary, IC, they have every right to complain about oppression and tyranny. The civil war was a pushback of an overbearing federal government trying to dictate to the states how things were going to be. Sound familiar? All the alphabet agencies running roughshod over the states, and ultimately the people? Yeah, they were all made possible by the US government crushing states that simply said, "hey, we no longer want to be part of what you are selling."

So look around at the EPA, IRS, OSHA, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy, etc. All that was what the Confederate states were hoping to avoid. When those states signed up to be part of the US, they were looking for a loose affiliation, with a few federal responsibilities, common defense, post office, and dealing with foreign nations. When it became clear the US government was heading down another path, they just wanted to leave amicably.

Originally Posted by itsaz

That being said, did you miss or overlook this part? "It does not represent slavery, hatred, white supremacy or anything else as so many uneducated, ignorant people so foolishly believe and abuse its image." Common sense cannot be legislated either!

Gentlemen, you can have whatever opinion you wish. As with so many other decisive issues such as abortion, religion and so forth, no one's minds are changed as a result of a post in an obscure car forum in a corner of the internet. I honestly don't care if the flag is sold at Wal-Mart, Walgreens or Walden Woods. I don't care if it's flown, framed, burned or buried. It's simply not on most people's radar...mine included. And for good reason.

What I don't care for is ignoring one set of facts while highlighting another set to make your cause more palatable. Or, as one writer put it: "Surely the flag’s defenders will proffer other, muddier, interpretations which allow them the luxury of looking away." Germany did the same thing by using the malfeasance and inequity of the Treaty of Versailles and the concept of "Lebensraum" as an excuse to start the Second World War while conveniently ignoring their attempt at genocide (and yes, I'm fully aware of the internet parable that all arguments eventually lead to the Nazis).

I'll leave you with this snippet from the Cornerstone Speech of 1861 by then Confederate Vice-President Andrew Stephens and then bow out of this argument. After which you can postulate to your heart's content as to what an idiot I am.

"Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth..."

[Rob]

I think all of these threads have run their course and proven who stands in which side of the issues.