- Nov 25, 2012
- 13,164
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My "position" is one of someone who did not just read in passing in an old history book about symbols of oppression. I actually saw them in effect as realities, unlike you.
The same filthy animals that threw urine and feces on my parents at a PEACEFUL civil rights march down south in the 60's were waving confederate flags.
In the context of historic timelines, it was not that long ago that I experienced what I did, so for you to speculate about and then attempt to judge what MY perception is of something that was offensive to ME and many others in an environment that you did not experience during a time when you were not even born is not "brilliant" by any means.
Using a television show, that I did not watch nor had an interest in as a means to justify your defense of this symbol is nothing more than you expressing your opinion.
IT IS NOT THE SHOW. IT IS THAT AMERICA AS A WHOLE ACCEPTED IT'S PORTRAYAL OF THE SYMBOLS AS HARMLESS AND NOT RACIST.
If "everyone in America" was as accepting as you claim of the "symbol" that you are so determined to defend as "harmless" the independent networks would still be running syndicated episodes of it.
Was accepting. Since then, you lefties have grown in power and intolerance and become more aggressive in The Culture War. But what happened in the more recent past, does not change the historical record of over 150 years of acceptance.
But obviously there were enough people who resented the shows use of a Confederate flag caricature to prompt even reruns of the show to be cancelled.
This is just you defending what you casually view as a symbol of "regional pride", which you are certainly entitled to do, just as I am entitled as many others are to view it as I do.
I read your cut and pasted reviews of the show, and like any other show, it had a following by a certain audience, and also,like any other show, it appealed to SOME people, but not ALL people.
Quite a lot of people. But more to the point, none of them, AND none of those that did not watch the show, seemed to have any problem with the depiction of the symbols as harmless regional pride.
I looked. I was hoping to find some report of some small group that made a fuss and was ignored, and/or laughed at.
But I could find NOTHING. Not one peep.
By your own admission, your views and platform of reasoning revolves around defending everything that you believe to be related to the values of white society in America, no matter what.
Incorrect. Try again without the spin.
But it also appears that anyone who has self interests based on their life experiences that are not aligned with your views, you seem to perceive as a threat to your defense of what you believe in.
That is what I am referring to as being "small and petty".
Your belief system is yours to support, however you are in no position to judge my life experiences and beliefs, or those of others as an assault upon yours.
I do when they are an assault on my views and my heritage and my interests. Or, "or".
That has nothing to do with me "making assumptions about people that I don't know of dislike" as you claim.
I do not have any emotional investment to contribute towards "liking or disliking" complete strangers whose beliefs happen to be different than mine, but I do reserve the right to not share their views for my own reasons.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life...ukes-of-hazzard-yanked-from-tv-land/29571785/
Do you admit that the people of the 1980s, who endorsed the celebration of the symbols of the Confederate Flag and The General Lee,
were doing so, in their view, as harmless symbols of regional pride, and thus for you to judge them, or treat them as though they were celebrating those symbols as though they agreed with YOU, that they were symbols of racism,
would be wrong of you?
One last time. S L O W L Y. Before I depart from this silly circular argument that you are so intent on engaging in:
1. I do not care if YOU or anyone else sees your Confederate flag as a "harmless symbol of regional pride that has stood for 150 years".
I witnessed it being present in the hands of racist, anti civil rights scum in the early 1960's. In case you did not realize it, the 1960's were LESS than 60 years ago. So you can stop wasting your time trying to convince me that most of the country has viewed it as "harmless" for that length of time.
Why do you give those relatively few racists what they want ie the power to co-opt those symbols for their purposes?
2. I will not admit to something that I disagree with for the sake of making you comfortable.
But on what grounds can you disagree with me? The evidence from the show is clear, good clean fun.
3. I am not "incorrect" in my view of what your so called "positions" revolve around. It is obvious that anything that you remotely perceive as not being aligned with your extremely radical, far right, pro white agenda, you consider to be an assault on ALL white people, as a self proclaimed spokesperson for that demographic, evidenced by your attempt to lecture me on a topic that you have no understanding of or experience with.
My understanding and experience is just as valid as your own. We live in an insane world, were you can say something like, "your views are invalid because you are white", and expect to be taken seriously.
3. Your insistence on labeling others who do not agree with your views as "lefties" is a tactic that you default to in nearly every thread that I've seen you present in. And then after that, you progress to "race baiting asshole" as your next level of defense. Which is exactly why I normally don't respond to much of what you have to say.
Most rabidly political zealots of any kind are normally impossible to reason with. And I usually don't waste valuable time attempting to do so.
For a number of posts in a row, you've managed to be relatively civil and actually address the topic and my points, seriously and I believe, honesty.
Note how I have replied in kind.
I treat people with the level of respect they show me. When you see me calling people "lefties" or "race baiting assholes" it is because they have taken the discussion to that level.
If you withdraw from the conversation at this point, it is not because I have been rude to you. I have not. So, don't kid yourself with that excuse.
Therefore I am agreeing to disagree and you are entitled to your views, but realize that you are nowhere near informed enough and lack the life experience to be critical of mine.
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So, all you have to refute my many cited examples, from the BLue and Grey Reunion, to the Dukes of Hazzard, to Obama sending a wreath to the Confederate Memorial,
is that I am white, and thus my views can be discounted.
Again, for the 100th time. I personally do not care what race you are, nor do I personally care what your PERSONAL perception of the Confederate flag is.
My difference of opinion from yours is mainly generational and part geographical.
What you continue to sidestep is that since you ARE white, you NEVER were part of a demographic that was denied the most basic of civil rights, and you NEVER witnessed your own family having human waste thrown on them by "people" WAVING CONFEDERATE FLAGS for peacefully demonstrating.
Unlike you, to me that so called "symbol of regional pride" represents a culture that could return if given enough acceptance, and is not harmless in my view.
A swastika could just as easily be viewed as a harmless symbol as well....by certain people.
You are futilely attempting to make a point to the wrong person on this subject.
I agreed to disagree.
Why is that so difficult for you to understand?
1. So, you open by stating that you do not care what my race is.
2. Then you immediately cite my race as a reason to dismiss my views. IMMEDIATELY.
3. My views and experiences are just as valid as yours.
4. The Union vets who accepted the flying of the Confederate Flag at the Blue and Grey Reunion in Gettysburgh, they fought for years, many were wounded, or lost limbs, saw friends and family killed. How does your moral authority trump theirs?
5. Attacking whites for having any pride in their culture and/or heritage, is what you want to do IF YOU WANT A RETURN TO WHITE RACISM AGAINST YOU AND YOURS. Do you think that tearing down those statues and banning those flags are going to build feelings of inclusion and tolerance in whites, or the exact opposite?
Seriously? Now I think you just want to argue for the sake of being obtuse. I have patiently listened to your opinion and repeatedly expressed that it is your right to believe what you wish, while making it clear that I have the same right.
That is far from "dismissing" what you had to say, I'm just not changing my view in order to placate you, that is what appears to be your problem.
Now you are being redundant and attempting to put your personal spin on what I am stating.
There is a difference between me not caring what race you are personally, versus you NOT experiencing certain things that I did because of racial differences.
You couldn't have experienced what I did based on that. And like it or not, that is something that is just a reality.
Did you personally fight in the war as a Union vet?
Did I I personally witness what I did actually seeing the Confederate flag as an oppressive symbol?
Yes.
As far as banning Confederate statues and flags, I live in a region where they are not present, so it does not matter to me at all. One way or another.
As far as "attacking white people", that is totally ridiculous. There are numerous white people who object to those symbols as well, and as far as ME "personally attacking white people", that is absurd.
I have white in laws who have stayed in MY home, been given money by ME and had numerous favors done for them by me with no strings attached, so don't even talk to me about "attacking white people". I have directly helped far more than I have hurt.
I think that somewhere in your amplified belief that white people are being discriminated against on a "massive" scale, that you silently wish for a return to legal discrimination by whites against "me and my own".
Which is fine. That's mainly why I visit this forum. It is to gain more perspective on what SOME of the angry fringe of society actually believe.
Vigilance and awareness is always a safe practice.
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