Huge Confederate Flag to Fly Over Tampa

[Walsingham]

Just because you're free to offend people doesn't mean that you should. If they wish to do honour to the men who fought in a specific tone, surely a statue would be a subtler way to do it?

 

Hopefully as grist to the mill: how would people feel if the 'sons of loyalty' decided to fly a whopping 160 ft Union Jack in Boston?

 

They would probably pull in wondering where the new British Pub was!

 

Eeeexcelleent. All is proceeding as I have forseen it.

[Gorgon]

They are private citizens right, they can do whatever they like. The NAACP can hang a giant stars and stripes next to it.

[Gorgon]

I wonder what it is though, this movement to reintroduce the confederate flag. This is not the first stunt of this kind.

 

Several hundred years ago the south fought on the wrong side in the defining war of the country. That's not something to be ashamed of on it's own, but slavery is, and to most people the confederate flag says 'racism' much in the same instant recognition fashion that the Jolly Roger says 'pirates'.

[Walsingham]

Several hundred years ago the south fought on the wrong side in the defining war of the country. That's not something to be ashamed of on it's own, but slavery is, and to most people the confederate flag says 'racism' much in the same instant recognition fashion that the Jolly Roger says 'pirates'.

 

Actually, I read recently the the Royal Navy flies the skull and crossbones every time it returns from patrol with a 'win'.

[Humodour]

Several hundred years ago the south fought on the wrong side in the defining war of the country. That's not something to be ashamed of on it's own, but slavery is, and to most people the confederate flag says 'racism' much in the same instant recognition fashion that the Jolly Roger says 'pirates'.

 

Somehow I'm not able to comment on this (or even concur with an American commenting on it) without making taks' 'patriotic' blood boil like a Chinese nationalist eavesdropping on a conversation about the deplorable nature of the Tainanmen Square Massacre.

[Meshugger]

Why does it have the EU flag on it?

Hmmmm. Isn't the EU supposed to be a union of sovereign states loosley organized under a weak central government? Isn't that by definition.... a confederacy?

 

Oh dear

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Several hundred years ago the south fought on the wrong side in the defining war of the country. That's not something to be ashamed of on it's own, but slavery is, and to most people the confederate flag says 'racism' much in the same instant recognition fashion that the Jolly Roger says 'pirates'.

 

Actually, I read recently the the Royal Navy flies the skull and crossbones every time it returns from patrol with a 'win'.

 

Only the submersible branch I believe.

[Purkake]

Why does it have the EU flag on it?

 

 

 

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Not really, though.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Purkake

[Gorgon]

They have been talking forever about a common EU foreign policy and an 'EU army'. A foreign policy representing 27 countries, that would be about as useful for getting things done as the United Nations. It's never going to happen. The EU is about trade, although the political dimension also means giving up a sizable chunk of independence.

Edited September 10, 2009 by Gorgon

[Humodour]

They have been talking forever about a common EU foreign policy and an 'EU army'. It's never going to happen.

 

Never going to happen?

 

a) NATO

b) EU's mutual defence pact with itself

c) a small EU army already exists.

[Gorgon]

I wouldn't call that an army, it's yet another peacekeeping force. NATO is not under the purview of the EU.

[Guard Dog]

If that was my flagpole I know what flag I would fly:

 

 

[Wrath of Dagon]

I wonder what it is though, this movement to reintroduce the confederate flag. This is not the first stunt of this kind.

 

Several hundred years ago the south fought on the wrong side in the defining war of the country. That's not something to be ashamed of on it's own, but slavery is, and to most people the confederate flag says 'racism' much in the same instant recognition fashion that the Jolly Roger says 'pirates'.

It's a reaction to the removal of the confederate flag from public places. You don't understand southern culture at all, it has nothing to do with slavery, it's "us against the yankees", kind of "red states/blue states". My high shool is still called "The Rebels", they may not use the confederate flag anymore but they did when I went there in the 80's, and the mascot was "Johnny Reb".

[Gorgon]

Ohh I'm well aware they don't fly the flag to support slavery or racism, it's a statement of identity. A lot of people are very offended by it though, it's divisive even in the south, and the confederacy does have something to do with slavery. With all that you might be tempted to ask, why bother.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Gorgon

[Walsingham]

Far as I know the EU army's a paper construction. You only have to look at our colelague's commitment to supporting action in Afghanistan to see how bloody useless we'd be as a political entity.

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

It'd be cooler if it was another giant flag, but heh, I wouldn't mind.

Edited September 11, 2009 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Wrath of Dagon]

Ohh I'm well aware they don't fly the flag to support slavery or racism, it's a statement of identity. A lot of people are very offended by it though, it's divisive even in the south, and the confederacy does have something to do with slavery. With all that you might be tempted to ask, why bother.

Because people get really pissed when someone tries to take away their identity, and shove their own values down their throats. Having said that, I think the guys in Tampa are being unnecessarily "in your face" confrontational, it doesn't hurt to take other people's sensitivities into account.