I would certainly hope so, yeah. While I’m no fan of the flag at all, I agree with wahoo that some things are beginning to get a little silly. Thankfully, so far saner heads are prevailing and keeping the crazy in check.
wahoo, can you link to the vote you’re referring to? The only one I’m finding is a more restrained (https://news.yahoo.com/house-cancels-vote-allow-confederate-flag-cemeteries-171456375.html) which refers to “a measure that would allow the Confederate battle flag to be flown in cemeteries managed by the National Park Service.”
I’m still with you that I’m worried things will go too far off into crazy overreactions, but this incident seems to be pretty standard stuff.
… What on Earth are you guys talking about? If you’re referring to the proposed House changes to National Park Service policies, here are some facts, with links and things (succinct explainer here):
[ul]
[li]On Tuesday the House approved by voice vote an amendment that would end a policy that allowed temporary display of the Confederate battle flag in Federal cemeteries run by the National Park Service.[/li][li]This policy allowed private citizen to temporarily decorate Confederate graves with small battle flags, only on Confederate Memorial Day in states that recognize Confederate Memorial Day. The flags had to be removed “as soon as possible” after Confederate Memorial Day. “The NPS said individuals occasionally place Confederate flags at those gravesites [at other times] but they are removed by cemetery personnel, as with any other items left on graves.”[/li][li]The policy that allowed decoration on Confederate Memorial Day was not some old, venerable policy. In fact it dates back to … 2010.[/li][li]Flying the Confederate Battle Flag from National Park Service flag poles is not, and never has been, allowed.[/li][li]Very few Confederate graves are actually affected by this policy one way or the other. (The article doesn’t spell it out but I assume most Confederate graves are in state-run, not Federally-run, cemeteries. Note that “graves” is not synonymous with “bodies” since many dead on both sides were buried in a hurry and didn’t necessarily get a marked grave.)[/li][li]Despite not making a peep on Tuesday, on Wednesday Republican Rep Ken Calvert introduced an amendment to the bill that would go back to the 2010 policy allowing the temporary battle flags, as well as reversing a post-Charleston Park Service policy that forbade selling merchandice that had the battle flag as the primary feature. The sort of debate you would expect then broke out, with the D’s saying the R’s were behind the times, and the R’s saying things like “Members of Congress from New York and California cannot wipe away 150 years of Southern history with sleight-of-hand tactics.” The bill is now stalled (but according to thehill.com, most Ds were already against it, suggesting to me that maybe this was a clever R tactic to kill an already doomed bill.)[/li][/ul]
In other words it’s a meaningless political kerfluffle over an obscure, recent, and minor National Parks Service policy.
(And there’s no legal issue involved. You have a right to free speech … but you don’t have a right to erect private monuments on Federal land without their permission, any more than you have a right to graffiti political slogans on the White House or stage a protest rally in the Air and Space Museum without booking it first.)
Here you go. The voice amendment in House would ban any flag placing even by memorial groups. Period. Means no flags at the Confederate cemetery in Vicksburg. Pelosi also proposed banning the MS flag from the Capitol.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/flag-fight-leaves-a-house-divided-20150709?utm_content=buffer6e4d0&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
You completely misunderstand. The new Amendment overturns the NPS directive. No flags for the dead. Period
There are no Confederate dead buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery. The Confederate dead are buried in nearby Cedar Hill cemetery, which is privately run and thus not affected by the policy either way.
As for the Mississippi flag, what was proposed was banning official displays of the battle flag symbol on US Capitol grounds. Now in their infinite wisdom Mississippi has chosen to incorporate the battle flag as part of their state flag, so … (This proposal of course never had any chance of passing the R-controlled House, of course.)
… No, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it?
- Prior to Tuesday there was an NPS policy that allowed private citizens to temporarily display the battle flag on Confederate graves in Federal cemeteries on one specific day a year.
- On Tuesday the House passed by voice vote an amendment to a bill that negated the NPS policy, thus prohibiting placing the battle flag in Federal cemeteries on any day.
- On Wednesday the House introduced another amendment that would negate Tuesday’s amendment, restoring the pre-Tuesday NPS policy. And there the matter sits for now.
That is correct and what I said albeit in less detail.Except the approps bill is pulled. My mistake on Vicksburg. I thought it was one of two but one of the two not affected the other being Andersonville. (Nevermjnd. Wash post said two NPS parks affected are Vicksburg and andersonvile.)fight is over should local groups be able to place a marker on that one day.
Edit: Accidental re-post.
-Todd
I choose to believe you didn’t just post that without realizing it had already been shared, but that you are honoring the heritage of this thread. :)
The real debate: Which is better? Clickhole or The Onion?
Whoops! Absolutely the heritage aspect.
-Todd
This is some divide-by-zero shit. Like we’ve gone beyond the Event Horizon.
Florida Gun Supply, the “no Muslims allowed” gun store, is auctioning off a Confederate flag painted by George Zimmerman. Because freedom or something.
http://floridagunsupply.com/george-zimmerman-confederate-flag.html
Watch the video for extra-juicy crazy.
ISN’T THE CONFEDERATE FLAG RACIST?
No way!
The Confederate Flag HAS been used by a small amount of people to incite racism, however, it has not become a symbol of racism. You cannot assume everyone who flies a Confederate Flag is racist in the same way that you cannot judge every Muslim to be a terrorist, or every gun owner to be a serial killer.
But they don’t let muslims into their store.
…
Is that his way of giving people a wink and a nod?
“We know the flag isn’t racist. Just like Muslims aren’t terrorists.” /winkwinknudgenudge
Georgia: The last bastion of the Confederate flag
While Georgia law requires a state-sponsored specialty plate for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who are supported by proceeds from the plates, the governor ordered a redesign. The new version, to be made available soon, will remove the watermarked confederate flag spread over the background of the plate, but keep a smaller version of the flag in the foreground, with its color darkened to a “blood red,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
A reported 3,500 drivers have already signed up for the nw Confederate plates, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans said they’ve recently seen a spike in interest.
What the duck? How many sons of confederate veterans are still alive and why do they still need supporting?
“…in the same way that you cannot judge every Muslim to be a terrorist.”
Because probably 1 in a 1000 of them Muslims ain’t a full-on terrorist. So you have to be careful with your judging.
Here are some more for them to use if they need more FAQ:
“…in the same way that you cannot judge every woman to be a whore.”
“…in the same way that you cannot judge every black to be violent.”
“…in the same way that you cannot judge every gay to be a deviant.”
Whoever wrote that answer is a deceitful piece of shit.
A prosecutor in Georgia is using anti-gang statutes against confederate flag-bearing rednecks harassing African Americans:
This triples the potential sentences. Also, it made me smile.
We’re not a gang, we’re just a group of people who have banded together under a common banner and have similar prejudices.
I’m torn, on one hand these assholes get all they deserve. On the other hand I’m concerned about the slippery slope phenomenon.