Eh, I bet a lot of folks in Germany who had traditional “hex signs” painted on their barns to ward off evil spirits were plenty pissed off that some random political group appropriated their good luck symbol. The Buddists and Hindus too. But you know what? Times change, and if you put up a swastika, people are going to draw a certain conclusion about you, regardless of your intent.
I was reading an article today about the stars-and-cross (I wish I could find it again), and some apologist was complaining that white supremacists burn crosses, but no one tries to ban the cross as a symbol. I read that and just blinked… does this guy really believe that a burning cross is anything OTHER than a racist symbol?
Pretty amazing at how fast the momentum seems to be finally building on this. A nice memorial to the Charleston victims if this symbol is finally taken down at least from official use.
I strongly disagree with removing civil war memorials/statutes of Lee, etc., however.
I think any and all symbols of the Confederacy should be removed from official property, local/state/federal. Public property like that represents all people, the Confederacy symbols do not stand for that to say the least.
If individuals want to fly that flag, and it’s not in an illegal way, then have at it. It will make a bad impression on some kinds of people, like me, but depending on where you live you might just be one of many doing the same.
I’ve always found it sadly ironic that by tying states’ rights to slavery, they ruined states’ rights as a thing. I’d ordinarily be very much in favor of limiting federal government’s power but if the choice is states’ rights(which allows for slavery) or more federal power(which eliminates slavery) then goodbye states’ rights. The same with things like segregation, it forced us to accept greater federal power, hell we demanded it. This is why we can’t have nice things.
I’m glad I read the article linked in the OP, by the way - though it’s from 2004 it’s very on point. And a good reminder that, whatever it may have meant or not meant in 1865, in modern times the symbol is closely linked to segregation (e.g. Georgia just happening to add it to the state flag in 1956.)
If you want to fly it yourself, more power to you, but people are going to assume you’re a racist. Much like if you throw up a swastika on something. It’s the same thing (only the swastika actually DID have a meaning before the Nazi’s took it, the Confederate Flag… not so much). Every time someone would bring out a swastika and tell me how it wasn’t a symbol of mass murder I had to resist the urge not to hit them in the face. At the end of the day it’s your right to fly whatever flag you want, but don’t expect people to not have their opinions about you based on it.
I enjoyed the Dukes a lot as a kid, but the flag on the General Lee bothered me even then. I have no problem with toys (toys!) with the flag being pulled from the market. Sell a flagless version instead. Lee himself was a sufficiently complex man that having the car named after him is tolerable. Were it the “General Forrest”, that would have to change as well.
As a kid watching Dukes of Hazzard I had a basic understanding of the Civil War and slavery(thanks Roots), and what ‘good ol’ boys’ were. So I just took it for granted that it was a show about goofy racists, played for laughs. The symbolism wasn’t lost on me but it came across as neutered. A similar thing was done with Hogan’s Heroes, where German soldiers and Nazis were used for jokes. Being a kid then it never dawned on me to wonder if it was in poor taste or not, I had no concept of taste at that age.
The Dukes of Hazard was a harmless show. The most offensive things about it was the acting and the recycled plots.
The General Lee is only offensive now for the iconography of the Confederate flag. Back when the show was first on the air, everyone loved it. Times change.
… I didn’t love The Dukes of Hazzard when it was on. I thought it was inane. Though I was a cynical high school student at the time, so I probably didn’t love most TV.
Like gameoverman, I knew what real-life good old boys were, and understood what, in the real world, plastering the battle flag over your possessions was likely to mean. The battle flag was a way of the show winking at its audience, saying We aren’t gonna say it out loud, but you know and we know that certain things about these characters can just be taken for granted. These are good old boys and y’all know what that means.
The battle flag was a was a symbol that let people to have their cake and eat it too, and everyone knew it. Which is, of course, why it’s disappearing so fast right now. Everyone for the last 50 years knew they were gonna be called on it sooner or later. It was just a question of when.
Well, “everyone” of course was an exaggeration. It was a gigantic ratings hit, became part of pop culture, and none of the TV news networks said anything about the Confederate flag on the car at the time. Like I said, times change. If The Dukes of Hazard hadn’t existed, you wouldn’t even be able to get that show concept off the ground now despite that fact that there are ardent defenders of that show.
Then again, a lot of terrible 80’s shows would never get past the writing room stage now.
