I observed this quote and the confederate flag on a shirt at the local fall festival this past weekend. I'm not sure what to do when confronted with the symbol, which is very prevalent in the area and just today observed on an employee vehicle. I want to yell at people and tell them to stop being racist, but I know that this would be fruitless. A southerner may argue that it is a symbol of southern pride, I would counter that It would be difficult to find a proud black southerner who would raise it. To me this still makes it a symbol of southern white pride.At the same fall festival I observed at least three interracial couples in attendance. I was pleasantly surprised by this and wondered if I had not given enough credit to the progression of the south.
I would be interested in your thoughts for a Yankee that just doesn't understand.
On a lighter note, more cultural observations:
- There are an abundance of bright fake plastic flowers at the cemeteries.
- If you go to Knoxville Tennessee on game day there are 100,000 people wearing volunteer orange.
- There are many old trucks, in various stages of repair and disrepair.
10 comments:
The game day thing happens in any football town, in columbus it looks like the streets are bleeding.
Interesting thoughts on racial divides...My first instinct when I opened your blog and all I saw was a confederate flag was "oh man, I want to throw up. [and of course, what has Kentucky done to my Eric and Sarah!!!]"
After reading your entry, the instinct turned into "hm, some things in this world make you think A LOT" Why is our world so good at hatred - yet working for peace can seem to be the hardest job on earth? I don't know the answer.
BUT for those of us who strive for something better in this life - it will be a long, hard road on which we will leave our path for more and more people to feel welcomed, loved and accepted during their time on this earth...for whomever they are destined to be.
:) So, keep on working to break down society's constructs of what things SHOULD be and let them just BE...as will I.
-From, your friend who has half of your cassette tape collection! [guess who]
This symbol can be found on the flags of the following states: Georgia, Mississippi. That's it. Most definitely not on Kentucky's.
The "pride" argument flies only if you are from Georgia or Mississippi, and even then I question why you would be proud of a symbol that stands for racism and slavery. And don't give me the "state's rights" argument--it was always and only about slavery.
The Southern states stood up for themselves--way to not let yourselves be bullied, South! But, really, is requesting that you not ENSLAVE OTHER HUMAN BEINGS really bullying? And is fighting for your right to enslave other human beings really something to be proud of?
Born and raised Northerners display the confederate flag too, so I can't generalize such attitudes as only Southern. Up here I think it stands for redneck pride, which really means racism and ignorance pride. Such wasted energy! I'll do my best to convert them to Hickism, and then we can all go to the beer tent and listen to country music in peace. (I heart beer tents and country music, so I'm not being sarcastic.)
But I am a super big Yankee, so maybe I just don't get it. If this is the case, I'm okay with not "getting it."
Peyton Manning was a Volunteer :-)
-from the friend with the other half of your tape collection
eric don't turn into a newark valley redneck please!!!!!!!!!
The confederate flag is a point of contention in our school. Dealing with 12 year olds they seem to not understand that it is a symbol of racism and slavery. They claim to just see it as a symbol of "Southern Pride". Maybe I choose to believe them because it is easier to think they are ignorant rather than hateful. However, we don't allow them to wear it. As for their parents...I don't know what to say about them. Fight the fight, educate the ones you can. Definitely ask the employee why they have the sticker, what do they think it means, do they realize what others may think it means.
That stuff has always been there,and will always be there.Two sides to almost everything. You just have to wait[patiently} for the good side to get bigger than yhe bad side. Dad Y.
Funny how some things are there and you never really notice them. Driving home from church on Sunday I noticed for the first time a confederate flag flying next to the american flag (mounted on a cannon, of course) in a neighbor's yard. I have no idea how long it has been there. So, it is not just in Kentucky but in Monkey Hollow as well. Love you lots, mom (ps any guesses on who the neighbor is, Sarah?)
http://www.thesouthernamerican.org/colour.html
http://www.revisionisthistory.org/black_confederates.html
The sad part about history is that it's written by the victors. Over time small parts of the truth come to light,but the "enlightened" refuse to acknowledge them.
I was directed to this blog by another member of the SOCV .
I wonder if you followed the links that were provided by some other proud and educated Southerner. If so ,it would seem that you wish to ignore what was there, as you haven't made anymore comments on the subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCC9VHk13JY
I'll leave you this link although I doubt your narrow teaching will allow you to believe what it tells you. I wonder why people come to our homeland and expect us to change to be more like what they left behind. I've never went to those areas and expected to order grits in an eating establishment or even expected a polite greeting from a cashier. I've traveled much through my life and I'm always happy to return to the Highlands of Kentucky. You should be so very thankful that you get the chance to live in our great state.
May you learn to love the people of the area and not pity them as uneducated hicks. Just because someone else doesn't believe as you do, doesn't make them less then you.
Robert Watson rwhotrodder@yahoo.com
Post a Comment