Flag

[Aimster]

What does a flag represent?

EX:
If you display the Confederate flag, are you cheering for the people (regime/government) who created it, or are you displaying pride for your people.

I've been getting into a heated debate with everyone on another board about something I posted and they are accusing me of being something I'm not.

 

[nageov3t]

IMO, hanging a flag expresses pride in what the flag represents or pride in your heritage.

unless it's a confederate flag, in which case you're clearly endorsing racism and showing pride in traitors to the union.

 

[Taejin]

What is the confederate flag representative of?

Slavery, lifestyle of slavery, attempt to secede, defeated.

It may not be endorsing racism per se, but something worse.

 

[Aimster]

ok what if the south had won and the national flag was the confederate flag.

If I was to display the nation's flag 100 years after the war (which would be the confederate flag), would that mean I support the confederates, or my people.

 

[Kibbo]

Originally posted by: Aimster
ok what if the south had won and the national flag was the confederate flag.

If I was to display the nation's flag 100 years after the war (which would be the confederate flag), would that mean I support the confederates, or my people.

Umm. . .you would be supporting both.

When I display my Canadian flag, I am both supporting what my country is today, as well as every soldier who fought with the maple leaf on his uniform, even before the maple leaf was our official flag.

When you chose to show a symbol, you can't pick and choose which meanings that symbol legitimately carries. You carry all of the them.

To do otherwise would be like trying to fly the swastika, and trying to say that it only supports public works programs, or an expanded German military; You can't separate the symbolism from the anti-semitism.

Now, I don't know what symbol you were flying, was it the Confederate flag? I assumed not, considering your heritage. If it were, I wouldn't have used the swastika as an example. Too sensitive.

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: Aimster
What does a flag represent?

EX:
If you display the Confederate flag, are you cheering for the people (regime/government) who created it, or are you displaying pride for your people.

I've been getting into a heated debate with everyone on another board about something I posted and they are accusing me of being something I'm not.

I would guess that by displaying the Confederate flag you are displaying pride in your heritage and there's nothing wrong with that. As far as I'm concerned in a free society you have every right to fly any flag you want.

The problem is other people see that flag and interpret it's display differentley then you have intended. Although you personally may not be a racist, you have left yourself open to be interpretted as such. When you go against the grain you have to be prepared to defend your position.

In short, your not being "politcally correct". So, do we live in a free society or a society ruled only by the majority (or even groups with lots of money to spend) ??

 

[UbiSunt]

The argument that waving, owning, etc... the Confederate flag implicitly supports racism, is as intelligent as arguing that the Canadian flag implies maple syrup.

 

[Infohawk]

A flag is really only a mark of differentiation. I think it's only useful in international contexts. I hate driving through hick areas and seeing tons of American flags. I already knew it was the USA--please. It irritates me when people take pride in the flag because ultimately they had no control over it and people should only have pride in things they can control over.

As for the confederate flag sure it's a closet bigot thing mixed in with regional identity. I'm glad the rednecks still like to yap about it because it reminds us all that their ancestors recently took up arms against the USA and that true Americans are non-red staters.

 

[MidasKnight]

Originally posted by: UbiSunt
The argument that waving, owning, etc... the Confederate flag implicitly supports racism, is as intelligent as arguing that the Canadian flag implies maple syrup.

:thumbsup:

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: UbiSunt
The argument that waving, owning, etc... the Confederate flag implicitly supports racism, is as intelligent as arguing that the Canadian flag implies maple syrup.

Agreed. It's like saying that since you own a gun you might be a criminal.

 

[Darkhawk28]

A flag is just a piece of cloth with some dye on it. What truly is important is that you not worship that piece of cloth, but the principles that your country is supposed to represent.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: UbiSunt
The argument that waving, owning, etc... the Confederate flag implicitly supports racism, is as intelligent as arguing that the Canadian flag implies maple syrup.

I agree, but flying a flag does imply you support something about what it represents. I personally don't find anything especially admirable about the Confederacy, so I have a hard time understanding why anyone would fly the flag. I understand having Southern pride, there is a lot to be proud of there. I just don't think that flag is one of those things.

 

[Gaard]

When I was in high school, our sports name was The Rebels and we all sported the confederate flag.

 

[totalcommand]

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit

Originally posted by: Aimster
What does a flag represent?

EX:
If you display the Confederate flag, are you cheering for the people (regime/government) who created it, or are you displaying pride for your people.

I've been getting into a heated debate with everyone on another board about something I posted and they are accusing me of being something I'm not.

I would guess that by displaying the Confederate flag you are displaying pride in your heritage and there's nothing wrong with that. As far as I'm concerned in a free society you have every right to fly any flag you want.

The problem is other people see that flag and interpret it's display differentley then you have intended. Although you personally may not be a racist, you have left yourself open to be interpretted as such. When you go against the grain you have to be prepared to defend your position.

In short, your not being "politcally correct". So, do we live in a free society or a society ruled only by the majority (or even groups with lots of money to spend) ??

I agree 100%.

Too bad a lot of people don't think we should see the same freedom in burning the flag.

 

[Forsythe]

Wheni show the danish flag it's out of tradition, i show it at birthdays and such. Would never use it for anything similar to showing my pride or something.

 

[judasmachine]

flags represent sectionalism, nationalism, etc.

silly notions that divide us further.

 

[crooked22]

Originally posted by: Forsythe
Wheni show the danish flag it's out of tradition, i show it at birthdays and such. Would never use it for anything similar to showing my pride or something.

Im just totally curious... when you say "out of tradition, i show it at birthdays and such." what do you mean by that? specially the birthday part... is it like tradition for birthdays? No offense, just curiousity.

In my case, I fly my flag proudly. If it needed be, I would spill my own blood for the people that flag represents and hope others do the same. Im a bit of a nationalist.

 

[shira]

Suppose there were an expert linquist who knew an esoteric English word that means "I support freedom". Yet, as it happened", this word was also a homonym for a word that was a vicious racial slur.

Under these circumstances, if the linguist loudly spoke this word in public places, broadcast it on the radio, etc., what would you think of this person? Myself, I'd think he was an idiot to so callously disregard the interpretation he KNEW many people would assume when they heard the word.

In the same way, although each person has his own set of meanings associated with the display of a flag, we are also aware that others have a wide array of different interpretations, some of them not at all positive. Therefore, a person who displays a flag, especially one with a wide set of negative associations, may well be showing disrepect for the legitimate sensitivities of others.

 

[Steeplerot]

Originally posted by: judasmachine
flags represent sectionalism, nationalism, etc.

silly notions that divide us further.

 

[mordantmonkey]

Many non racists in the south (yes they do exist). Find it unfortunate that the issue of state's rights was fought alongside the issue of slavery. Many, myself not included, see the confedrate flag as a symbol of the importance of state's rights (hence "rebel flag") and sovreignty. frankly i think they should find another flag to represent that, but it's their perogative i guess.

 

[mordantmonkey]

"i can't stand patriotism, makes me sick. the world was round last time i checked. Well, my parents fvcked here...ok i guess i'm proud. " -Bill Hicks

 

[Forsythe]

Originally posted by: crooked22

Originally posted by: Forsythe
Wheni show the danish flag it's out of tradition, i show it at birthdays and such. Would never use it for anything similar to showing my pride or something.

Im just totally curious... when you say "out of tradition, i show it at birthdays and such." what do you mean by that? specially the birthday part... is it like tradition for birthdays? No offense, just curiousity.

In my case, I fly my flag proudly. If it needed be, I would spill my own blood for the people that flag represents and hope others do the same. Im a bit of a nationalist.

lol, none taken.
In denmark we have a tradition to put up our flag at birthdays, so when i drive down the road and see a danish flag, the first (perhaps only) thing i think is "who's birthday is it? Some famour guy?". We use small paper flags to show where entrances is, and if someone is died, we flag on half, as i believe you do. That's about all i would do with a flag if i had one.
But i'm generally not a competitive guy, unless it has something to do with mental capeabilities, infact, i'm the least cometitive guy i know!!!

Americans in general are obsessed with their flag (no offence intended), that's what gets to most foreign people i think.

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: Aimster
What does a flag represent?

EX:
If you display the Confederate flag, are you cheering for the people (regime/government) who created it, or are you displaying pride for your people.

I've been getting into a heated debate with everyone on another board about something I posted and they are accusing me of being something I'm not.

If I understand the question correctly, you are asking what *A* flag, *ANY* flag represents, right? Not limited to the Confederate flag?

If that's what you're asking, then I have to say that a flag is representative of the organization (government, boy scouts, whatever) that deploys it and stands for the principles that that organization claims to espouse.

Why?

Jason

 

[slurmsmackenzie]

Originally posted by: loki8481
IMO, hanging a flag expresses pride in what the flag represents or pride in your heritage.

unless it's a confederate flag, in which case you're clearly endorsing racism and showing pride in traitors to the union.

does that mean flying the stars and stipes condones genocide..... what with the indians and all