Actually, that is is exactly the point, as that is the entire and fundamental purpose of the First Amendment. Government should not be determining what are legitimate speech and feelings. It is government’s role to protect all citizens, regardless of their speech and feelings toward government or others.
For example, this guy below is a left-wing, rhetorical bomb thrower. He also hates his government - probably as much as Roof. Do I think government has the duty to protect his rights, even though he spouts anti-American views. Yes, I do.
Better still, do you think he expects the government to protect him, as he rails against it? I bet he does, as he rightfully should.
Another way to look at this is not via understanding, but in terms of basic respect that someone may have a viewpoint(s) you may never understand or be able to reconcile.
For example, I am Christian. I cannot for the life of me even conceive of being an atheist and holding atheist beliefs. I have atheists call me crazy all the time for believing in a Supreme Being. OK, that is their belief. However, I do not waste my time trying to understand why they believe that or waste time trying to be sensitive to their viewpoint - I simply respect that is their belief, and it is different than mine.
I will never understand atheism; I will never promote it; however, I will never impede people from displaying or practicing whatever is necessary to partake in their atheism. This is because I know they practice and do things, which I do not believe in using the identical freedoms I use to practice and do what I believe in.
It is the freedoms that matter in this country, not whether you can understand a person’s actions or beliefs.
The FEDERAL government isn’t determining speech in these cases and no individuals are being kept from displaying their battle flags. Two things are happening: State governments are retiring the flag or being asked to retire the flag for official use on state grounds, state flags and other state sponsored areas, and individual for-profit companies are deciding through the free market place that they no longer will sell Confederate battle flags and battle flag emblazoned products. I don’t know if they are doing it as a public relations stunt only or out of some deeper sympathies but if corporations are really people, these people are doing it unilaterally and are not being forced.
The freedoms of individual southerners and other battle flag aficionados are not being curtailed in any way . . . unless you include in that the freedom to swim in a public pool and attend a public school that is segregated by race as a matter of state policy.
That’s nice. Are you not hearing that no one is talking about prohibiting private citizens from flying, carrying or wearing the Conf flag as they see fit? No one’s rights are being violated, no one’s freedom is being taken away, if a state Capitol doesn’t fly a Conf flag.
As for silly things like changing the name of Wash and Lee, presumably they are a private university who will continue to call themselves what they want, or change their name as they see fit, and those who don’t like it need not apply there. There’s no problem and no constitutional freedoms are lost.
As for tearing down historical monuments, that’s just blather right now too.
These conversations are painful to have. But I think using phrases loaded with judgment, such as “are you not hearing,” “what exactly were they butt-hurt over” and “as for silly things like . . .” do not do anything to further the discourse. IMO they actually cause people to pull back and not participate in the discussion.
And yes, I am prepared to accept criticism for expressing this point of view.
Our mayor is talking about removing “confederate symbols”. I don’t mind statues that much, they are largely ignored, but I would love it if some streets were renamed. We have one named for Jefferson Davis, ugh!
Meanwhile, there are some streets that have already been scheduled to be partially renamed for certain civil rights workers. That drives me crazy! A street shouldn’t change it’s name for 4 blocks and then change back again. Rename all of Jefferson Davis Parkway and Robert E. Lee Blvd and be done with it.
My DH went to a HS with a Native American themed mascot that has recently been replaced. He had all the same ideas about “it’s our tradition” and “we’ve always been the ____________ and nobody minded”. Yes, it’s what he was used to in his little rural town and he has had trouble adjusting to the change because it seems like outsiders telling them what to do, but tough luck. He doesn’t get to decide how local tribes feel about their mascot. As the dominant culture we don’t always realize how the things we do impact others. Nobody minded means nobody in my circle of people like me minded.
The Stranger would not be my first choice for insightful and objective news and opinion, but what is important is that educating Washington State’s young people about the history of the region’s original inhabitants will help eradicate any lingering disregard for Indians today. Conditions on some reservations today remain appalling. It’s not all the U.S. government’s fault, but I am nevertheless taken aback by some of the hostile comments made against Native Americans in recent years by non-Indians whom think that since casinos have made a few folks rich, the Native Community as a whole has nothing to complain about.
^^So why is Walmart selling it? There is a mural of Che at Stanford. There used to be a Che cafe at UCSD (it was torn down for space reasons lately). I’m sure these symbols are offensive to Cuban Americans since Che murdered so many of their relatives. Perhaps they’ve protested and not been heard or perhaps they have bigger fish to fry.
@TatinG - I’m puzzled, and this is a sincere question. Do you believe that racism doesn’t exist in the US, or if it does, that the problem is negligible? Or if you think that it is a serious problem, how do you think we should be addressing it?
@TatinG , drawing a comparison between the Confederate flag and images of Che is a totally specious, inconsequential argument.
For one, there are no state houses or offices that show Che’s image on their walls.
The glorification of Che in this country is miniscule. Vast majority of people who buy Che’s image have no CLUE what he is all about or what he means to the Cuban and/or Latin American people. (I would also surmise, neither do you, but that’s another matter.) The number of Cubans Americans whose “relatives were murdered by Che” is smaller still.
The image of Che doesn’t represent the potential for imminent threat to anyone. On the other hand way too many attacks on African Americans have been led by white dudes wrapped in the Confederate flag. Sadly, for many African Americans, the sight of the Confederate flag is a sign they may be in danger.
If you don’t get this – if you don’t see the difference between the one symbol and the other – you’re suffering from a serious failure of imagination, historical myopia or both.
