@emilybee I am in no way implying that you are not entitled to your opinion. My point was that when things are in print for all to see that opinions can be misinterpreted and construed to meet people’s agendas and hateful things can happen. IMO. I’m fairly certain that Roof read others opinions to justify his actions. I’m not saying he was right, because he obviously wasn’t. I’m just saying it happens.
It is, but we as individual voters can only do so much. Not saying we shouldn’t try but how many public school teachers who vote in Wisconsin approve of some of their state’s policies? How many taxpayers in NY approve of the gross corruption of disability benefits in LIRR workers? Was it really the will of the voting American people that we ended up with “freedom fries” in the cafeterias on Capitol Hill?
Politicians do stupid things and they seem to especially love to do stupid things that involve symbols. We can vote them out but it sometimes seems a Herculean task and takes a lot of time.
“Not saying we shouldn’t try but how many public school teachers who vote in Wisconsin approve of some of their state’s policies?”
Not many if I recall and they made their case loud and clear and often. They are/were not silent. They were all over the news.
“How many taxpayers in NY approve of the gross corruption of disability benefits in LIRR workers?”
Most people do not even know about this corruption (I have no idea about it, but I live in Albany, so it’s not on my radar, tbh.) However, if you think that rises to the level of a racist flag on the Capitol grounds for 50 years, nothing I can say will make any difference.
It is nothing like a racist flag, but then again the racist flag is nothing like stealing money. It’s just an analogy about things we might wish to instantly correct (as voters) but find it difficult to, it is not a statement of equivalents.
If you’re interested in the LIRR case:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/nyregion/21lirr.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The debate in SC is now being based on the War of Northern Aggression. I guess they are no longer the party of Lincoln.
Calling it the War of Northern Aggression is such a joke. Good grief.
Who fired on Ft Sumter?
Is that a trick question? The Confederate army fired on the Fort. So I guess it should be the War of Southern Aggression?
When I was in school it was taught as the War between the States.
just to be clear: I don’t think the flag should be flying above U.S. government buildings. I think the only flags that should be flying from government buildings are the U.S. flag and State flag (and maybe the POW flag).
I’m just saying that everyone flying the flag is not a racist. And that while some people might identify the confederate flag in question with racism, there are likely also people that do the same with the American flag.
Well no **** Sherlock as they say - not everybody flying the Conf flag is a racist. However, unless you live under a rock, it’s common knowledge that flying the Conf flag sends a perception that one is racist. Thoughtful people care about that and would want to avoid that because they’d be horrified as being perceived as racist.
Passed a house yesterday that was flying our state flag and a confederate flag. Turned my stomach.
Progress - SC House approves bill to remove the Confederate flag:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/us/confederate-flag-south-carolina.html
The murders have given rise to increased awareness and dialogue in Charleston - not the race war Roof wanted. And the CBF is coming down from the Statehouse grounds. Some good has come from evil.
Congratulations to the people of South Carolina!
I was very moved by some of the impassioned floor speeches in favor of removing it from people who, based on background and family ties, one might have thought would want to keep it. As in the case of Paul Thurmond it appears that those ties can be used as street cred to speak out for the side of right.
Also, those people who should know came out and said that the flag represented hatred.
The woman who represents Charleston in the State’s house chamber gave a very impassioned speech in favor of removing the Comfederate flag. When she said she was a descendent of Jefferson Davis, it really was touching.
And it is done!
That speech @hayden had me in tears this morning. It was so moving.
I saw a replay of that last night and it was intense and very moving. That’s what gets me - the yahoos in northern states are now flying the flag in solidarity or as a big middle finger in places where it doesn’t belong (Minnesota and Iowa for example) and state representatives of SC who have deep heritage in the south and the confederacy spoke eloquently about the represented history of it and doing the right thing to move forward.