Seahawks Receiver Doug Baldwin:
To which I agree. He has regularly called penalties for things like the N-Word absurd.
I am white and grew up in the east end of the capital of the Confederacy in a town called Highland Springs, affectionately termed "Harlem Springs" by our wealthier neighbors to the west of Richmond. I've seen all sorts of things in cars in the parking lot of school. Singling out one or two things is anecdotal at best. But I get that he is offering it to attempt to legitimize his position and offer some perspective from his experiences, so I don't think the noose comment was at all germane to the rest of his post though, so I question his motive for including it as a possible attempt to poison the well from the start.
THANK YOU!!!
Correction, it was "A" battle flag used by Lee's troops from Northern Virginia.
Highly minimalist interpretation. The Confederacy was fighting a defensive war, intent on independence. The right to continue slavery was one part of the overall argument of states' rights of self-determination.
This is a common error in this discussion. Secession was not a declaration of war. The South did not fight to secede. They fought to remain independent AFTER secession.
I wonder if the same guy who declared that the N word has become a term of endearment would allow for a new context to a new generation of Southerners.
So, if young blacks can "reappropriate" the term "nigger" despite how white "outsiders" historically used the term, why can't this generation in the south reappropriate the Battle Flag into a lack-of-racist-overtone Southern Pride framework without substantial regard for how "outsiders" perceive it?
No more so than you can understand the message being given by white rappers/celebrities with "hood passes", like V-Nasty, Chappelle Show co-creator Neal Brennan, John Mayer or that girl with grills in the A$ap Rocky video. Heck, even Gwyneth Paltrow gets a hood pass
So, if you can excuse the history and appropriate the N word's meaning, why can't Southerners appropriate the flag?
The pride of being from the South. Nothing more in most cases.
And the WHOLE facts too, not reductionist oversimplifications.
Let's rephrase this where it makes more sense to his argument.
As part of the generation that really took this concept to heart and reappropriated the flag from the intent of the Dixiecrats, yes. That's exactly what it stands for. It's pride in everything that makes us who we are. Warts and all. It does not mean we are racist, or better than anyone for that matter. It means "I am proud of who I am and where I am from!" This simply isn't the 50's.
The Federal Government did not declare that slavery was wrong. They said that slavery would not be allowed in new territories, but that it could remain in the existing states.
And there was nothing in the Constitution against secession, which the New England states "Essex Junto" tried themselves half of a century before the Civil War. Not until Texas v. White, 4 years after the end of the war, did there exist a contention that secession was unconstitutional.
He whiffs on both accusations.
Since when do outsiders get to dictate the specifics of the pride a group shows? Like with the N word, the group using the flag gets to define its intent, regardless of a century-long-dead historical context.
I may link to this post on his FaceBook to see if he has anything to say on his errors.
Claiming that defending a person's use of the flag is "ignorant" is far from respectful. It seems to me that Mr. Baldwin has bought into the "Northern Messiahs" fable of the war. You simply can't make blunders like he made without that fable being an integral part of your thought process.
Pensacola, FL. Home sweet home. I can respect freedom of speech.
Hell, I've been known to rub people the wrong way during times when I have publicly stood for something I believed in. And I guess there is the occasional football rant. But that is a different story. Today I want to discuss this picture, depicting individuals demonstrating their freedom of speech, taken in my home town. It is not surprising to see, however, that it's still a very frustrating image to me for various reasons. Why? Well, I grew up in this area and know the population all too well. A noose hanging from a rearview mirror wasn't outside the realm of what I would see in my high school parking lot. My experiences in life have taught me that you can't expect ignorance to educate itself. Being an African-American born in the South, there is some confirmation bias in play here but I'm going to attempt to share some history while stating my stance on the subject based on that history.
First, let's discuss some facts of history. The flag that we are debating over is not even the original confederate flag.
This information may seem irrelevant but it is important to point out for the sake of validity in my argument. Although it wasn't the official flag of the Confederate States of America, it was the battle flag used by Robert E. Lee, a general in the Confederate Army.
So the flag at some point did indeed represent the "rebel" cause. These "rebels", for the most part, were fighting against the union in an effort to keep slavery in place.
(You can check this fact by googling the Articles of Secession).
For the sake of this argument, let's negate that simple fact. (This is a key element to an argument a lot of supporters of the flag are making.) So, what is the relevance of the flag without the context of the Civil War?
Ever heard of the civil rights movement? In the late '40s, the flag was an adopted symbol of the segregationist Dixiecrat party. Article 4 of their platform stated, "We stand for the segregation of the races." In 1956, the battle flag was a prominent feature on the redesign of Georgia's state flag partly in response to the Supreme Court's ruling to desegregate schools just two years earlier. They have since removed it. The argument we hear today is that the flag represents "Southern Heritage" and "Southern Pride". The only relevant "heritage" I could find in history not pertaining to the Civil War was associated with racism and segregation. Is this the heritage and pride you speak of?
So, if young blacks can "reappropriate" the term "nigger" despite how white "outsiders" historically used the term, why can't this generation in the south reappropriate the Battle Flag into a lack-of-racist-overtone Southern Pride framework without substantial regard for how "outsiders" perceive it?
That brings me full circle. By understanding the significant historical symbolism of Robert E. Lee's battle flag, we can easily identify the various messages that flying the flag represents.
So, if you can excuse the history and appropriate the N word's meaning, why can't Southerners appropriate the flag?
But to all of you exercising your right to freedom of speech: Do you even know what you are supporting?
To those arguing against the flag, make sure your argument is based on the facts.
I'm sure there are those individuals that understand what the flag stands for and still support it. And to that group I say, may God bless you because I'm having a hard time with grace myself.
I'm sure there are those individuals that understand what I believe the flag stands for and still support it.
As a 26-year-old who grew up in the South around many supporters of the confederate flag, I would like to ask those same people to answer this question: What does southern pride and heritage really mean? Is it the sweet tea and hospitality?
Or is this a sense of pride for the rebellious actions against a national government who had the audacity to say that secession was unconstitutional and slavery was wrong?
"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."
- Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address
- Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address
And there was nothing in the Constitution against secession, which the New England states "Essex Junto" tried themselves half of a century before the Civil War. Not until Texas v. White, 4 years after the end of the war, did there exist a contention that secession was unconstitutional.
He whiffs on both accusations.
Furthermore, I'd like to ask, how does this symbol, which produces such a strong feeling of offense by those who were oppressed under it, best represent that pride and heritage?
If you can answer these questions and defend this flag in a way that isn't rooted in a sense of emotional, stubborn pride for the oppressive intent this flag has represented in the past, then I'll gladly commend you for it.
But until then, I'll be patiently waiting for the day ignorance can educate itself and will do my part to try and educate it in an assertive, respectful manner.
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