Ya know its amamzing.........

[LousianaHorn]

we aren't supposed to judge all people of the Islamic faith by the acts of jackasses like that one in Chatnooga but let one like Roof do something just as insane and he brands everyone with a rebel flag a racist

 

[Crockett]

When time permits, I'm all for judging people one at a time, be they Muslims , rebel flag wavers or whatever.

 

[Horns11]

If Abdulazeez had an ISIS flag hanging on his garage or in his twitter photos, then people/media would greenlight the ability to "judge" all people like him regarding the act of domestic terror. Not unlike Roof. I personally think flags are harmless, but "guilt by association" seems to be the blame game right now.

If you're going to say that 1.5 billion adherents to a specific religion constitutes the same as what Abdulazeez/Roof did, then I'd just disagree.

 

[MobiusHorn]

Flags are symbols and people fly them to represent their feelings and philosophies. Why do you think there was so much fervor when the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. flag burning is permitted under the First Amendment. Ardent patriots were very offended by that ruling because of the philosophies and feelings represented by the American flag and what burning that flag represented to them. You can argue all the reasons you want about why different people fly the Confederate flag. I agree that they're not all bigots . But what it represents to many African Americans is the philosophies and feelings of the Confederate nation. Slavery. Bigotry. Lynchings. Rape. Hate.

If you can't recognize the emotions and feelings raised in many African Americans by the Confederate flag you're not empathizing with them in any fashion. Try to put yourself in their shoes and view the flag from their perspective if you can. What symbol truly offends you and raises negative emotions. Possibly the Nazi flag? Possibly the ISIS flag? Possibly the burning of the American flag? (Yes, that is a symbol.) I'm not creative enough to come up with all of the symbols that could possibly offend you.

I understand why the Confederate flag is a very negative symbol for many African Americans. I also agree that governmental entities should not be flying the flag. I further agree that individuals have the right to fly the flag. But, the feelings that the flag raises in many African Americans is understandable and the failure to recognize that is a lack of empathy.

 

[BevoBeef]

If you can't recognize the emotions and feelings raised in many African Americans by the Confederate flag you're not empathizing with them in any fashion. Try to put yourself in their shoes and view the flag from their perspective if you can. What symbol truly offends you and raises negative emotions. Possibly the Nazi flag? Possibly the ISIS flag? Possibly the burning of the American flag? (Yes, that is a symbol.) I'm not creative enough to come up with all of the symbols that could possibly offend you.

With all due respect, I do not see why I have to stand in the shoes of someone else in order to see that the Confederate flag is just a piece of colored cloth. I can toss both the ISIS flag and the USA flag into a camp fire and I feel no less or no more of a patriot of either country. To me, one of the most amazing things about our modern culture and political correctness is that a symbol of something is becoming the reality of what it actually represents. The cloth with the Stars and Stripes means nothing to me by itself. It is this country and the freedom that I have while residing in it that means everything to me. I might start to get a little riled if you are a preacher and start yelling from the pulpit, "God damn America!" That is a little bit more than seeing a flag on a pole or wall. If I stand up before a baseball game and put my cap over my heart while a certain tune is being played, I am not giving homage to a piece of cloth. I am proclaiming a respect for the reality that the cloth represents.

At what point does a symbol become as important as the suffering or the actions of people?

 

[Dionysus]

With all due respect, I do not see why I have to stand in the shoes of someone else in order to see that the Confederate flag is just a piece of colored cloth. [...] To me, one of the most amazing things about our modern culture and political correctness is that a symbol of something is becoming the reality of what it actually represents.

I can’t disagree with this but people view symbols in different ways, some of which seem hypersensitive, and that seems to be the core of the issue.

To take an extreme example, what about someone flying a swastika in their front yard—is this still just a benign piece of cloth? I think any reasonable person would find it to be vulgar and hateful. The Confederate flag stirs similar emotions in some Americans, and if we put ourselves in their shoes maybe we can sympathize with that view.

 

[BevoBeef]

I can’t disagree with this but people view symbols in different ways, some of which seem hypersensitive, and that seems to be the core of the issue.

Also, at the core of the issue is the loss of freedom when people allow their hurt feelings to limit a person with other opinions to not express themselves. Although that is an indication the property owner would not be a friend of mine, I would not condone exhibiting such a flag, but I would be the last one to ask him to take it down off his private property. My initial thought on seeing that flag would not be about the feelings of others but about the irony that the particular flag flying has when you consider all the lives that were lost in WW II by our countrymen to defend the privilege to fly that flag. I have shared numerous stories with family members that were scarred by their service in WW II. I would look at that flag with disgust, but people with the freedom that we have cannot allow feelings to override their actions.

Their is no need to go down the line of discussion about government flying certain flags. That whole topic is much more complicated and intertwined with all kinds of topics. Your particular example was about flying a flag on private property.

 

[Joe Fan]

 

[Spur 90]

What was the old quote "I disagree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - or something like that?

Now: "I agree with your free speech as long as it doesn't offend me. Or anyone else. At all."

 

[Mr. Deez]

What was the old quote "I disagree with what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - or something like that?

Now: "I agree with your free speech as long as it doesn't offend me. Or anyone else. At all."

More like: "I agree with your free speech as long as it doesn't offend me or anyone I like. Offend the people I don't like as much as you want."