NAACP Branch Readies for Confederate Flag Fight

[392cobra]

Not sure if the NAACP is getting bored and/or Jesse & Al are just looking for free tickets to the race.

"... we don't regulate the lawful behavior of our fans or prohibit free speech and expression of our guests," Gray told FOXNews.com. "We can't tell people what to wear. Where do you start? Where does it end, as far as individual expression?"

Brandon Hensler, a spokesman for American Civil Liberties Union's Florida chapter, said bringing a Confederate flag to the race or any public event would be protected speech.

"If someone wants to show up with a shirt like that, there'd be no legal recourse for that," Hensler said. "Unless there's a specific threat, all speech is protected."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522203,00.html

[427 S/O]

Bored is likely, then again Jessie and Al are way short on face time.

[VRM]

They should be free to wear what they want. The NAACP is free to protest whatever they want.

Personally, I would not be celebrating a heritage that includes slavery, but I'm a Yankee so what do I know about freedom, right?

Steve

[427sharpe]

Not to burst bubbles, but the WHOLE country participated in slavery, not just the south. The north gave up African slavery when cheap immigrant labor (wage slaves) became plentiful. So slavery is an American blight, not merely a southern one. And as for Al and crew...I guess BoBo is pushing them off of TV. Reminds me of what granny used to say..Be careful what you wish for..

[Dan40]

Here is something to think about,

"African slavery was present in Europe before the discovery of America in 1492. Those same slaves could have been brought to America when the New World was discovered in 1492. Slavery for Africans in 1620 in Jamestown, although it resembled indentured servitude rather than chattel slavery. (Whites also were indentured servants.) Race-based slavery developed over the next decades. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 declared the end of slavery, although it didn't immediately free any slaves. The end of American slavery is often dated June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that they had been freed. This date is often called, and celebrated as, Juneteenth Day."


Since there was no such thing as the UNITED STATES before 1776 and slavery ended in 1865. Slavery in the US had a span of 89 years. Not a lot more than a single lifetime. And we have paid reparations in the 10's of TRILLIONS of Dollars for more than 200 years.

[Doug I]

And at the time the 5% of the population in the South that owned slaves weren't to concerned about the 'should they / shouldn't they own' question as at the time it wasn't really an issue. What was the problem was states rights - specifically a, at the time, somewhat remote government taking the wealth as taxes.

hmmm the more things change the more they stay the same.

[CobraEd]

The ancient egyptians had african slaves over 2,000 years ago.


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[Doug I]

and for a little longer than 89 years I believe

[DAVID GAGNARD]

And lets not forget that it was African tribes raiding/fighting with other African tribes that started slavery.(BTW, there are still doing to this day!!!!) The losing tribe's members were taken as slaves by the stronger tribe, then later sold to others as slaves around the world at that time... Then later on, they were sold and shipped to the "new world"......

Speaking of al and jesse, they haven't had a "cause" in some time now and need some cash, unless there is a contraversy, they make no money......

For the Jena 6 march, all marchers were told they needed to donate a minimum of 10 bucks, preferalby 20 bucks or more to pay for the "travel expences" of al and jesse, you do the math with 20,000+ people there.....They also had to pay 10 bucks a head to ride al and jesse's buses to the march.... That's about 700 bucks per 25 mile trip per bus, not a bad deal..... for al and jesse....

They should be free to wear what they want. The NAACP is free to protest whatever they want

Agree with you on this one..........

Personally, I would not be celebrating a heritage that includes slavery, but I'm a Yankee so what do I know about freedom, right?

Yep, Yankees didn't have plantations and slaves, you'll had the Chinese and Irish and Italians instead, you'll just didn't call them slaves at the time, but they were just as much slaves as the people down on the plantations!!!!!!!!!!!!!


David

[427sharpe]

They must absolutely adore the idea of BoBo hanging a wreath on the confederate memorial on veterans day. Almost as much as the confederates themselves!

[cobra bill]

Yep, Yankees didn't have plantations and slaves, you'll had the Chinese and Irish and Italians instead, you'll just didn't call them slaves at the time, but they were just as much slaves as the people down on the plantations!!!!!!!!!!!!!



This was the new slavery plan, a diabolical plot by the robber barons, it's actually cheaper then slavery and continued to this day, this is why the right hates unions and free education, with slavery it was quite expensive to buy one let alone enough to run a plantation, you had to house them feed them care for them, yes even healthcare! Then they discovered cheap foreign labor, you don't have to feed them house them or take care of them, and they work for pennies. So now they figured out if they don't educate the populous, and make their lives hopeless, they too will work for cheap, and soon you have a situation where 1% have 90% of the wealth, hopelessness avails and throw in a boogey man, AKA terrorist, to keep the peasants in fear and you have your utopia! well the right wings version of it.

[fsstnotch]

Confederate civil war reenactor here!!! 4th SC

I love when people ask about the confederate flag at a reenactment and refer to slavery... The confederate flag was nothing more than a battle flag! It did not signify slavery!!! I don't see anyone crying if I am carrying a bonnie blue or the like!!! the Bonnie has more significance to slavery than a confederate flag! But somehow the confederate flag stuck.

[Ron61]

I think the battle flag of the losing side always gets more attention. The Nazis never even came up with the Swastika, yet they are for the most part credited with it. Same for the Rising Sun flag of Japan. Myself I have no problem at all with anyone who wants to have or show the Confederate flag. Didn't hear any complaints about the Dukes of Hazard and the general Lee.

Ron

[Bobcat]

fsstnotch ... dead on . The "Confederate " flag came into being after the first Manassas battle because of mass confusion of who was who since the flags of the North and South were similar and in battle , couldn`t be told apart . The flag , to be specific , was the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia ( yes , I`m from VA ) and to the best of my knowledge never flew over any Southern city or government building . In fact , SC had over 200 different flags used during the war ( I live in SC now ) .
As Ron61 points out , this is a perfect example of some groups taking a flag that never flew over any slave ships etc ( battle flag ) and making it a symbol of their hatred . Ron`s example of the Swastika is perfect . That is a very old religious symbol from Okinawa and is also the symbol of Shorin Ryu Karate . If interested , look up the history of that symbol as it is VERY interesting .... and honorable .
What I do find numerous , is that the NAACP is focusing on the " Confederate " flag and assuming that banning it will solve all their social issues . To me , this is just their way to divert attention from their real problems and keep their jobs .

Bob

[KeithBrown]

Originally Posted by VRM

Tbut I'm a Yankee so what do I know about freedom, right?

Steve

Steve - no problem you are welcome to your opinion of us (feel free to read your history though). Being a Yankee isn't necessarily a bad thing here - just so long as you don't become one of those "Damn Yankees" - that is how we describe all of those pesky arrogant northerners who come down here to the South and stay. Feel free to visit though!

[bomelia]

I frankly could care less about the confederate flag. It is only in the last 20 years or so that the flag got trully associated with slavery. I live here. I watched that happen. SC used to fly it over the state capitol. 'Ol Miss use to wave it at their football games. The scrap that took place to get it down pretty much did the banner in. For me, I have always associated it with rednecks. Because, that's pretty much because it is where you see it anymore.

There is no question that some folks with bad intentions used that flag in sad ways. It was a relic of the Civil War. And its a damn shame its been turned into something else.

[CobraEd]

It is my understanding that the civil war was about unity of the states. That was it!!!! Lincoln only threw in the slavery issue in toward the end of the war as an added element.


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[Cobrabill]

Sorry,Ed,but slavery was an issue from the get-go.And if you want to get technical.The Confederate flag is merely a flag of a foreign country-nothing more.

[427sharpe]

Better rethink that jewel a little; Lincoln himself said that if he could Save the union by eliminating slavery, I would do it. Save the union by eliminating some slavery while allowing others, I would do it. Save the union by leaving slavery alone as it now stands, I would do that as well.
Even his Emancipation Proclamation did NOT free the slaves in the border states...only those 'residing within those states currently engaged in armed rebellion against the national authority'. The prior post was correct in that slavery became the central issue far into the war, not at the outset. Many historians now feel that part of the impetus to highlight slavery in the war was as a wedge to keep Great Britain out of the war, as tying the crown to a 'slaver' was politically untenable for the English.

[Cobrabill]

The issue of slavery was one of the primary reasons for secession (or the threatening of).The issue was there in the beginning,but grew quickly.