Feelings on displaying the Confederate flag on your POV or person while on a military installation?

Proudly displayed in Fort Wainwright

For those that coincide the rebel flag(incorrect terminology for the battle flag of the North Virginia Army) with hatred or bigotry mainly do so only because of the use of the flag by hate groups(mainly the KKK) as a flag that they have decided to use to show their hatred of people with a skin color other than that of their own. The KKK uses the flag in a way to promote violence and hatred toward other races. Not all individuals fly the NVA battle flag for the same reasons. As to the same way that all Muslims do not share the beliefs of those associated with terrorists groups. So should we hate all Muslims just because they are Muslim, the answer is no. And no, I don't fly a NVA battle flag, just Ole Glory

The Confederate flag was termed by the Union as "Confederate" in regards as a. Threat to the north during the civil war. To Southerners it is a symbol of pride for the south, southern hospitality, hominy grits, collard greens, family reunions and. Just good ole boys having a drink together. It is pride for the south. Our way of life, and comraderie that no one would understand if you are not from the south or grew up there. Frankly southerners are just good hard working people that don't make a lot of money, but share what they have, and are willing to help. A neighbor out in a pinch. The flag. Does not intend to. Mean hatred or racism as it may have a long time ago. Frankly southerners are friendly. To the blacks, we drink with them rub elbows with them, work with them. Laugh and joke with them even. Invite them into our. Homes. This figment that hatred runs rapid in the south is a. Myth. Yes there are still some. Knot heads out there, but they do not represent the majority. If someone wants to bring. Hatred toward the. Flag. Then. Why do we have the observes and. Southerners have to look at the union flag everywhere and everyday. In Vietnam we were all brothers, we stood back to back, not a do or try. But a do or die black,yellow brown white. As for the. Confederate it is only a symbol for southern pride to a true southerner. It hurts me when I wear a T-shirt or a belt buckle. With the flag and. People look at me with disdain. It is meant For southern pride.

The Confederate flag achieved the name confederate because of the beliefs of the south and mainly their pride forties outs. Today it is not shown or flown by. Most as a symbol of racism, but as a member of the south that lived or lives In the south or the southern customs of living and the lifestyle of the south. We like grits, BBQ, cornbread. Fishing hunting. Drinking beer with buddies and family and we are proud of the south. Other races think we are flaunting it in their face. Not the case. We are just damn proud of the south. Now..... If someone wants to bring up racism, during the civil war there were blacks that fought for the south, because they believed in it. If you truly go south you will see. Southerners still Speak politely to the blacks. We rub elbows with them and even drink with them, even have. Some of them come into our homes. I admit there are some hard heads that still have hatred in their heart but. Please do not stereotype All southerners. We fly the flag because it is a. Symbol of the south. If anyone Really wants to stereotype why do southerners have to look at the union flag everywhere and have it rubbed in OUR face ?

1. I have no problem with the display of the Confederate flag. In fact, at the Confederate cemetery on Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois (at which I was stationed for four years) they place these flags on the graves of the buried Confederate soldiers. If you're an American it's part of our collective history, whether you like it or not. That said, the display of the Confederate flag means as much to me off post as it does on.

2. To me, the flag symbolizes a part of our history we all would like to forget; however, those to forget the past are doomed to repeat it. It reminds me that we would all do well to remember where we came from to ensure we continue our efforts to wipe out discrimination on every front to guarantee that our kids don't grow up with the same narrow-minded bigotry upon which our country was founded.

(And for those who take issue with the statement that our country was founded by bigots, I'll invite you to do a little research on our slave-owning founding fathers who signed our Declaration of Independence. "All men are created equal," indeed.)

3. As far as a personal experience in which someone was offended by the Confederate flag and what I did/thought about it, it doesn't apply to me. Haven't come across that issue yet. However, I have enough military experience and faith enough in our collective ignorant American sophism to never discount someone's ability to be offended by something they haven't done their homework enough to articulate. I'm no more offended by the display of the Confederate flag than I am some off-duty seaman flying the flag of his African ancestors or Mexico or Texas or the rainbow flag of the LGBT.

Somebody somewhere will manufacture a reason to be offended by the Confederate flag. It's who we are. Americans are contentious by nature. But just because they're offended doesn't mean they're right. They just haven't done their homework and (quite possibly) are ascribing motives and ideals to the flag-bearer that do not exist.

While the flag does not offend me, I can see where offense can be made. If it is ushered aside, it should not mean history and the lessons our country has learned through it's history should be brushed aside. We should always learn from our past.

Sticking with the actual questions posted
1. I have no issues with a small sticker or bumper sticker of the battle flag on a POV. There's a POV that is parked on the White House ellipse that has an anti-Obama sticker on it. My truck has a sticker of a squid wearing a trucker hat that says booty hunter (Squidbillies, check it out!)

2. The battle flag is perceived by many in a multitude of ways. I have ancestors who fought and died for the south during the Civil War. For some reason, there are country bumpkins in Ohio and all over the north who claim to be rebels and fly the flag, even though their bloodlines tell a different truth. And then you have people who just see it as a symbol of hate.

3. In our p.c. world, if someone gets upset over something else, I believe the medical term is "Butthurt", the person experiencing that butthurt is going to win. It tends to be a thing where you have to pick your battles. If it's on my license plate, yeah sure whatever, I'll take it off and find another way to come back at ya. If for some odd reason I ever had a battle flag sticker on my bumper (don't put stuff on paint people), I'd probably take that battle as long as it was just the flag and nothing stupid.


And for my historical perspective, most people don't realize but back in those days, there was more allegiance to your state than the nation. Robert Lee is the best example of this, he didn't want the union to split up, but he could not fight against his home of Virginia.

My Answers

(1) My opinion: On Post- As long as its their POV & SM is off duty and not in uniform its fine. Off Post- No Change

(2) What does it mean to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUMFa2hHOtc. What it can mean to others: whatever you want it to be its America and you have that right just as much as I have the right to my belief regarding the flag. And if we can just agree to disagree on the flag that would be alright.

(3) I checked with my roommate to make sure he had no objection to me hanging the flag on my side of the room and hung it in a way so that it could not be seen from the window or door. CO did spot it during a health & Welfare inspection put said he had no problem with it.

This flag has been an issue for many. However:
1) I don't mind it if someone is on or off post with it. It helps me gauge who they are.
2) For the most part, the flag symbolizes a majority of two groups. The Southern, and the Persecuted. I can agree with the people that are from the south that they identify with it. But I also realize that there are a lot of people that see that flag and think of Slavery. There are the few that present the flag in a racist manner, but (thank God) those people are dwindling in number and will soon be a distant memory.
3) on a bus ride from the airport Tarmac to the airport, our bus driver (also a former Army SFC) was wearing a Confederate Flag pin on his collar. The SSG with the MCT there asked him to remove it because it offended her. The driver said that it wasn't meant to offend and removed it. Curious by this, I asked the SSG why she felt this way. Not that I didn't understand her reasoning, or understand history, I was just trying to understand her point of view. She said that it was because the flag to her was a representation if slavery. I asked the SSG if they knew that the reason for making that flag was to be on the side of abolishing slavery. This only enraged them, and the SSG threatened to go to my command with this "obvious racism".

As an 8th generation northerner (my 8th great grandfather landed in the town I was born in), I could choose to be offended by the confederate flag but I won't. As proud as I am of my ancestors for throwing off the imperial hand of the British and helping forge the nation, I can understand the pride that southern folks have in their flag. While the confederate flag can be used to symbolize the worst aspects of southern history, very few Americans today fly it with that intent and those that do should be disregarded like you would a mosquito or gnat.