The return of the confederate flag idiot. -- On Christmas Eve, no less.

[Cyrano]

I've posted about this guy a few times over the years. He has a pickup truck and right after 9/11, he was driving around with a giant American flag and a giant confederate flag side by side in the truck bed. Perhaps a week later, I saw his truck again, but while the American flag was still there, the confederate flag was gone.

Earlier this year, I again saw his truck with the confederate flag planted in the truck bed.

And today, I once again saw it with his confederate flag flapping in the breeze, (evidently proclaiming some load of "Southern Heritage" crap). People like this never seem to grasp the fact that this flag is offensive to so many people who see it and consider it as much of a symbol of racism as a burning cross. Or maybe he does grasp it's offensiveness and is communicating a super-sized "Fuck You."

I don't know whether or not this guy is flying his flag to welcome Santa, Jesus, or the ghost of Robert E. Lee. But whatever his reason, he's sure out there spreading more ill will than good will.

As a devout agnostic, Christmas is just another day to me. But I would never dream of insulting anyone celebrating one of their holidays, regardless of what they believe or what it is they are celebrating.

So to all Christians out there, Merry Christmas and may you have many more healthy and happy ones.

[Warpy]

1. To southerners, it's a declaration that they're sick of being

pushed around by the industrial north, by newly minted college grad middle managers at work, and by just about anybody else who crosses their path. It's a declaration of personal independence and personal worth.

Outside the south, it's a twit indicator. Give this guy a miss if you're above the Mason Dixon line and he was born there.

[Cyrano]

3. For the past thirty years, it's been the southern-dominated Republican Party

that has been pushing all the rest of us around.

But my point about that flag being offensive still stands. To many, it is a symbol of hatred, intolerance and bigotry.

[Warpy]

9. I'm just explaining the difference in interpretation

depending on what part of the country you're in. If you're in the south, the person flying it is talking about personal independence and self worth and isn't necessarily a twit.

If you're outside the south, it's a twit indicator.

[Guaranteed]

14. Yup, like when the damned Yanks went down there and forced

them to let black people go to the same schools as them. And VOTE! Yeah, sick of getting pushed around.

When they start acting like decent fucking human beings, then they can start getting sick of being "pushed around."

[Warpy]

20. The urban south is way ahead of the north in stuff like that

The rural south has a long, long way to go.

[Cyrano]

24. I agree with you on that, Warpy. I've been to some very enlightened

Southern cities.

[NOLALady]

15. I'm a Southerner. Louisiana born and raised.

It's always been a hate symbol IMO. I don't know any Southerners who do not see it as a hate symbol.

That flag/hate is not directed at "the industrial north, and the newly minted college grad middle managers".

[Warpy]

21. It was in the parts of the south I lived in.

It was stupid and counterproductive, but that's what it was.

[book_worm]

22. didn't they push around black folks for a long time? first as slaves and then

with Jim Crow? Poor white, uneducated Southerners (because I'm sure educated southerners would understand why this flag is offensive)who can't get over the fact that the South lost the Civil War.

[Toots]

26. To me it means exactly what it was intended to mean TREASON

It is a brand of treason, of people that went to war against their country..That killed many Americans just so they could own slaves..All the rest is just fluff...

[T Wolf]

2. No! Of course, they know it is offensive. That is why they drag it out. They

just are too chickenshit to stick to their position for long.

I think that flag in the truck bed needs a little cleansing - with gasoline.

[NOLALady]

16. I am certain they know it's offensive.

They take that flag down when they drive to New Orleans. My guess is they're concerned that someone just might try to clean that truck with gasoline.

I have Southern ancestors who fought on both sides of the Civil War. My Southern heritage does not make me stupid.

[JohnnyLib2]

4. The confed. flag bearers I encounter all have a rebel's outlook.

(As do many of us on DU).

That goes especially for high schoolers.
IMO, it's often a personal stance of sorts, with little understanding or sensitivity to OTHER'S feelings.

[jody]

5. If he meant to pull your chain, looks like he succeeded. n/t

[Cyrano]

6. Yeah. And I'm sure I could pull many people's chains by

driving around with a swastika or hammer and cycle flag on my car.

[GoneOffShore]

18. What?

A hammer
And
cycle
?
Or did you mean



Hammer & Sickle?

[Cyrano]

25. You're right. My bad. And it's way too late to fix it. Damn, I 'm so

embarrassed by that kind of screwup that I think I'll go out and taunt an alligator. Or perhaps I'll just torture myself by sitting through six straight reruns of "It's a Wonderful Life."

[GoneOffShore]

29. Hey, it's Christmas

Watch "A Christmas Story" instead.

And maybe you'll get one of these -

[jody]

19. Go ahead, do it. That's what freedom of speech is all about. n/t

[blogslut]

7. Screw him

Where I come from it means racist asshole. I know, Southern Pride, blah blah blah. Bullshit.

[gratuitous]

8. I saw the best response here at DU

I'm sorry I don't recall who posted it, but someone was responding to the "It's heritage, not hate" argument, and said: "Well, my family's heritage is that my great-great-great grandfather was with the 134th Indiana Irregulars (or some such outfit), and it's my heritage to shoot any traitorous rebel sumbitch flying that rag."

[Neecy]

11. lol

What's funny is that these uber-patriots are flying a flag that, to the rest of the country, not only represents racism but treason against the United States. Yet they say *we* hate America.

I'll never understand the mindset, and I'm comforted by that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. A lot of white supremacists have joined the anti-immigration movement

And they bring confederate flags to their rallies.

[JohnnyLib2]

12. Have you noticed any Ron Paul crossover?

I'm aware of a little--scary.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. yes

Ron Paul has also attracted the anti-immigration folks. Here in my area, many of them are 9/11 truth people. They used to be pretty active in our anti-war movement but have now joined the Ron Paul revolution and don't come to our rallies anymore. But we have an email group and they are very active on it. They are rabidly anti-immigrant. It just makes me ill, as many of these people I considered friends.

[JohnnyLib2]

17. Like I said, scary.

[catmandu57]

23. It's been about five Thanksgiving ago or five years ago on Thanksgiving

When I was driving to my mil's house I came around the last turn before her town and there it was, outside of one of the trashiest trailers I've ever seen, on a fifteen foot homemade flagpole was a huge confederate battle flag.
Whoever was living there was gone the next time I drove up there.

[Cyrano]

27. I guess what surprises me most is that this fool is driving around

with his hate banner here in Palm Beach County which is, for the most part, moderate to liberal.

I doubt if any of us would be stupid enough to drive through the rural south, (or many other areas of the country), with a "Screw Bush/Cheney" bumper sticker. My guess is, we wouldn't make it out alive.

Nonetheless, this particular imbecile seems to feel safe driving around with that despicable rag flying from his truck. Then again, perhaps he understands that more tolerant people are less likely to take him to task for it.

May he get a lump of reindeer crap in his Christmas stocking.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. They are fairly common in southern MO