I'm tired of all the so called experts who always try to villify the Battle Flag. Just so you know, the average Confederate soldier could have cared less whether or not slavery was legal. Most of them fought for the South because thier home state had seceeded, not for some idiology that did not really even affect them one way or the other. Here's some numbers they don't teach in history class: only about 10% of white Southerners owned any slaves, and less than 5% of them owned more than 3. That of course does not include the many hundreds of free blacks in the South that owned slaves. Yes black slaves. You see, as much as everyone tries to make slavery out to be like the Holocaust, fact is, that was a way of life back then. I'm not saying that it was right, but Southerners did not invent slavery. Truth is, unlike on the show "Roots", most slaves were treated as part of the family of the owners. Slaves were not, by any means, cheap, and sustinence farmers would have to save for years to afford just one. And that one was bought to help out on the farm, not do all the work while the owner sat back and drank tea. That's right, the owner was in the field helping, along with most of the rest of the family. This is not to say that there were not cases of abuse and neglect, but those few cases were as common then as those people would be today.
By the way, if you want to see a symbol truly connected with hate and racism, look at the stars and stripes. The KKK used it in almost every march that they did in the 20's and 30's. Point is, just because some idiots used a Rebel flag while screaming N-----! should not mean that it is a symbol of racism. As a matter of fact, Southerners were a lot more equal in thier treatment of blacks than Northerners.

The Confederate Battle Flag is a respected symbol of liberty against oppression and totalitarianism across the globe.If you're upset about this,wait until y'all see the 139' flag pole (and monument) with what will be the world's largest flying Confederate Battle Flag flapping in the breeze next to I-75 in Hillsborough County,Florida! P.S. Go to http://www.florida-scv.org/tampafaf.pdf

KEEP IT FLYING....PUT MORE UP AND WHOEVER DOESNT LIKE IT GET OVER IT...THERES NO MORE WITH OUR FLAG THEN THERE IS ALL THIS MALCOM X AND NAACP.....SO ITS OK FOR ALL OF YOU TO DO YOUR THING BUT ITS WRONG FOR US TO......

to add to what ulsterscot said, The blacks were also enslaved by other blacks in africa and brought over here... at first by blacks, until the slave trade grew. And, has anyone mentioned how many northerners had slaves? Quite a few -- at first slaves were treated as indentured servants - after about 7-10 years or so, they were given their own piece of land and were freed-- they then needed slaves. Have we forgotten how many socioties have had slaves over the years? I am sure thousands. Why were they not as bad as this?

Oh- and the inane person who spoke of germans being proud of Nazi heritage--have you ever spoke to a german? The shudder at the mention of the word. They are completely embarrased about it. I am not talking about some 35743rd generation german that lives in America -- an Actual german citizen. The nazi parties here in America I doubt have real german heritage in them. Just thought I would point that out.

From a recent issue of Lagniappe, by Rob Holbert.

http://www.lagniappemobile.com/article/1311

In considering the long list of symbols I wouldn’t want emblazoned on my home or car, on a T-shirt or on a tattoo across my back, I’d have to put the Rebel Flag right up there with the Swastika and the Hammer and Sickle as symbols I’d avoid. (Personally I’d probably toss in the Wal-Mart Smiley Face, too.) For some reason, when I see someone sporting one of these symbols, I tend to think of that person as possibly being mentally or emotionally damaged, or possibly completely shiftless. Perhaps I’m just funny that way.

But now I feel like a group of so-called history buffs have essentially draped all of us in Mobile County with their objectionable symbol by erecting a giant Confederate Battle Flag right along Interstate 10 between Mobile and the Mississippi line. It almost feels like someone has forced us all to walk around wearing T-shirts that say, “Lookie here! I’m a big, fat redneck!” Naturally these T-shirts are all two sizes too small and provide for some amazing belly hang.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing this hillbilly monument flying along I-10, it’s a 12-foot-by-18-foot beauty on an 80-foot flagpole and illuminated with 2,000-watt halogen lamps. The flag is the “gift” of Ben “The Confederate Veterinarian” George and the Lee-Moses-Dixon Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. About the only thing that might be less inviting to people driving into our area would be a billboard with the visage of a hooded Klansman giving motorists “the finger.”

I drove past this monument twice last weekend and couldn’t help thinking how travelers must react to it, especially those who may never have driven through our redneck of the woods before.

“Umm, is Lynyrd Skynyrd from Mobile?” one traveler might ask another.

“I don’t think so,” his companion might reply.

“What about the banjo player from ‘Deliverance’ or David Duke?”

“Not sure. Maybe.”

“You know, come to think of it, I’m not that hungry after all. Let’s wait until we get to Pensacola to eat lunch.”

“Absolutely! I think they’ve got an Applebee’s there!”

Hopefully Dr. George and his group aren’t intentionally trying to drive away business and visitors, or to make us all look like rednecks, but regardless of their intentions, that’s exactly what their monument has done from the second it went up. And being someone who is in the First Amendment business, I completely support Dr. George’s right to do it. But, I will avail myself of my First Amendment right to say the fact that he and his group have done this makes me seriously question whether they even have the sense God gave a chicken. (And I’m not talking about one of those smart chickens that beat people at tic-tac-toe, I’m talking about the super-dumb kind that drown in a rainstorm because they keep looking up.)

If there’s ever been a “Lost Cause” in this old world, it’s the attempt by people like Dr. George to fish the Confederate Battle Flag out of history’s toilet bowl and to make it all shiny and new again. While some amazingly minute percentage of society may actually think that flag is a symbol of history and heritage, the other 99.9999999 percent of Americans think of it as a very good way of identifying people with small gene pools and large gun collections.

I’m sure there’s some Ben George counterpart in Germany who wants to honor his fallen ancestors from WWII by flying the swastika. Fat chance that anyone would think he was anything other than a Nazi if he did. Same thing with the Battle Flag. It offends so many people and causes just about all of the rest of us to at least mentally flinch.

Think about it. If you were in a parking lot and there were two spots left and one was next to a big pickup with a Battle Flag painted across the tailgate and the other space was next to a big pickup with Calvin peeing on a Chevy logo, where do you think you’d park? Exactly. You don’t want to meet the idiot who owns that flag truck, do you? You’d take your chances with the guy who likes peeing cartoons.

And that’s probably the same way people driving into Mobile will feel when they see Dr. George’s big flag – they won’t want to meet the idiots who live in this county.

Thankfully, we have plenty of great people and things around here that can offset such an ignorant display. Businesses from around the world are coming here. The area is growing and bringing in new, more diverse people all the time. The Ben Georges in our area are a distinct minority. That was clear from his failed bid for public office. There are only so many people who think this flag shtick is cute. Maybe just enough to keep Dr. George’s veterinary clinic in business, but that’s about it.

I’m sure there are some people out there who will get all lathered up and want to make an argument for the “historical importance” of the flag, blah, blah, blah. Forget it. The debate is over. School’s out. Some things just are the way they are.

As my wife astutely pointed out, nobody can get away with wearing that tiny mustache Hitler liked anymore. I’m sure there are some mustache aficionados who could argue about the historical significance of the tiny mustache, but absolutely no one who is sane wears one. If you do, people will think you like Hitler, even if you just think tiny mustaches make you sexy. The same logic applies to this ridiculous flag.

But since the flag is there and the likelihood of a meteorite hitting it is relatively slim, we need to find a way to deal with it.
What would be fitting is if the city and county got together and erected a very tall – say around 80-foot-tall – billboard welcoming people to Mobile on the public right of way in front of Dr. George’s flag. I’m sure that might be upsetting to the folks who spent $20,000 to irritate and embarrass the rest of us, but freedom of speech cuts both ways sometimes.

Neverabridesmaid What's your problem, if you don't like it don't look!! But keep your mouth off the flag!!!!!!!!!!!

diamonddixie, you know we are supposed to say "if you don't like it leave", it's part of our inbreeding in the south. I said this earlier in one of my post, because most folks would leave a place they did not like. Had nothing to do with other folks opinions as it was construed.

I said what I meant to say.

I have to put up with a lot of things that I don't like, or things that bother me, but I'm expected to be tolerant. What's with the double standard around here?

Not meaning to change the subject, but my child was told to write a report about his favorite Alabamian and then was told that the person had to be black. Well, nothing against blacks, but he is only 8 and does not have a favorite, black Alabamian. Why not allow him to write about his favorite President?

I am loathe to get involved in this discussion, because as I posted earlier, I do believe it is a person’s own business what he or she wishes to regard as his/her heritage. As well, I believe everyone has the right to display whatever symbol one wishes on one’s private property.

I also believe that because of political correctness, Confederate history has been unfairly portrayed. I believe Lincoln was a racist who didn’t much care whether the slaves were free or not, and that he deliberately provoked a confrontation at Fort Sumpter over the issue of tax collection. I believe that the Southern people have been demonized while racism in the north has been glossed over.

Let me also say that while I believe slavery is absolutely wrong, I do believe it was the right of the southern states to secede. I believe this because I believe there is no such thing as a contract in perpetuity. One definition of slavery is holding a person in a relationship against his will. It is therefore hypocritical of Unionists to claim the South was invaded to free people from undesired relationships, and then turn around and force a relationship on them with the Federal Union.

I say all this to show that I’m not unsympathetic to those who are angry about the history their children are being taught, or the politically correct views that are being forced down our throats, or resent being told what is okay or not okay to display on one’s property.

But now let’s be honest. Waving a Confederate battle flag is not about promoting “heritage.” This is a coy excuse to sidestep the real purpose of flying it, and that is to provoke a reaction.

Anyone who has done any study knows that the Stars and Bars was the only official flag of the Confederacy. The reason a battle flag had to be adopted is because the Stars and Bars was too similar in appearance to the Union flag, and was easy to get confused in the heat of battle. The battle flag as we know it today is only one of many designs that were considered and used. Often, soldiers fought under the flag of their individual regiments. To truthfully claim the battle flag as your heritage, you’d have to show your Confederate ancestors actually fought under that flag.

Most of the negative connotations associated with the battle flag have nothing to do with its use during the War Between the States. The negative associations come mostly from the 20th century because the battle flag was adopted first as a generic symbol of rebellion, then by segregationists and white supremacists. They are the reason the flag has a stigma attached, not education textbooks written by northern liberals.

If you know that flying the battle flag is provocative, then it is absurd to bow up and get indignant when it provokes someone. Sure, you have the right to fly it, but you don’t have the right to be immune from the reaction it gets.
By the same token, you have the right to walk around dressed as a clown, but you must also expect to be laughed at and ridiculed as a consequence.

My suspicion is that most battle flag wavers want a reaction, they seek to be provocative. Well, that’s fine; it’s your right. Just be honest and stop hiding behind the heritage claim. My grandfather fought in WWII, and I honor him by putting his picture on my wall, not by flying flags. Flags are the symbols of governments, not heritage. And while I have sympathies to the Confederate cause, I don’t consider it my heritage. The CSA was just another government that imposed a draft and income taxes and would have probably been just as oppressive as the Union given a chance.