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Yet another one of those damnable threads asking if the confederate flag is a symbol of “racism” or “heritage” has percolated its way to the surface, like a noxious fart bubbling up to disturb the placid serenity of our beloved DU. It’s almost enough to make you wonder if there isn’t a group of monkeys tapping away at their keyboards in a room somewhere, trying desperately to write a sonnet, but mysteriously arriving at the words “racist,” “racist heritage,” “heritage of racism,” “swastika,” “traitor,” “loser” and “unpatriotic” far more often than is statistically likely. Or, maybe those threads are like tribbles in the DU archives where, left alone for too long, they propagate like bunnies and finally spill over into your lap. Cute enough initially, but eventually you start looking for innovative ways to get rid of the little bastards. A butcher knife, a shotgun, a microwave…hell, even a weedwhacker, any tool will do.
There are a couple of statements that are oft repeated in these threads which I’d like to dispense with at the outset before raising a few points and asking a few questions. Read on if you like, or not, as you see fit.
The first statement which is invariably made is formulaic. The confederate flag is: a) a symbol of racism; b) the chosen emblem of traitors (and is hence unpatriotic); c) the southern version of the swastika; d) a worn out symbol for a whacked out people too stupid to realize their team lost. Don’t worry, this isn’t multiple choice, you can mix and match to personalize your very own condemnation. While making your selection, though, you might recall that the American flag is the same flag which was flying in Tuskegee not so very long ago; it’s the same flag which was flying when Fat Man and Little Boy made their presence known to the world; and it’s the same flag which is flying now while thousands of innocents are being tortured in Guantanamo Bay and throughout the Middle East. And, here’s the nifty part: it’s being done in your name whether or not you’ve given it your personal stamp of approval.
The second statement which pops up routinely is an extension or the “traitor” label. It runs something like “those stupid southerners need to realize they lost, they’re part of the United States, they’re just going to have to get over their isolationism.” I’ve pondered this, and agree with it on some level. Due to recent events, though, a thought nags at the back of my mind, makes me wonder why the hell the South should feel all warm and cuddly with the rest of the nation. Katrina. New Orleans. Would the response time be the same if this happened in New York or Los Angeles or Seattle? Would there be mobile homes sitting unused in parking lots? Would basic power still not be working 7 months later? Would the nation tolerate it if that devastation happened anywhere but in the South? If your answer to that is “no,” then please explain why exactly southerners are supposed to perceive themselves as equal partners in this wonderful union of ours?
All of that aside, I’ve given some thought to exactly why southern pride is the way it is and why so many southerners take pride in things that might leave a northerner aghast or, at the very best, indifferent. I’ve started with the premise that just about every individual goes through this life with their own personal yardstick for measuring its success. And, although what that yardstick measures varies from person to person, there are some common themes and most of themes are tangible in some way. Material wealth, philanthropy, providing for your family, raising a not-too-screwed-up kid, etc. In doing some state by state comparisons, though, it becomes apparent that the South is a pretty sucky place to be if you base your sense of self worth on these measures. One statistical study found there to be a direct correlation between red vs. blue states and infant mortality, with infant mortality being twice as likely in red states, primarily due to the South. Poverty is rampant everywhere, but what northern city can boast that 50% of its working age population is unemployed? Quality education for your kids or yourself in the South? That’s a hard thing to come by, and generally costs too much to be accessible to most families. Income is lower in the South, total mortality higher, health care quality higher, rate of teen death by suicide, homicide and accident are all higher. By virtually any tangible index you care to measure, the South is the idiot stepchild of the nation. I think when you take away the ability of people to care for the needs of their families, their children and even themselves, you end up with a bunch of people who start to measure their sense of self worth based on less tangible things like Christian morals and “family values” and a gungho, untamed rebel spirit which is embodied (for some) in an unfortunate piece of cloth. Not that any of these things are necessarily bad. But, when they’re all that you have, you cling to them too tightly and may even get a bit overbearing and fanatical about it.
Of course, this is not to say that there aren’t a lot of racist assholes who fly the Confederate flag. I just don’t think the labels, name-calling and self-righteous condemnations that fly around here when the topic comes up really quite address the issue.
Shutting up now, flame away.
-fl
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