Short for "GeologicalScienceBlog", subjects will include Geology, Climatology, Environmental Science, NASCAR, Beer, Property Rights, Politics from a Christian Conservative/Libertarian viewpoint, and random thoughts. My background is two degrees in Geology (BS, MS), 8 years of geology/environmental employment and almost 8 years of teaching Geology and Environmental Science on a Junior College level. <68>

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A Triggered Thought...

While on the American Muslim blog, I noticed a couple of posts on the Confederate flag issue, here and here, from last year.

Without getting too deeply into this issue, I am not a historian. I know enough about the complexities of the War Between the States to know that I am ignorant.

An example of the complexity is the fact that there were black soldiers (slave and free) in the Confederate Army, there have been at least three books written on the subject. There were Jews in the Confederate Army, the Confederate Secretary of State - Judah P. Benjamin - was a Jew. And there were Cherokees in the Confederate Army. [Introduce those concepts in a average college classroom or a dinner party and watch the libs "get the vapors".]

I know of at least two of my great-grandfathers that were in the Confederate Army, but I don't think they had any sort of pivotal roles.

Another incendiary comment could be "The Confederacy was not 100% wrong.". Without a doubt, slavery was and is wrong. We didn't invent it, we just inherited it from our European ancestors.

Again, I regress to my position of being knowledgeable enough to know my ignorance in trying to fully explain "what wasn't wrong" about the Confederacy.

There were other issues behind the secession, a recent post I read (forgotten where) suggested that it might have happened earlier, if not for the efforts of President Andrew Jackson. Without being able to quote chapter and verse, there was a feeling of the southern states being oppressed by the Federal government. Some of the subtle support for the "Confederate cause" is from that part of America that is represented by the rebellious spirit against oppression. I will leave any further discussions to the more-informed.

On to the flag issue. For the true "Heritage" philosophy, it is about that in-the-spirit-of-liberty, rebellious nature, that continuation of the "Don't Tread on Me" philosophy. The mistake of the Heritagists (a new, though awkward, word) was to allow the Confederate battle flag to be co-opted by the KKK and others (many of them Democrats) favoring the continuation of Jim Crow laws and attitudes. They only raised their voices against the bigots/racists after allowing "their" symbol to be misused for decades.

Attempts by the political Left to ban (or vandalize) public displays of the Confederate battle flag will continue to cause a backlash.

The best way to "neuter" the issue is to ignore overt displays of the Confederate flag. Don't show a reaction. This especially applies to black Americans. The "flaggers" or "flaggots" are trying to get a reaction. If you give them that satisfaction, that gives them power. If you (and the MSM) ignore them, that diminishes their power. If you just take a "whatever" viewpoint and go on your way (while rolling your eyes in private) you have devalued their attempts at getting a response. Just acknowledge their free speech rights and walk on by.

One idea once spoken on a talk show (Neal Boortz?) suggested the concept of black Americans "adopting" the Confederate flag as a symbol of rebellious independence (or a disarming sense of humor). If Confederate flag stickers and antenna flags suddenly start to adorn the cars of black Americans, the "flaggots" would clearly be flummoxed. A clear way to "get the goat" of a political opponent is to refuse to argue with them.

Don't fight with them, just disarm them while acknowledging that they are not 100% wrong. Just defer the discussion to another day.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 9:23 AM
Comments:
Awesome commentary, I'm glad I read it.
# posted by Blogger Robert Salaam : 10:00 PM
 
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