Confederate Flag Sales Skyrocket As Debate Rolls On
In the wake of the Charleston church shooting that left nine dead, a national debate is arising about the role of the Confederate flag in our society.
Over the last few days, multiple states have renounced the flag. South Carolina governor’s called for its removal from state properties. The governor of Virginia vowed to remove it from state license plates. Mississippi’s house speaker said the infamous battle design needed to be removed from the state flag. All the while, online sales of the flag have skyrocketed.
From Business Insider:
Amazon’s sales of Confederate flags have skyrocketed by more than 3,000% in the past 24 hours.
People are snatching up the flags online after several major retailers — including eBay, Wal-Mart, and Sears — pulled them from shelves.
The retailers banned the flags after last week’s shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in which a gunman killed nine people in the historic black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
This afternoon, Amazon joined the ranks of eBay, Wal-Mart and Sears by removing Confederate merchandise from its site.
It’s no surprise that people are stocking up on Confederate paraphernalia. The issue is proving to be incredibly divisive, with one side claiming the flag is a symbol for hatred and racism, while the other claims it’s about heritage and state’s rights. This shift in blame is commonplace after a tragedy, when people naturally search out reasons behind the “why” of an issue. Why did the shooter feel so much hatred towards black people? What compels a human being to commit a monstrous act?
Perhaps I am oversimplifying it, but it is possible to be on neither side of an issue. While I believe it is 100 percent ludicrous to take pride in a flag that represented a faction of anti-American, racist fervor 150 years ago, I also disagree with the notion that a reactionary mob mentality of banning or criminalizing anything deemed offensive will solve any problems, at all.
I mean, look at this:
CNN: Does this offend you?
Everyone right now: Yes to both. Don Lemon and the Confederate flag. pic.twitter.com/x1c7GX7mKY
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 23, 2015
ARE YOU OFFENDED? WELL, ARE YOU?
When the Confederate flag is inevitably banned from government properties, it will be considered a milestone victory for racism in America.
No racism issues will be solved, but they will be temporarily deflected because of victory over an inanimate object. Symbols don’t have inherent power — people place power in them. Racists don’t need a flag to be racist.
This tragedy shouldn’t be the reason the flag is removed. The flag shouldn’t have been flying on government properties in the first place.
This is usually the point in a controversy where I’d just stick to sports and ignore all the other noise, but it’s the offseason and there is nothing else to talk about. This debate will only get more insane, with (at minimum) 50-plus hot takes on the way — from a slightly drunk grandma at family dinner to an editorializing, overly dramatic SportsCenter anchor and everyone in-between.
Maybe I should just go camping..
[via Business Insider]
Image via YouTube
There’s a lot of missing the point here. The flag itself may not be racist. However, a person who was obviously racist used it as a symbol of his hatred for black people and committed a massacre. Because of this (and the history of slavey in the confederacy) the flag is now associated with racial hate. Much like how the swatstika (probably spelled that wrong) was not a symbol of racism until it was used by a man as such.
11 years ago at 3:57 pmPreach
11 years ago at 5:37 pmWrong. The flag has always been about racism: https://twitter.com/jnthnwwlsn/status/611684742421999620
11 years ago at 7:31 pmTh neo-nazis in Europe display the flag because the swastika is banned there. The KKK has always loved it.
“The flag itself may not be racist” was my quote. I never said it wasn’t racist. My point is regardless what anyone has thought about the flag before, after this it certainly is a symbol of racial hatred.
11 years ago at 8:13 pmIn SC we have Confederate Memorial Day which is a state holiday meaning public workers get the day off. Funny how no one is complaining about that, which has a much more profound effect on the state then the flag flying in front of the State House.
Also on the state house grounds are statues of Benjamin Tillman and Strom Thurmond. Very big politicians in SC who supported and tried to enforce segregation. Inside the statehouse there is a memorial to the original SC articles of secession.
Yet people only want to focus on the flag flying outside the state house. To me this exemplifies the hypocrisy of the liberals who just constantly jump around trying to find something to complain about to satisfy their own desire for self righteousness. And it’s a sad day for America that we are bowing down and letting these idiots dictate how the rest of us have to behave.
TL;DR Liberals sucks.
11 years ago at 4:14 pmThat’s because most people don’t know about the other stuff yet. Just wait.
11 years ago at 6:52 pmI live in Charleston and am a rabid SC-patriot who was born and raised in the lowcountry, and I can’t wrap my head around the reason people are so attached to a symbol of defeat. Yes, states-rights, bravery, something, something, something. It was a fucking loss that economically blighted the south for decades afterward. How can you be proud of that? You know why Germans are so sensitive about the swastika? It’s not that there are sensitive Jewish-rights groups whining, because there are not many Jews at all in Germany, it’s that the flag is a symbol of crushing, embarrassing defeat. In my opinion the difference is that there are still Germans alive today who remember the horrors of the war.
11 years ago at 4:29 pmThis will most likely be an unpopular opinion on here but here it goes:
The “Confederate Flag” may represent southern pride, tradition and values, etc. but what it also represents is treason against the United States of America. The flag has no business being displayed on any government property as it represents a group of people who were traitors against our great Nation. You might as well hang up the ISIS or Iranian Flag right next to it, because you cannot love America and the Confederacy. The only place the flag belongs is in museums and history books to document our Nation’s history. However you still have the right to buy, display or sell the flag (if you are a business) as provided by the US Constitution. I also have the right to think of you as an idiot and a traitor though.
11 years ago at 4:56 pmAll depends on which side you are on when the war is over. Let us not forget this great country was started through treason to a crown.
11 years ago at 6:58 pmTreason from an oppressive tyrannical king…. This is not the same line as what the confederacy did.
11 years ago at 6:26 amYou’re right, they were trying to protect themselves from a tyrannical federal government, not a king.
11 years ago at 9:53 amYou realize nothing happened that would have been considered tyrannical look up when Lincoln took office and then when the states seceded, they did it before he was even inaugurated, The southern states preemptively threw whats equivalent to a very bloody and wrong temper tantrum.
11 years ago at 4:08 amSo I can’t love America and also love my British heritage because America was anti-Britain???
11 years ago at 1:19 amTo everyone saying it’s unconstitutional, the supreme court ruled that Texas had a right to ban the flag from their license plates, so I don’t think they would have a problem with other state governments banning it from their property.
11 years ago at 6:22 pmI think they’re saying that it’s unconstitutional for the federal government to ban the flag. Nobody is denying the right for the state to choose to flag it or not, as dumb as it would be to remove it.
11 years ago at 7:03 amAs I said before the flag is Treasonous. You don’t get to declare war, rebel from your country and start killing folks there were your countryman and still get to be the good guys. Look up Texas vs White, it most accurately explains as to why succession is impossible. If you want to represent southern/states rights take up your own states flag since that’s what they were more proud of anyways Ex. Robert E. Lee only reason he even joined the confederacy was because Virginia called him home. The south also declared secession before anything happened that would have been considered bad. Lincoln wasn’t even inaugurated until MARCH OF 1861 and South Carolina seceded in DECEMBER OF 1860, the south threw what was equivalent to a 4 year old temper tantrum when he wasn’t picked first. Don’t take this as bashing the south, I love it, born in Texas raised in Tennessee I love it with all my heart but I also love our country, regardless of how pussified as it’s become recently. (We do need to tighten up) One thing I never understood was the obsessions with the two flags, you can’t clam to be a patriot and say you support traitors. My ancestor is John Adams (name dropping taking laps) and I’ve had family fight in almost every war. It’s a disgrace to say that these flags represents the country my family bled for, it’s not southern heritage it’s not racist either. ITS JUST PLAN WRONG. Be an American get a Brett Ross’s original and call it a day.
11 years ago at 6:41 pmBetsy Ross* phone auto corrected laps taken.
11 years ago at 6:42 pmSo just to be consistent with your second sentence the founding fathers of the USA were the bad guys right? They rebelled from the country and started killing their fellow countrymen (they were considered British subjects too). Then wouldn’t the Confederacy who was widely more supported in England (the original good guys by this logic) be the good guys for fighting the bad guys? This one sentence strikes me as a bit hypocritical considering that’s exactly how the States were formed. There is no good and bad guys in our civil war, just different ideologies.
11 years ago at 1:37 amWhen you are fighting against a tyrannical oppressive power that is a KING is not the same as a being part of a DEMOCRACY. In a democracy some times you don’t get your way there is infect a congress that mostly decides things. When there’s a long involved he is the ruling hand. They did in fact declare treason but the tried for years to compromise with Britain, the south was in no such position they had their rights like I said Lincoln wasn’t even in office yet when succession happened. And considering the U.S. NEVER formally recognized the succession Article 1 section 10 of the Constitution says they were breaking the law. The Union is made up of states the same way the states are made up of counties, so do counties have the right to secede? No this wasn’t about states rights as much as people like to claim it was ore about The right to enslave more then people want to admit.
11 years ago at 6:41 amI would honestly rather have a 3rd grade republican in office than a grown liberal.
11 years ago at 8:07 pmThere are several other flags to choose from, folks. I for one always hung the Bonnie Blue flag due largely to people’s ignorance. The 1st national flag and Bonnie blue are good choices at least until the rest of the world catches on.
11 years ago at 8:44 pmHas anyone wondered why we are even debating this? Were we talking about this a week ago? No because no one fucking cared then. How are we as Americans so fucking weak that we let a Lloyd Christmas-looking motherfucker turn the country upside down? I could care less that government properties choose to take down the stars and bars, but the fact that this flag is being banned from internet retailers and walmart is ridiculous. PC to the max gentlemen.
11 years ago at 9:14 pmIf you’re seriously angry about what flag they fly in a state you don’t live in, you’re a fuckin’ loser.
11 years ago at 11:12 pm