Under My Skin

I do not believe that many people would argue with your point that slavery was a horrible, "ugly" part of history, but I disagree that southern states should accept all responsibility of racism and wrong doing. At that time and this one, sadly, acceptance was and is withheld in all areas. And extended beyond a black/white area. The heaviest burdens of racism in the country have fallen upon Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, American Jews, Irish Americans, and other immigrant groups. It also seems from angry articles about the confederate flag, that only southern plantation owners and people of this area practiced slavery. What about the Trail of Tears? What about the current reservations that have been crammed under a rug? Slaves to the US? None of it is right or fair.

And even now in your home state of MN, is there not racial controversies? Such as the UMD episodes? My point is that racism and division currently is and has been everywhere- should we not concentrate on being and raising more accepting individuals instead of creating more reason to separate ourselves? I am not saying that the quest to rid ourselves of hateful materials isn't a valiant one but I believe that criticism will lose against personal change every day.

I understand the power of a symbol, but my hope is that we push past a facade and work on the inside of a very real issue.

 Great post! I've always lived in the South, and yet am often referred to as a 'Yankee'...mostly because I can't stand grits, NASCAR, and some country music. I don't have the accent either, much.

All kidding aside, I completely agree with you. It will never cease to amaze me how some people down here seem to celebrate something that has such a terrible past. It's almost as though some people are still fighting the Civil War in their minds. I saw it much more when I lived in NC than I do here in Georgia,  but then I also lived in a much smaller area than I do now. I saw it in high school quite a bit. 'The South shall rise again"???? That's a saying I've seen quite often, what the heck is that supposed to mean?

I get sick of hearing it said that people who still associate the Confederate flag with slavery and racism. Like you said, maybe it wasn't originally meant to be that kind of symbol, but that doesn't matter, because it is now and the vast majority of people I've known don't associate it with anything else. 

I grew up in NC and now am in Georgia, so I guess I'm kind of the opposite of you. :)

Lynzie_with_a_z, I totally agree with you - and tried to make that clear in my post - slavery was not uniquely Southern and racism and racial issues are neither Southern nor even American issues alone. Minnesota and North Carolina are not different that way. But what is different is the association with the Confederacy and the Confederate Flag as a symbol.

And your point about not trying to separate people is right on, and I do believe that the flag does just that, it harkens back to a time when we were utterly divided. To me, flying that flag - turning to that symbol of a divided and hateful time - is part of the underlying issue, not separate from it.

I definitely agree about the need to raise more open-minded children if we hope to stamp out racism...or, at least try to. My parents were both southerners (mom from AR, dad from NC), and while they are from a generation that experienced segregation and saw it all the time, they were *very* adamant about teaching my sister and me not to be prejudiced...I never had a desire to fly a Confederate flag, but I doubt they would have let me because of the connotations many people take from it...I guess they were ahead of their time? VagaBlond, does anyone in your family or circle of friends fly the flag or demonstrate any of the behaviors it has come to represent? I'm not sure if racism or other '-isms' will ever go away but we can hope!