Rebel Flag Controversy

In response to an iReport.com story done by a guy in FL about a large Confederate battle flag being flown close to a major freeway at the site of a Sons of Confederate Veterans memorial park that is being built (visit online video article here), I wrote this response (aimed more at some others who commented on the video than the video itself):

Cldart // 31 minutes ago

I'll try to keep my thoughts organized: A. As horrible as slavery was, the South wasn't trying to be anti-American, because unfortunately slavery built America into a viable economic power and wasn't illegal. Future President & Union General U. S. Grant kept his own slaves until Emancipation--after the War--unlike Gen. Robert E. Lee, who freed his before the War. Lee only reluctantly fought for the Confederacy. The last straw for... I'll try to keep my thoughts organized: A. As horrible as slavery was, the South wasn't trying to be anti-American, because unfortunately slavery built America into a viable economic power and wasn't illegal. Future President & Union General U. S. Grant kept his own slaves until Emancipation--after the War--unlike Gen. Robert E. Lee, who freed his before the War. Lee only reluctantly fought for the Confederacy. The last straw for him was when Federal troops invaded Virginia. Before you claim the "re-writing" of history, go and actually read some history books written for an audience above the 8th grade! You'll learn a lot--life (esp. war) isn't so black-and-white. B. As far as the North=good / South=evil paradigm, the worst race riots took place in the North, after the Civil War as recent "white" immigrants fought for the same jobs as Blacks moving North, and many abolitionists (including Lincoln) were racists who wanted the freed slaves to go back to Africa. Post-War Southerners fell into 3 main camps, the only reason the highly racist and reactionary "radicals" gained power was because of the radically oppressive policies of Reconstruction, put in place by Pres. Johnson, who hated the South. (Lincoln would have done things differently, more like South Africa after apartheid.) C. Free speech is protected in the U.S., and flying a historical flag is included, though I agree the Stars and Bars would have been a wiser (& more accurate) choice. D. As far as "America" won, or the "North" won so give up already attitude--do you guys hold the same feelings for "conquered" Native American tribes? No sovereignty or "rights" or cultural identity left for them? Just "give up already" and "assimilate!" How "Liberal" do you sound now? What about recent immigrants who are still proud of their own ethnic identity and wave the flags of their homeland, even though they are also proud Americans. Should that also be outlawed? Examine your own prejudices, people...

Now, I am a Californian and the proud "son" of a Union veteran, but having studied some about the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history, I have learned that the issues are complex, and it gets me upset when people automatically associate the South with racism. I stand for the right of Southern Americans to respectfully display symbols of their heritage, and exercise the same freedom of speech as other Americans enjoy.

I feel that more than actually caring about history or racism or other "real" issues, most people simply want to not have to think or feel or care about anything, and would rather be "comfortable" and not have to deal with controversy or ideas or the complexities of pluralism or perhaps their own racism. Life isn't supposed to be "easy," just good.

The Association of White Male Oppressors (AWMO)

Ladies and... no, sorry... Gentlemen! Come one, come all to the greatest... oh, wait... OK, if you're White (and preferably Protestant) ... and ideally from a predominately Northern and/or Western European background ... Then come and join our EXCITING fellowship of... fellows! The Association of White Male Oppressors! (AWMO for short...)

What do we do? Well, let me tell ya! It's quite a hootenanny, all right! Well, on a typical evening we hang out at my trailer, play Bud Light beer pong, listen to classic country music, and dine on Beenie Weenies and Saltines (we don't like the word "Cracker") and Cheez-Whiz! (Heck, if it's your birthday we'll even deep fry some Twinkies for ya! Hoo wee!)

But then the REAL FUN begins... once we're all sauced up we have a "pow-wow" of sorts... folks, we spend hours upon endless hours plotting and scheming and fanangling how to oppress all of those BELOW us, YOU KNOW... the usual suspects: women, Blacks, Mexicans, Chinese, the disabled, poor folks (those who aren't White, obviously), entire Third World nations, American Indians, etc. (I'm using "PC" language here gentlemen since this is a "family" website...) Then we scratch ourselves a bit, trade stocks, fart and think of novel ways to stay on Top of the World! Boy, it's a good day to be The Man!!!

We try to come up with new ways to put down Jews and Catholics and them Hin-doos. And Democrats!!! Boys, it's a hoot! We figure out ways to raise the cost of health care and keep them colored folks in the ghetto ignorant and hopefully killin' each other! Boy, you'd be amazed at what we have planned for next week! We haven't finalized plans just yet, but it's either going to be an old-fashioned "Dress Up Like Your Favorite Vigilante Leader" party OR we are FINALLY going to start circulating those petitions to get Hee-Haw back on the air! For exercise (Men, you gotta stay strong to be effective during your volunteer Border Patrol duties), we'll probably play an inspiring round of "Smear the Queer!" I LOVE that game! And for musical entertainment, we'll be rehearsing for our annual Blackface Minstrel Show fundraiser in order to ensure our precious White children can ALL afford quality copies of Mein Kampf for Little Folk and the entire Dick and Jane Learn to Colonize series for their Pinko-free homeschools.

Sounds like fun? Visit us online at: http://thisiswhatliberalextremistsmustactuallythinkaboutwhiteguys.org/ and be SURE to have your Illuminati membership # handy.

Welcome!

Welcome to my butt-spankin' new blog: Cultural Ponderings in a Gray Moment. Here I will, well.... ponder the varied significant and inconsequential ponderings of my rather labyrinthine mind. To try to keep myself moving in some discernable gear, (many of) my topics will have something to do with culture, especially American culture (aesthetics, politics, religion, philosophy, Krispy Kremes), trying (like a good grad student of American Studies should) to make sense of the very idea, and trying, with idealistic vision, to project a more perfect version of what we could be. Because I believe that the personal is political, I am not necessarily trying to build some ideal framework for our entire nation-state (at least not on Wednesdays or Fridays), but am rather trying to find a cultural direction for my own person and those who might be fellow travellers in one form or another.

My personal starting point/bias: I am a 33 year old male of mixed northern European ancestry (though my family line has been here roughly since the mid 1600s on both sides) who was born and raised in a suburban area of north Los Angeles, CA. I am a Christian and I take my relationship with God seriously. Politically, I tend to sit just a little to the right of "center," though some of my views waiver from this fulcrum point, sometimes in atypical ways. I am passionate about music and the arts, value sincere thought, and like to have fun, too, believe it or not.

I am really here just to think out loud, sort of, and try to explore--ponder--and develop my own worldview. So, please, keep in mind that a lot of what I will write here is just that--pondering--and not necessarily indicative of any firm or entrenched viewpoint of mine (though there are exceptions to every rule, and the things that are entrenched in my mind I am most likely to be the least self-aware of), and this rule does not apply at all on Tuesdays or Sundays.

Now, without any further ponderings on pondering...