bottom line, this is Biden stirring shit for personal gain. Yes there is some of a racism issue but it's flat out wrong to say everything behind that flag is racist and a mistake in my opinion because it empowers the symbol for that use. A few years back, Jesse Jackson was saying that western civilization needed to be destroyed. That is the ancient tenants of the west, of the European people, that white/light is good and black/dark is evil and everything born of it must die. There, it's the approach, vilifying a people's ancient cultural beliefs. When he did that he empowed factions that would put meaning in that toward blacks. Way way wrong approach. I guarantee he sent more people toward racism by attacking the cultural beliefs of European disendants. The confederate flag and the confederacy is an important part of American history, I personally see no issue with a state that doesn't hide a very important past. I just think it's a huge mistake to vilify the flag again, it will do nothing but empower everything wrong with it when it could just as easily be turned benign and made a historical symbol of a painful time in American history for all Americans to claim, black, red and white. Exactly what should have been done with the swastika, it should have been encouraged for the traditional uses, returned to the people, where those uses presented themselves, but the swastika as a negative symbol became more powerful after WWII for both hate and political purposes--that's disgusting...
With the mississippi flag, the key note to make in my opinion is it is a PART of the flag just as it is an undeniable part of the history of mississippi, it is not THE FLAG...
I know my thinking is radical in this area but I come to this thinking with a good understanding of how a wave of political energy can be used by opposing forces like an akido master would use the force of his opponent against him.
Very good points you're making.
I have to admit you're making sense, and that I may change my stance on this issue.
The key is obviously to refuse to censor the issue doesn't exist.
An open discussion is what the dark forces of anti-democracy fear.
Beautiful point made about Jesse Jackson too, definitely understand what you mean.
We have a similar problem in Sweden with multiculturalism, the higher crime rate of immigrants being a taboo topic for the media and the politicians for many years, paving the way for a few right-wing extremists.
Only when the established parties and the mainstream media brings up the topic and discusses it without holding back, will the right-wing extremists be kept at bay.
-Hedge
