Wal Mart to Stop Selling Confederate Flag Merchandise

jthomas666 said:

clicky

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So, I'm wondering. Why have they been selling those products in the past? Oh, I know. They are in business to make a profit and they just didn't care in the past. Do they really care now? What is their motive?

I'm sure they sell U. S. Flags at Walmart. Are those U. S. Flags made in China? Do they sell U. S. Flags made in the USA?

I guess they'll stop selling Hank Jr albums as well.:biggrin2:

CullmanTide said:

I guess they'll stop selling Hank Jr albums as well.:biggrin2:

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Does that also mean he won't be invited to the White House?

Me neither, Audio.

And I agree about Walmart...business is business...

My younger son owns toy civil war soldiers (Rebels and Yankees), which he bought from a federal government gift shop while visiting D.C. Interesting that the federal government is allowed to profit off of the Confederate flag, which the Rebel standard bearer is of course holding.

crimsonaudio said:

Purely reactionary, but business is business - especially when you consider it's Walmart.

That said, I've never owned anything with a confederate flag on it and never will.

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I have, I got a rebel flag sticker on vacation in NC and put it on my sled when I was 8 or 9. Purely because I wanted to be Bo or Luke duke when I grew up. Pretty sure I also had the General Lee matchbox car too

jthomas666 said:

Interesting that the example you offer places the confederate flag in its historical context.

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Would you rather it fly above the SC state house for proper historical context? But of course, that'd be the CSA flag and not necessarily the battle flag.

Jon said:

I have, I got a rebel flag sticker on vacation in NC and put it on my sled when I was 8 or 9. Purely because I wanted to be Bo or Luke duke when I grew up. Pretty sure I also had the General Lee matchbox car too

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Boy, your racism (like mine) started early, didn't it?

I did have the General Lee matchbox car. I confess. I'm now not able to run for President sadly.

I have never owned or wore anything that had the confederate battle flag on it and never will, but I think the reaction by some of the media ,more specifically mr Oliver on hbo, against people who do is a little unfair. I understand why people can associate the flag with racism due to the second kkk movement, but let's point at that movement's use of it and not try to associate that it has always a symbol of hatred and everyone who flies it is a racist. Because the flag that people consider the confederate flag was made in 1863 during Chancellorsville. It was made to stop the confusion between armies due to the similarities between the confederate Bonny blue flag and the us stars and strips. War has always been a rich mans war and a poor mans fight and politically slavery was the driving cause for the war by the rich men in power, but the men fighting not so much.and the poor men fighting made that flag to avoid getting killed by confusion.

My point is I don't believe you can look down on people for having it. I think the reaction is emotionally based mostly due to how long it has stood uncontested and Mississippi still has a csa flag on their state flag even with Georgia taking it out of theirs. But with that said they should take it off federal buildings because we aren't the csa we are the USA. Flame if you will

jthomas666 said:

The flag over the state house today has decidedly different meaning than the battle flag on a set of figurines, whether it's reenactment figurines or a Civil War chess set.

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You have a problem with States asserting their sovereignty in all matters excepting those expressly ceded under the U.S. Constitution? I'm not sure why anyone would be embarrassed by expressions of the proper place of the federal government. But of course, you likely assume the use of the flag on state property has something to do with racism. You should have more faith in your fellow man.

jthomas666 said:

Wow, it's a straw man convention.

The decision to fly the confederate flag over the capitol may or may not be motivated by racism. But that's not the point here. For African Americans, the confederate flag has become a symbol of slavery, racism, and oppression. There are more than a few legitimate historical reasons that this is so. African Americans seeing such a symbol over the capitol can easily feel alienated. Similarly, when we debated the presence of Roy Moore's 10 Commandment monument, I commented that with Christian law clearly being given such primacy, a Muslim or Hindu could easily feel alienated and unable to get a fair hearing. The same principle is at work with the confederate flag over a state capitol.

Now, if you want to argue that the historical significance of the Confederate flag outweighs its current symbolism, that's fine. I'd be interested in hearing that argument. But to refuse to acknowledge the impact the flag can have on African Americans is to prove that they are, in fact, alienated.

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If you are arguing that to possess or wear a battle flag is racist then I would have to disagree because it was made by poor southern men fighting .They made that flag in 1863, two years into the war, in order to distinguish different armies because the Bonny blue flag, official CSA flag, looked very similar to the USA flag. Most of the fighters for the south had nothing to do with slaves or signed up to preserve slavery directly, you have to remember the country had been fighting the issues between states and federal power since it was founded at this point of history. Now politically the issue of slavery was a driving force for the rich slave owners who had power, but they flew the Bonny blue flag not the csa battle flag. It wasn't until the 2nd and 3rd movement of the kkk in which the battle flag was a symbol of racism. But flags are like guns, they don't discriminate but in the hands of an irresponsible person they can cause harm.

If your argument is against sc having it at the courthouse then I completely agree. We are in the USA not the csa. Just because fort Sumter is in sc doesn't mean you can fly the flag at the states courthouse. So I agree take it down, but I'm not going to judge people who posses the flag because it's no different than all the other forms of discrimination if you do.

jthomas666 said:

I'm only talking about the flag at the statehouse.

Regardless of what the flag may or may not mean when worn by an individual, that's a free speech issue. On that point, back in 2003 Housing tried to enact regulations on what students could display in dorm windows, a move prompted by visiting parents being offended by a confederate flag hung on a dorm window. The stink over the issue made the national press at the time.

CW article

FIRE

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Ok that's university property and that is the university's obligation to make a non discriminative environment so I agree with the parents. Now if it is off campus housing then it is a different story. I think the point I'm trying to make is that if you consider everyone who has a confederate battle flag a racist just because of what the civil war was fought over and what the 2nd and 3rd kkk did, then by that standard it means all Islamic people are bad because of 9/11 and the Isis attacks. Neither statement is true but people generalize it to be. I personally have never flew, never worn, or never will do either with the csa flag but I firmly believe it is a right to anyone one who does it appropriately.

Congratulations to WalMart.