Depends upon one's point of view. Seeing the confederate flag carried proudly in the Capitol cheered many. Why?

It is very difficult for me as a white person to understand completely what it means to be Black.  I cannot walk in their shoes so my life experiences are likely much different than theirs.  Being Jewish, I have some understanding of the history of what it means to be under the thumb of a more powerful group. i.e., the Nazis.  Everyone thinks the Nazis were only after the Jews.  That was their main target, but I can assure you that Hitler's goal was to eliminate anyone not Aryan and that meant Blacks, Romany, etc.  Jews weren't the only ones in the camps - there were others and he didn't particularly care for the disabled either.  But, I digress.

For those who think the Confederate flag is their heritage, I do understand that, but is their heritage borne of their inclination to enslave those of color?  I'm sure this is a more complex issue than I've addressed here.  The truth is that I also understand how a person of color feels about the Confederate flag.  For one people to enslave another is unthinkable.  

Removing statues and other artifacts that represent the Confederate side of the Civil War is wrong.  It is part of our history whether we like it or not.  Removing statues does not remove the enslavement of another race.  It doesn't matter whether the landholder treated their slaves well or not - they were still slaves and were not free.  Truth to tell, it is the African tribal chiefs who were willing to sell their own people into slavery.  They bear as much of the blame as those who purchased them.  

Keeping people down, even when they aren't physically restrained, does no one any good.  People who are permitted to reach their full potential help all of us.  

I disagree with thee L. GERMANY does not allow swastikas anywhere. Why should we allow the emblem of TRAITORS to show its face? Especially because you are Jewish you should find that appalling. Apologies for telling you what you SHOULD FEEL but you know Armenians had their own HOLOCAUST at the hand of the Turks during which 1.6 million of my people DIED on death marches. My great grandparents and my mother's older sister Anne died on such a death march. My auntie Anne was TWO YEARS OLD. That is why I feel such a kinship to Jewish people. We have suffered similarly though your suffering was of a greater magnitude. I salute Germany for disavowing and disallowing any remnants of NAZISM. I support removing every trace of the treason folks in my country. The TRAITORS who are still among us now and are responsible for January 6. We rarely disagree but on this issue it is 180 degrees of disagreement. Again. Apologies but seriously you have no idea what my grandparents went through to escape being on that death march. I wouldn't be here had they not escaped. Nuff said. . This post was edited by RosieG at January 16, 2021 11:53 AM MST

I understand how you feel.  None of my family were in the camps.  They were all able to get out before the war.  I can't begin to imagine what your grandparents went through or what the Jews unfortunate enough to be interred in concentration camps had to endure. 

Nazism overtook the entire country.  I believe it was the discovery of the barbarism of what the Nazis did that later forced Germany to ban everything Nazi-related.  That is not the case here now.  In some perverse way, the Confederates fought to preserve what they perceived as their way of life.  That was what they knew and they were fearful of losing it.  It seems to me that the South has never come to terms with their losing the war.  As a northerner, I can't imagine how I would feel had it been the other way around.  

In 1968 or 1969, I spent a week in Berlin.  I came into contact with a number of college students who told me that even at that late date, they were embarrassed of their history and explained that they felt Germany would never be able to remove the stain of the Nazi era.  They felt they would never be looked at as anything other than a murderous, barbaric, uncivilized country.  

I understand and agree with what you're saying. As a student of American history, I know full well how the blacks suffered under the yoke of slavery though I could never comprehend how they felt because I didn't walk in their shoes.

My answer was meant more for the historical meaning of the Confederate flag and what it came to mean for the South and for others not associated with the Confederacy. It was in no way meant to marginalize slavery and the crimes associated with it.

  I was born and grew up in the second-largest city in Michigan. Our neighborhood consisted of people from almost all ethnic backgrounds. To me, they weren't black, white, Hispanic, or anything else. They were simply my friends, neighbors, and playmates.

So when I got into junior high where I began studying American history one could imagine how shocked I was to find out to what extent people from a certain ethnic background, were persecuted. We had black students in high school as well as exchange students from different countries. Nobody gave it a second thought. We were all students. Nothing more, nothing less.

  For me personally, to persecute anyone from a different ethnic background than your own is wrong. For that matter to persecute someone for being heavy, skinny, having to wear glasses, etc, is also wrong. This is why I have little use for bullies of any kind. I've confronted my share of them. And still do. :)


 

We are in agreement and I understand the reasoning behind your explanation of the flag.

It seems you grew up in the same sort of neighborhood that I did.  Back in the 50s, we lived in Upper Manhattan.  In those days, kids stayed pretty much close to home and the kids on my block and the block across the street were from all backgrounds, all shapes and sizes and pretty much all in the same socio-economic group.  I will admit that there were few Blacks in our immediate area, but we did go to  the same schools.  If everyone grew up in our kind of neighborhood, there would be little disagreement these days.  We learned to understand, and thereby get along with, all the different races, religions, beliefs and cultures.  In the end, we all need and want the same things - a good job, a safe neighborhood in which to raise our families, food, clothing and shelter. 

I agree! I have loving and caring siblings and had great parents who instilled old-fashioned down to earth values into us children. :)

Same here. :)

The CONFEDERATE FLAG is the flag of TRAITORS to the union.  It represents HATE  and TREASON and there is no way to ever make it okay. Thank you for your lengthy analysis ru and Happy Saturday to you and yours.

Read my reply to SpunkySenior.