On my ride home from work I heard a local news story that kind of grabbed my attention, Forreston Students Protest Suspension over Confederate Clothing. I obviously cannot link to the radio show, so I’ll link to the article they where discussing. During the show they personalities and callers were going back and forth over the entire issue. Everything from freedom of speech (IE expression) to Hate Crimes (Displaying the Naval Jack/Rebel Flag the Confederacy is a “hate crime”).

I rolled my eyes so dramatically at one point I almost drove off the road. Not over the freedom of speech issue, mainly because I honestly believe that most Americans only believe in Freedom of Speech if the topic isn’t controversial OR they happen to support the controversial topic. Yea, deny it. But I’ve seen enough hypocrisy over it in the last two years that you won’t change my mind. What made me roll my eyes was when one of the radio personalities made a comment along the lines of “It’s a flag of hate. It’s anti-American and it can’t legally be flown on federal property. They flag symbolizes, hate, bigotry and racism.”

First, anyone that knows anything about history and the Confederate Flag knows that what people call the Confederate flag isnÂ’t the Confederate Flag. What every one is most familiar with is the Naval Jack AKA Rebel Flag, AKA The Southern Cross. This is a battle flag, well one of them. The actual battle flags were perfectly square.

Rebel Flag

Battle Flag

Yes, this is a matter of semantics, but it’s important. There where three Confederate National Flags. The first being what was commonly called “The Stars and Bars.” Yes, again some people refer to the Naval Jack as that, but they would be incorrect. The original flag had nothing on it that even had the Confederate Union on it. Other then the colors, they really where completely different. It was changed because it looked too much like the American Flag. The Second National Flag, The Stainless Banner was a white field with the Battle Flag as the Union. This flag was replaced because when there was no wind it looked like a surrender flag. The Third National Flag, the bloodstained banner had a red vertical stripe on the end. This flag was adopted shortly before the end of the war and was the last national flag of the Confederacy.

The Stars and Bars

The Stainless Banner

The Bloodstained Banner

So about now you are all probably wondering why I am boring you with a history lesson? Because it pisses me off when people say historically it represents hate, bigotry and racism. WRONG! ItÂ’s a battle flag. ItÂ’s a flag that armies rallied to during a bloody war. ItÂ’s a flag that Americans fought and died under for something they believe. They rose up against a government they felt did not represent them, their interests and their rights. This flag wasnÂ’t even around at the beginning of the war. ItÂ’s not like this flag was around for years flown over houses telling anyone that passed by that this plantation had slaves. It didnÂ’t. Maybe if they said that about one of the Confederate National flags I could understand it more, but they don't.

Sure someone will say that thatÂ’s what people associate it with. You are correct, the ignorant, the un-educated and the stupid have over the years used the rebel flag as part of their idiocy. Okay, so since they use a flaming cross, crosses should be evil too. Oh, and since millions of people have been killed in the name of god, then god should be seen as evil. Yea, I know. IÂ’m going to extremes, but it just annoys me.

There is a historical and legitimate reason for the rebel flag. Some say to remember history; some to show southern pride, others because they do think it stands for hate. I have no problem with the debate over this flag. I just hate seeing it pigeon holed as something itÂ’s not.

Oh and as for it not being allowed to be flown on Federal property. IÂ’ve been to many Federal monuments and cemeteries, including Shiloh this past year. IÂ’ve seen this flag at many of these Civil War sites and IÂ’m willing to bet I will continue to, including memorials.

I really wish the media would fact check before spewing forth BS.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:58 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Do you know what sucks? A flat tire on your way to work sucks. ItÂ’s worse when you have your wife and two kids with you when it goes flat. Fortunately we were only 6 blocks from home when the tire blew, so we were able to limp home and switch vehicles. No time to change the tire, I had to get to work. It would have to wait until I got home.

ThatÂ’s what happened to me yesterday. Last night when I got home I changed into some rugged cold weather gear and headed out to change the tire on the van. People let me tell you something, changing a tire sucks, changing a tire when itÂ’s 15 degrees with a wind chill that makes it feel like 5 degrees sucks even more. The metal of the jack, the irons and the tire is almost excruciatingly cold through the heavily insulated gloves. Want to make it even worse? It had snowed the night before, it was only a couple of inches, but that meant that I had to work in the snow. We have a narrow driveway and I ended up having to shovel and dig out a section so I could get the damn jack under the farking van. Then I had the pleasure of lying in the snow to crank the beast up.

When itÂ’s that cold do you know what happens to your tires after they are flat? They freeze. It was frozen to the driveway. As I was jacking up the farking van the tire was slowing peeling off of the driveway. It only took me about 30 minutes to make the change. 15 minutes of that was trying to get he damn spare loose from the van. ItÂ’s stored under the vehicle, and hadnÂ’t been used in 3.5 years. The damn spare rusted to the farking bracket that was holding it to the van. So the farking gobshite that decided that storing the spare under the vehicle has a kick to the dinglies coming from me if I ever meet him.

After getting the wheels changed, I was able to go sink a couple of hundred dollars into getting two replacement tires. You can’t just buy one new tire, the vehicle won’t ride right. Well I guess it could be worse. It could have happened today, when it’s 7 degrees with a –7 wind chill.

Posted by: Contagion at 07:29 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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