Protecting hatred preserves freedom

Post Reply New Topic

I subscribe to the local Sunday paper and because of this, I receive the Wednesday paper for free. Last Wednesday, I had some waiting to do so I went ahead and read the paper and it just happened to have a story on the local state house and surprise! it also has a history of flying the confederate flag only it was with 13 other flagpoles representing various flags that have flown over the region, even when it was part of Spain, Mexico and the Louisiana Purchase. There was even a couple of Texas flags in that group. Eventually, the flags were abandoned by one of the governors, and replaced by 14 state flags and everyone seems okay with that. They say it's promotes state pride, having 14 state flags together like this and they feel it is more productive to promote the state flag instead of all these others.

The state still has the right to put the flag on the capitol,and all those others as well, but it reaches the point people want other things and as a democracy, the state goes with what people want. Shouldn't the government of South Carolina reflect what the people of that state want, which is for the flag to go? It's not like there won't be plenty of other of the same flying around town. I am sure there are. Putting a South Carolina flag there reflects pride in being a South Carolinian.

Even if slavery had never existed and racial strife did not exist in the U.S. I still don't think it would be appropriate to fly the Confederate flag at a government building. It is secessionist. It is the flag of a would-be nation that didn't want to be part of the United States.

It is integral to United States history and therefore belongs on government sponsored historical displays. It is and should remain part of protected free speech and therefore belongs in the home or on the car or clothes of anybody who wants that. But it shouldn't be flown alongside flags of states and the United Sates. States are sub-units of the United Sates. The Confederacy isn't and never was.....not being so was its whole point.


I am ok with the Arkansas flag.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/23/bill-clinton-signed-law-affirming-arkansas-state-flag-includes-star-for-confederacy/

I just think it's funny how people love to twist things around. Fine, Southerners can wave their Confederate flag around. It's just a piece of cloth anyway. And everyone will know exactly who the idiots are. And yes, freedom of speech goes both way. You wave that flag around, some people are going to call you out on it. I'm not talking about the OP specifically but I always have to wonder why someone even feels compelled to defend the people who wave the flags and who spew hate as if it's some noble self-sacrificing position to take on. I have to wonder. Hiding behind big words is the way I perceive it.

Anyway, the Capitol building doesn't need to wave the flag. It's rather telling to me that they have kept it up for so long. Common sense says it should be taken down.

That's kinda what the ACLU said.

You protect the freedom of speech by protecting the expression of UN popular opinions, not by only protecting popular speech. That's why the ACLU sued to defend the right of the Neo Nazis to march in Skokie back in the 80's.

So you could argue that "defending hate defends freedom".

Or more precisely: defending the expression of hatred defends freedom.

Though that has nothing to do with what banners the local government flies on the state capitol building. The state removing Confederate flags from its buildings does not threaten free speech (which belongs to private individuals).

Did you catch the part where he said that this does mean that government offices shouldn't display a flag of secession?

I don't see how 'protecting' hate preserves freedom....I mean if people want to be hateful sure let them, but they certainly should not get any extra protection and the state should not waste any money going out of their way to protect it. The way I see it if someones walking around being a racist prick and gets beat up cool...protecting hate seems to imply people who support things like racial hatred would become some kind of protected class which sounds stupid to me.