Originally Posted by Guest

I believe you will find that the Confederate Flag has different meanings to different people just as does the American Flag, the Christian Cross, a pro ball's team logo, etc. and this debate all ends up being someone's opinion.

The issue to me is First Amendment rights to free speech, etc. and I believe that it is important no matter how one feels to allow a person, a state to make that choice. We have groups like Freedom From Religion and the ACLU making a concerted effort to remove religion from America because they say it offends some people but the essence of free speech is that you are going to offend somebody but only when those offending move to the next levels does it matter.

A KKK member who verbally espouses his belief exercises his First Amendment rights and those who opposed that idea express their contempt to this KKKer beliefs. It is not a problem unless either of these groups carries this belief to a higher and more invasive level

I am not concerned that South Carolina chooses to fly the Confederate Flag because it is clear that black Americans are not interfered with in any respect in this state.

What gauls me most is that this issue is really being used as a political stunt for the politically ambitious

We have many problems to be resolved in this country and this dispute over a flag is just plain silly

Personal Best Regards:

I guess you throw in someone who is not running into the ambitious sector..... unless you consider Romney only a "stunt" man. His tweet speaks volumes. You should try Twitter sometime.

Mitt Romney*

✔@MittRomney

Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.

11:09 AM - 20 Jun 2015

Originally Posted by Chi-Town

I guess you throw in someone who is not running into the ambitious sector..... unless you consider Romney only a "stunt" man. His tweet speaks volumes. You should try Twitter sometime.

Mitt Romney*

✔@MittRomney

Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.

11:09 AM - 20 Jun 2015

Very clear to me, but it is like a sail full of holes. Your throwing your wind at a void. I know a man that uses the "n" word on a daily basis while watching the news, but will physically fight you if you dare say that he is Predudice. I try to take it all in stride. I am the bad guy if I suggest an alternative to words like that.

Originally Posted by Guest

I guess you throw in someone who is not running into the ambitious sector..... unless you consider Romney only a "stunt" man. His tweet speaks volumes. You should try Twitter sometime.

Mitt Romney*

✔@MittRomney

Take down the #ConfederateFlag at the SC Capitol. To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor #Charleston victims.

11:09 AM - 20 Jun 2015

I am not the poster to whom your post refers, but I am going to venture back into this conversation just to say the following -

This may be hard for some on here to believe, but there are many of us who could care less what any specific politician thinks or believes whether it be from the opposing party or our own. We can think for ourselves and do not feel obligated to tow a party line. Whether I, for example, like Romney or not (and I do actually), he does not necessarily speak for me. I have not even looked up what others have said about this topic because it really doesn't matter. I can formulate an opinion based on my own thoughts and understanding - I don't need to be told how to think.

Originally Posted by Guest

No, I WILL NOT agree to disagree with you. You are WRONG. The confederate flag was part of the slaveholding South which is the epitomy of racism.

As for the second part of your statement - ignorant.

Oh I thought it was the flag of the South which happened to be slave holding.

As for the ignorent comment THAT is ignorant!

Well, thank you all for your input. I personally feel the flag could go away, but there have been several eye opening opinions to keep it. Great thread and mostly civil.

Originally Posted by Guest

you could not be more insensitive and more wrong if you tried. The ACLU of course has supported the first amendment more strongly than any right wing organization including HATE speech when that speech is made by private individuals. If you want to fly your CSA flag to proudly display your disdain for ongoing racism it is your 1st amendment right and the ACLU will come to your support.

As to your blatant ignorance of the ongoing racial issues in South Carolina I will only need to point out to you that the judge who has been handling this case for the government has been removed because in open court 10 years ago he referred to black Americans as *******. In open court on the record and he was allowed to continue to hear cases and judge black persons. Was that blind justice or blindingly racist beliefs being tolerated? And we may not have problem any greater than racism in this country. Keep your personal regards, they seem to be tainted and I don't need that stain on me.

Excellent post and also excellent commentsry on the blemished and stained "personal regards".

Originally Posted by Guest

Oh I thought it was the flag of the South which happened to be slave holding.

As for the ignorent comment THAT is ignorant!

Learn how to spell "ignorant" and then crawl back into your curmudgeon troll hole.

Originally Posted by Guest

Learn how to spell "ignorant" and then crawl back into your curmudgeon troll hole.

Baited especially for U!
Curmudgeon troll? Where is the bite me emoticon?

Originally Posted by Guest

Baited especially for U!
Curmudgeon troll? Where is the bite me emoticon?

Baited especially for me?

How much more could one be a self-identified troll?

Now, get back down your troll hole and stay there.

Do The Villages Tea Party meeting start each meeting off with a salute to the Confederate flag and a cross burning in an ash tray?

Originally Posted by Guest

you could not be more insensitive and more wrong if you tried. The ACLU of course has supported the first amendment more strongly than any right wing organization including HATE speech when that speech is made by private individuals. If you want to fly your CSA flag to proudly display your disdain for ongoing racism it is your 1st amendment right and the ACLU will come to your support.

As to your blatant ignorance of the ongoing racial issues in South Carolina I will only need to point out to you that the judge who has been handling this case for the government has been removed because in open court 10 years ago he referred to black Americans as *******. In open court on the record and he was allowed to continue to hear cases and judge black persons. Was that blind justice or blindingly racist beliefs being tolerated? And we may not have problem any greater than racism in this country. Keep your personal regards, they seem to be tainted and I don't need that stain on me.

Dear Guest: Your response was a personal attack on me because I chose to defend First Amendment rights explaining that by its nature someone will surely be offended. My response wasn't about me. This issue is bigger than all of us because it is about us or more specifically about free America. The ACLU is anything but civil and they operate to undermine American freedoms to a point of insanity. You speak to the judge's conduct but then conclude that he was removed. Wasn't this a good outcome?

Why is it people such as yourselves only see America in a negative light as racial charged, aggressors, colonialist?

People risk their lives to reach our borders and rightly so and AGAIN I SAY WHILE WE ARE NOT PERFECT WE ARE THE BEST THAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER. some folks just do not understand the limits of nature and human nature. And I say again the Confederate flag means different things to different people and whether it flies over South Carolina or not it has no material sway on how those residents interact. The debate is a political one and a silly one at that, perhaps dangerous because some politicians are using it to garner black votes and the sharptonites are using it to justify their existence. You may choose to bite on that bait but I cannot and will not, my focus is always on what are our national priorities.

Personal Best Regards:

This thread goes in the "pretend" ignore file......new lows of trash talk accomplished....congratulations....bye.

Originally Posted by Guest

Dear Guest: Your response was a personal attack on me because I chose to defend First Amendment rights explaining that by its nature someone will surely be offended. My response wasn't about me. This issue is bigger than all of us because it is about us or more specifically about free America. The ACLU is anything but civil and they operate to undermine American freedoms to a point of insanity. You speak to the judge's conduct but then conclude that he was removed. Wasn't this a good outcome?

Why is it people such as yourselves only see America in a negative light as racial charged, aggressors, colonialist?

People risk their lives to reach our borders and rightly so and AGAIN I SAY WHILE WE ARE NOT PERFECT WE ARE THE BEST THAT THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER. some folks just do not understand the limits of nature and human nature. And I say again the Confederate flag means different things to different people and whether it flies over South Carolina or not it has no material sway on how those residents interact. The debate is a political one and a silly one at that, perhaps dangerous because some politicians are using it to garner black votes and the sharptonites are using it to justify their existence. You may choose to bite on that bait but I cannot and will not, my focus is always on what are our national priorities.

Personal Best Regards:

You nailed it with the lines highlighted above! As mentioned previously, how ridiculous to have such commotion to the point of a national debate over a flag. The bottom line is that it is what it is - a flag - a thing! It cannot control someone's emotions or make someone commit an act. Unless we move on to more important issues and deal with the real sources of so many of these acts, which I call evil, our country is doomed to the likes of and the confusion of Babel.

Opinion: Confederate flag was the flag of traitors - CNN.com

Originally Posted by Guest

You nailed it with the lines highlighted above! As mentioned previously, how ridiculous to have such commotion to the point of a national debate over a flag. The bottom line is that it is what it is - a flag - a thing! It cannot control someone's emotions or make someone commit an act. Unless we move on to more important issues and deal with the real sources of so many of these acts, which I call evil, our country is doomed to the likes of and the confusion of Babel.

A flag is just a thing? Please tell me what YOUR response would be if your next door neighbor flew a large Nazi swastika on his flagpole? 99.9 percent of residents would have their emotions controoled by this flag flying next to them and some would feel compelled to commit the act of taking it down.

The US flag also is not just a thing. It definitely controls our emotions. If we see someone defacing it, some people commit the act of assault and rightfully so, in my viewpoint.

No, you are incorrect in this post. Many people compare the history of the confederate battle flag with the Nazi flag. Neither should be allowed to fly. Put the piece of Southern history in a museum.