what is your opinion of the confederate flag?
my brother is becoming more & more like the boys his age in the church that we go to, who are from the south.
& he wants to buy a belt buckle online that has the confederate flag on it.
he asked me what the flag meant and I told him that it was from when the confederacy wanted to succeed from the union, and was fighting over states rights, including slavery.
I told him that he shouldn’t get it because it represents things that are not right, and can cause a lot of grief, sadness, or anger in people when they see it.
I think he sort of listened to me, butt doesnt understand because he thinks these people that he admires can do no wrong because they are ‘biblical’.
he’s 15. any advice on what I should tell him?
8 Responses
indianjohn
10 Feb 2010
YJL
10 Feb 2010
he should be honoring his national flag, not a forgotten flag
however, he should getting interested in some other things
dude
10 Feb 2010
when i was that age, kids were fascinated with nazis and confederatesand all that crap. THey all grew out of it.
RebeccaJV
10 Feb 2010
I think to a great extent, we’re still too close to the event to use those representations. While his heroes might be wearing this symbol, are they considering the hurt it is causing other people? Do they understand that there are people who wear this symbol in order to make a political statement? and that they might be mistakenly associated with that statement even though they don’t agree? Yes, prejudice is wrong, but people ned to be aware what they are saying without even opening their mouths. Yes, we have the freedom in this country to wear whatever we want and say whatever we want but that doesn’t mean we always should.
Until he’s ready to absolutely defend why he is wearing that symbol and understands every implication of it, he should not consider wearing it. Maybe you can help by getting him a belt buckle of the American flag 
or an eagle.
Muthu S
10 Feb 2010
If the plan is illegal, certainly he needs change.
Yuri
10 Feb 2010
I think for most people they view the flag as a way to keep slavery around. I find it funny because even when these states seceded from the Union, people in the North still had slaves as well, just not as many. I think people forget or just don’t know that just because Lincoln did what he did, it didn’t technically free the slaves. The Confederates did what they did moreso for economic reasons and their ties to England.
However, I am sure your brother is not aware of this…as are most people who proudly wave the flag of the side that lost.
So…in all honesty, I would tell your brother that before he goes around waving a symbol in public to declare his affiliation to it, he should first know the meaning of it and all that it stands for.
If he doesn’t have a clue what he’s supporting, then the meaning is lost and the symbol is useless.
Who knows
10 Feb 2010
The confrederate flag is not rascist or anything like that. It is southern heritage. The war was because the north thought that they should have the right to tell the south what to do. Slavery was not a major reason for the south to seceed. The north controlls the history so that is what we are taught.
braves squaw
10 Feb 2010
Who Knows is right!
The flag in question was a battle flag.
It was used on the battlefield, as a way of identifying troops and troop movement!!
"Confederate Battle Flag", proposed flag of the CSA (Confederate States Army), submitted to Congress on 4 March 1861, by William Porcher Miles.
Unfortunately, too many stupid people have bastardized this flag, by using it to promote hatred, violence and intolerance towards others. And, anyone who hides behind a Bible in order to do so is, in every sense of the word, a coward!
Flags of the Confederate States of America:
1.) "First National", aka "Stars and Bars", adopted by the Provisional Congress, 4 March 1861.
2.) "Second National", aka "The Stainless Banner", adopted 1 May 1863 and used until 4 March 1865.
3.) "Third National", last flag officially adopted by the Confederate Congress, 4 March 1865.
In that case its a trinket unless he developes a skinhead attitude to go with it
If he bought a Skull & Crossbones that wouldnt make him a Pirate
I have a Tattoo of one because Im from the south But also 37 more with a Native American Theme