Confederate flag

[Vizion]

***I'm not sure what I think about this case, I agree with the guy in what he says, but do understand the situation can be somewhat touchy.***


Minnesota city councilman has a Confederate flag hanging outside his home and says he's not taking it down, no matter what people say.

"It's my house," West St. Paul Councilman Ed Hansen told the Pioneer Press. "What's the problem?"

Plenty, according to the city's mayor, John Zanmiller. The flag, visible from a busy avenue and to visitors at a nearby park, also has the word "redneck" written across it.

"I don't like it," Zanmiller said. "Do I wish the flag wasn't there? Yes."

While the mayor acknowledged he is not aware of any complaints made to the city, he reached out to Hansen on Friday about taking it down. Hansen declined, and Zanmiller acknowledged the decision is ultimately Hansen's.


Ed Hansen

Hansen, a first-term councilman elected in 2010, told the Pioneer Press he put the flag outside his house over the summer to no complaints. He said being an elected official should not matter one way or another.

"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he told the newspaper. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."

He dismissed any racist connotation the flag carries.

"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."

Jay Brunn, a developer who's building a house next to Hansen's, claimed the flag caused one prospective buyer to shy away.

When informed of that, Hansen told the Pioneer Press: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."


http://news.yahoo.com/minn-city-coun...154818571.html

[Pastor Chris F]

To many people are poorly educated and very ignorant on the Confederate flag. He has every right to fly it at his home. In fact, I think any person with southern heritage should fly it no matter what job or what state they are in.

[rearnakedchoke]

sure he has a right to fly it ... and sure, many people are probably uneducated on the flag .. but it doesn't help that the flag is used by a large number of different white supremecist groups and white separist groups in their logos ... so some people aren't doing a good job of helping with the view of what the flag stands for ..

[County Mike]

If Mexican Americans can fly a Mexican flag and German Americans can fly a German flag and every other native of a different country can fly their flag, then a southern American can fly the confederate flag. It's only about pride in where you came from. Anyone who thinks differently is mistaken and needs to shut up.

If he had some racist remark written beneath the flag, then I could understand asking him to remove the racist remark. The flag though, should stay.

[Bella79]

Here we freakin' go................

[Pastor Chris F]

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

sure he has a right to fly it ... and sure, many people are probably uneducated on the flag .. but it doesn't help that the flag is used by a large number of different white supremecist groups and white separist groups in their logos ... so some people aren't doing a good job of helping with the view of what the flag stands for ..

This is actually a Hollywood myth. The KKK have it written in their rules the American flag and Christian flag are the only flags allowed. The Neo-Nazi's prefer a swastika, some un-affiliated hate group use the flag but they also use the American and Christian flags and I doubt anyone would say those are racist. It is simple ignorance. The NAACP told a lie for decades and people started believing it. In fact on of the NAACP leaders later fought back and now marches around the country righting this wrong and educating the ignorant.

[Play The Man]

Originally Posted by Pastor Chris F

This is actually a Hollywood myth. The KKK have it written in their rules the American flag and Christian flag are the only flags allowed. The Neo-Nazi's prefer a swastika, some un-affiliated hate group use the flag but they also use the American and Christian flags and I doubt anyone would say those are racist. It is simple ignorance. The NAACP told a lie for decades and people started believing it. In fact on of the NAACP leaders later fought back and now marches around the country righting this wrong and educating the ignorant.

Hollywood didn't create these pictures. They were taken at parades, demonstrations, etc.

[rearnakedchoke]

Originally Posted by Pastor Chris F

This is actually a Hollywood myth. The KKK have it written in their rules the American flag and Christian flag are the only flags allowed. The Neo-Nazi's prefer a swastika, some un-affiliated hate group use the flag but they also use the American and Christian flags and I doubt anyone would say those are racist. It is simple ignorance. The NAACP told a lie for decades and people started believing it. In fact on of the NAACP leaders later fought back and now marches around the country righting this wrong and educating the ignorant.

well .. i am just telling how i see it ... being canadian, i didn't study much american history .. but they way history it is easy to see how people can get preconceived notions of the flag ... of course the civil war was fought to preserve the union, but the north also used the abolishment of slavery as one of the things they were fighting for ... whether or not that was one of the reasons, and whether or not the south was trying to preserve slavery .. the outcomes fell as they did ... so you have a flag that people wave that in history books are associated with slavery ...

on another note, i think this guy is just trying to get his name in the paper .. if enough of his constituents write him asking him to take it down .. he should .. and fly an american flag

[flo]

Originally Posted by Pastor Chris F

To many people are poorly educated and very ignorant on the Confederate flag. He has every right to fly it at his home. In fact, I think any person with southern heritage should fly it no matter what job or what state they are in.

I agree with this. But to be honest, you never see the Confederate flag displayed here in the Pacific Northwest because - right or wrong - it *is* perceived as racist here. I have a close friend in Arkansas and she says it's just the opposite in her area.

[flo]

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

sure he has a right to fly it ... and sure, many people are probably uneducated on the flag .. but it doesn't help that the flag is used by a large number of different white supremecist groups and white separist groups in their logos ... so some people aren't doing a good job of helping with the view of what the flag stands for ..

Good point, rnc.

The swastika wasn't controversial either until Hitler took it to symbolize his Nazi party.