The Confederacy: Is It About Heritage or Hate?

Do you think this lady has the right to fly the Confederate flag in her yard? Do you think the protesters have the right to protest the flag? Do you think the citizens of the community had the right to build the fences in order to try to block the view of the flag?

Rebel flag still flying in black SC neighborhood

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A year ago, dozens marched to protest the Confederate flag a white woman flew from her porch in a historically black Southern neighborhood. After someone threw a rock at her porch, she put up a wooden lattice. That was just the start of the building.

Earlier this year, two solid 8-foot high wooden fences were built on either side of Annie Chambers Caddell's modest brick house to shield the Southern banner from view.

Late this summer, Caddell raised a flagpole higher than the fences to display the flag. Then a similar pole with an American flag was placed across the fence in the yard of neighbor Patterson James, who is black.

One hundred and fifty years after the Civil War began about 20 miles away in Charleston Harbor, fights continue over the meaning of the Confederate flag. Some see it as a symbol of slavery and racism; others like Caddell say it's part of their Southern heritage.

"I'm here to stay. I didn't back down and because I didn't cower the neighbors say I'm the lady who loves her flag and loves her heritage," said the 51-year old Caddell who moved into the historically black Brownsville neighborhood in the summer of 2010. Her ancestors fought for the Confederacy.

Last October, about 70 people marched in the street and sang civil rights songs to protest the flag, while about 30 others stood in Caddell's yard waving the Confederate flag.

Opponents of the flag earlier gathered 200 names on a protest petition and took their case to a town council meeting where Caddell tearfully testified that she's not a racist. Local officials have said she has the right to fly the flag, while her neighbors have the right to protest. And build fences.

"Things seemed to quiet down and then the fences started," Caddell said. "I didn't know anything about it until they were putting down the postholes and threw it together in less than a day."

Aaron Brown, the town councilman whose district includes Brownsville, said neighbors raised money for the fences.

"The community met and talked about the situation," he said. "Somebody suggested that what we should do is just go ahead and put the fences up and that way somebody would have to stand directly in front of the house to see the flag and that would mediate the flag's influence."

Caddell isn't bothered by the fences and said they even seem to draw more attention to her house.
"People driving by here because of the privacy fences, they tend to slow down," she said. "If the objective was to block my house from view, they didn't succeed very well."

The Confederate flag remains a sensitive issue in South Carolina. The battle emblem of the Confederacy had flown on the dome of the Statehouse in Columbia since the Civil War centennial in the 1960s when state lawmakers voted in 2000 to move it to a Confederate monument in front of the building. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has waged a tourism boycott on the state since then as it seeks to have the flag removed from the Statehouse grounds.

Caddell, Brown and James all say things have been quiet in Brownsville in recent months. "She's got a right to do what she wants to do," James said. "That's all I really have to say. She can do what she wants to do in her yard, but I don't share her beliefs."

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http://news.yahoo.com/rebel-flag-still-flying-black-sc-neighborhood-075154630.html

 

Yes, as long as she has not entered into a contract to not do so (such as with a home owner's association).
On their own or public property, yes, as long as they are not harming the flag flyer or others.
On their own or public property, yes, as long as they are not harming the flag flyer or others.

 

Of course she has every right to do so. Does she have a lick of sense?....doubtful. Every neighborhood has their own version of Annie starved for outside attention good or bad. It's best to just ignore them until the folks from animal control show up take her only friends to good homes. I think the better question is; who is the Annie in your neighborhood?

 

Everyone has the right to live life with their delusions. As long as it isn't causing harm to others I'd tolerate it, but I'd point out to them why it is delusional.

 

Just curious... why do you think it's delusional?

 

Yeah, maybe 'delusional' isn't the appropriate word.

It's somewhat delusional in that the flag is obviously an issue with a large group of people and that by ignoring or minimizing that fact, the flag's supporters are deluding themselves into believing that it is acceptable to glorify it as a symbol of their heritage. There are innumerable ways they can celebrate their heritage that are much less controversial.

'Ignorant' might be a better word choice.

 

I would agree that your use of the word "delusional" was inappropriate. I don't believe the lady has any delusions about the history of the flag or any delusions about how some people feel about the flag. "Ignorant" might also not be the appropriate word. Ignorance is simply the condition of being uninformed. The article stated that her ancestors fought in the Confederacy so I'll presume that she's investigated her genealogy and has an understanding of the Confederacy. I doubt that she's ignorant on the flag's history.

But, I'll agree with all the members who have responded who stated that she has the right to fly the flag. I don't think it's right that the neighbors threw rocks at her house, but I'll agree that they had a right to build the fence. Of course, the lady has the right to keep raising her flag higher.

 

Inconsiderate? Arrogant?

 

I'd have to say the confederate flag means nothing to me personally, so I'm pretty neutral on the issue at face value. But when I consider the tensions it creates, I see no point in adding to them. And let's be honest, one of the reasons for flying it is to intentionally anger people who have issues with it. It's a middle finger to 'em... or 'fighting words'... so it's a provocation.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with IQ-less on this one. Just because she has the freedom to do this doesn't make it right.

 

To me it's kind of like when the American flag is burned by protesters, here or in foreign countries. It's not an issue for me personally, but it provokes a rage in a major group of people. While both issues cause no actual harm, the tensions it creates are (essentially) unnecessary and the impact on society as a whole is a negative.

 

It's ok, we're still disagreeing 99.9% on other stuff

 

It's sort of like the proposed Ground-Zero Mosque. I'm certain they have every right to build it, but should they?

 

Now I think the Stars and Bars is a beautiful flag and I can understand how it is a last ditch attempt for white people of true old southern background to hang onto the idea of the "south" which is fading away daily. With that said, however, I have to say that everytime I am driving past the outskirts of Tampa and I see a giant southern battle flag flying directly above the Exit for Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd the first thought I always have is, thats not right.

 

That goes back to my original question: Is it about heritage or is it about hate? Many would argue that the secession of the southern states was about "state's rights" while others would claim it was about "slavery". If a person views the Confederate flag only as a symbol of slavery then I can see how they would be upset. However, slavery wasn't the only issue that instigated the Civil War.

Here is a website that discusses some of the myths concerning the Confederacy that you may find interesting:

http://www.rulen.com/myths/

 

The writings of the northern volunteer soldiers, and there were entire towns of them, was that it was a religious action to end slavery. For most southerns it was more about identifying to their state. I should read your website but if I remember correctly the south was planning on ending slavery themselves for economically it was more expensive to keep slaves then hire poor whites as well as the concern of the growing black population.

Speaking of the subject, I was in Charleston South Carolina this past summer with the family for the first time and it is a beautiful place. That yankee eyesore is still in the harbor as well.

 

That's briefly addressed on the website, but yes that's true.

Hahah.. well, just don't attack it!

 

Heritage or hate? The former is the latter. Seems like the celebrants of Southern heritage invariably focus on the Confederate battle flag as their symbol. The domination by their race over another is the heritage that they celebrate.

 

Thats a nice tie together but I think it is more that the True South is disappearing. I remember my dad driving us just to Virgina as a kid and the big difference in accents and attitudes. Now every year when I drive up north taking my family to visit my wife's family I see people from China running the gas stations in Georgia, people from India running a hotel in South Carolina, People from Russia shopping in a store in Virgina. The old south started to lose it's identiy when people ran to work down here in the 1980's from the north and it has been losing more and more of its identity everyday since

 

I understand nostalgia. But what is this nostalgia for? A South of Whites dominating and oppressing Blacks and no other races to complicate things? Where people knew their place or learned it pretty fast if they didn't? I'm sorry, Andy it all seems a little GWTWish to me. I'm not saying that there isn't a Southern heritage. But I think people can celebrate it without all the Reb flags and without waxing teary eyed over The Lost Cause and getting bent about how we've got that n****r in the White HOuse I can't imaging Shelby Foote flying a Rebel flag. I admit that part of my issue here is that seeing these unreconstructed die hards makes difficult for me to enjoy my pimento cheese, collards and bacon, and, sigh, fried catfish in peace.