The Yeti Rants

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

That's how Abraham Lincoln ended his second inaugural address. Less than a month later he was dead at the hands of southern conspirators, but the spirit of healing did eventually move into the country, at least mending the rift while leaving scars.

Despite the lost of the Confederate States in the war Confederate flag has always remained a proud and prominent symbol in the south and of the south. It stood for southern pride. It stood as a reminder that things weren't always peachy in the good old USofA and that people died at the hands of their brothers. I suppose it's also the universal symbol for Rednecks and for Lynard Skynard, but we can let that slide. However, it seems that there's a new connotation that's being put to the Confederate Flag that I'm not please about.. Racism. It's being put their by our media, by the proponents of Political Correctness and by ignorance of the people who are viewing it.

Let's take a step back. Where does the PC movement get off trying to say that this is a racist symbol? I suppose that if we take it at the 3rd grade level of education that most of these morons have then we draw the conclusion as follows: 1) The Confederate flag stands for the South in the Civl War, 2) The South was for keeping blacks in slavery 3) Therefore that means that all people with the Confederate Flag are racist. Sure, following that base line of logic, I can see where you draw that conclusion. However, it probably also means you still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. These idiots need to get their heads out of their asses.

The Civil War was a war of States rights versus Federal rights. Taking a look at the state of the federal government today, Rebel Flag or no, I'm sure we can see who won. The freeing of the slaves was an ancillary issue that was as much a political maneuver on the part of Lincoln as it was for any type of Civil rights. I'm sure that any black person that lived in Mississippi in the early 1900's would tell you that Lincoln or no, slavery didn't start to end until the 60's. Yet, what's easier to teach children? Slavery vs. Non slavery. It's along the lines of anything. You need a basis to build on. Yet, for some reason, we're not building on that basis. We're leaving that misconception there and this is the type of crap that it produces. We've stopped teaching the kids the rest of the story. We end with the simple because it's just easier that way. Besides, there are more important things to look at in history than the Civil War right? Like, the Clinton administration and how wonderful it was.

What other country in the world would let it's rebellious part keep their symbol? None. Yet the US let those in the south PROUDLY display their heritage on their state flags. Well, that's almost gone now. I didn't do the research, but I think there is only one state with it left. All the others have succumbed to the pressure of "racism". Reminders like this are what made us strong as a country. Embracing the differences between us. Not only in color, backgrounds, and origins, but in philosophies as well. Sure there is racism in the south. Sure there are rednecks who proudly display the flag and then head into the closet to get their KKK robes out for the rally. Sure there are those who would put the Rebel Flag right next to a swastika. However, knowing the true origins of the flag and what it stands for should take away all the power that those few people who do those things invest into it as a symbol of Racism. A little education, a little thought, and a little independent thinking are all it takes to realize what that flag REALLY means. Then again, since when do Americans think for themselves?

We do what we're told to do by the media, MTV and our bosses now. We don't' think for ourselves. That's too much work. Independent thought interferes with my nice head in the sand life.

Wonder what time Survivor is on?


(As an Post Script to this, I think it necessary to say that I'm a born and bread Yankee. I hate country music, I move at 100MPH and hate the heat.)