Protest tyranny by burning the “flag.” Which flag? Why, this one:
Read on for why you should consider this action on 9/12/2010.
Tyranny is a word that people throw around an awful lot these days. And I will be the first to admit that tyranny has played a part in the history of America.
From the tyranny imposed upon Native American tribes forced to live on “reservations” to the tyranny Industrialists who opposed the right to form unions in order to exploit workers, including children, (often violently) to the tyranny by state and local governments against Mormons (and yes, the Mormons were oppressed on the basis of their religion), to the tyranny imposed upon the Japanese-Americans placed in “Concentration” camps immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, America has a long history of tyranny as the Declaration of Independence, our nation’s founding document described that term.
Yet if there is one episode of tyranny that most comes to mind when we think about American history it was the tyranny imposed by predominantly whites against African Americans through the “institution of slavery” and, after a bloody civil war, the tyranny of Jim Crow laws and segregation lawfully imposed by majority white populations against blacks in many, many states in the years prior to the Civil Rights Era. A tyranny based on racial prejudice and hatred that persists to this day, and which we have seen publicly re-ignited in this country since the election of Barack Obama.
There is one symbol of that tyranny that stands above all others: the “Stars and Bars” flag which is the most popular emblem of the Confederate States of America and symbol of racism in America. And regardless of what proponents of the flag say, there can be little disagreement that too many Americans, regardless of where they live, this particular Confederate Flag is a symbol of racism and white supremacy.
Despite the willing suspension of disbelief of many people who support this flag it is recognized as a racist symbol by most people. Indeed, during the Civil Rights Era it was used to intimidate African Americans from registering to vote in Mississippi:
In the early 1960s, Mississippi was the poorest state in the nation. 86% of all non-white families lived below the national poverty line. [38] In addition, the state had a terrible record of black voting rights violations. In the 1950s, Mississippi was 45% black, but only 5% of voting age blacks were registered to vote. [39] Some counties did not have a single registered black voter. Whites insisted that blacks did not want to vote, but this was not true. Many blacks wanted to vote, but they worried, and rightfully so, that they might lose their job. In 1962, over 260 blacks in Madison County overcame this fear and waited in line to register. 50 more came the next day. Only seven got in to take the test over the two days, walking past a sticker on the registrar’s office door that bore a Confederate battle flag next to the message “Support Your Citizens’ Council.”
The “Citizen Council” by the way referred to above was one of a number of white citizens’ councils formed during the Civil Rights era which supported segregation, racially discriminatory laws and preventing African Americans from being allowed to register to vote. An historical archive of their newspaper can be found here.
Many groups over the years that have espoused racist views have supported the right to display the Confederate Flag, in particular the Council of Conservative Citizens, which “traces its roots directly to the racist, anti-integrationist White Citizens’ Councils of the 1950s and 1960s …” Their support for the flying of the confederate flag was never more overtly racist than when they opposed the NAACP boycott of South Carolina over the incorporation of the “Stars and Bars” in the official state flag:
When the N.A.A.C.P. urged African Americans in particular not to vacation in South Carolina until the Confederate flag was removed from the Statehouse, the CCC encouraged its constituents to take advantage of the absence of African American tourists; it posted a flier pronouncing that “now that the African Americans are boycotting South Carolina over the Confederate Flag, Whites can enjoy a civil liberty that has been denied to them for many years at hotels, restaurants and beaches: the freedom to associate with just one’s own people.”
Many other racist and white Supremacist groups over the years have adopted this flag as their symbol or have displayed it at meetings and rallies, including, but not limited to The Klu Klux Klan:
Indeed, many organizations that tout “heritage” not “racism” as the basis for their support of the confederate flag are faced with the inconvenient truth that their organizations are inundated with racists, neo-nazis and outright white supremacists, such as The Sons of Confederate Veterans as evidenced by this report in 2002 by the Southern Poverty Law Center:
In late December, Gilbert Jones, a long-time member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), announced his candidacy for lieutenant commander of the North Carolina division of the nation’s largest, wealthiest and most influential Confederate heritage group.
“The SCV has come to a decisive fork in the road,” Jones wrote. “The elections of 2002 will decide the fate of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. … I think we ought to take the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists, and the skinheads and show them to the door.” […]
Although the 31,400-member SCV has always billed itself as a “non-political” and “non-racial” heritage organization devoted merely to preserving the legacy of Confederate soldiers, SCV leaders have long been tied to segregation and white supremacy. […]
“There is a struggle underway,” as one “pro-South” white supremacist group put it at the time, “for the heart and soul of the SCV.”
Since then, spurred on by battles in several states over the display of the Confederate battle flag on public buildings, the white supremacist faction within SCV has grown both more powerful and more visible. […]
In what may be the clearest sign yet of this extremist drift, an analysis by the Intelligence Report finds that a significant number of SCV officials — including at least 10 men who hold key national leadership positions — are also active or recent members of hate groups, principally two neo-Confederate groups, the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC) and the League of the South.
Look at these videos if you want to see how people are displaying the “Confederate Flag” today at tea party rallies:
Of course, that is far from the most racist and offensive material we’ve seen at Tea Party rallies. Signs that say “Obama’s Plan: White Slavery” and “American Taxpayers are the Jews for Obama’s Ovens” and a sign that depicts Obama slitting Uncle Sam’s throat.
<img src="http://www.boomantribune.com/site-files/Obama_Uncle_Sam.jpg"
Not all Tea Party members are “racists” and most don’t perceive themselves to be racists, but the evidence is clear that racists make up a significant component of those who show up at Tea Party rallies and support the Tea Party movement. So what can we do to oppose this often blind and irrational hatred?? Well Jesus’ General has taken it upon himself to launch a new website:
and a Facebook Page as well: Link
This is what he proposes we do:
Burn the Confederate Flag Day is a protest against the right’s exploitation of racial prejudice for political gain. We urge you to burn the Confederate flag, a long-time symbol of racial hatred, on Sept 12, the date when the racially-divisive Tea Party holds its annual hate fest.
Ways to get involved:
* Host a flag-burning party on Sept. 12.
o Tell us where and when you’re holding it, and we’ll publish a list of events.
o Send us photos of the event. We’ll post them here.
o Upload a video of the event onto YouTube. We’ll embed it or link to it.* Let them know we’re watching. Dress up like a clown and take a partially burned flag to a local tea party event (Don’t burn a flag at the event unless local laws allow it.)
* Spread the word via Facebook (here’s our Facebook group), Twitter, and other social media.
* Submit your own ideas, below in the comments. We’ll use them to update this list.
* Place a banner on your blog, website, or social media profile. Here are a couple of examples you can use:
On those website he calls for counter-protests on September 12th of this year against this overt racism at which the Confederate Flag is burned. I’m not asking anyone to take any of the actions without due consideration, but if you are interested in standing up against the right’s exploitation of racism in its attacks on President Obama, I think it is worth your time to at least think about organizing such a protest.
Because the people who tar Obama with Fascist, Muslim, Marxist and racist attacks deserve to be reminded what real tyranny anyone looks like: the tyranny of of being owned by another human being or being denied the same rights as the majority of your fellow citizens. Being taxed does not make one a slave, nor does health care reform or financial reform or environmental regulation or extending unemployment benefits constitute oppression.
I can think of no better symbol of what real tyranny looks like in America than the Stars and Bars Confederate Flag. I say let it burn.
It won’t change the minds of those who disagree with us, but it will remind them that they aren’t the only people in America who have a right to voice their opinions, and who have a vision of what America can and should become:
One that has no room in it for racism, sexism, gay bashing, the destruction of the middle class and allowing the weakest and poorest in our country to suffer for the benefit of the strongest and richest. A society in which justice is not just a slogan for the few but a reality for all.
I know, it may seem like a dream, but I believe in the power of dreams and dreamers, don’t you?
One thing I don’t understand about US politics is the way lack of voter registration has been used to disenfranchise people. Why not simply enact a Federal law that all citizens/legal residents have to be registered in the same way they have to be registered for tax or social security. In fact make it one registration database that includes all the key elements of being a legal resident – driving licence, gun licence (where applicable), passport, tax and social security no., voter registration – which moves around with you as you change address etc.
I know some Libertarians will object, but a state has a duty to protect its citizens, and how can it do so if it doesn’t know who they are? And citizens have a duty to obey laws and engage in the democratic Governance of their state – at the very least by voting once every few years. Some countries even making voting compulsory and fine those who don’t. I think “casting an abstention” is a legitimate form of protest, but not being registered to vote should be seen in the same way as not being registered for taxes.
Why aren’t laws to regulate the conduct of Federal elections enforced at the Federal Level? – e.g. 100% registration, no. of voting booths required per 100,000 voters, maximum distance to voting booth, ID requirements etc. Golf cubs regulate their own elections. Local communities can regulate local elections. But Federal Elections should be entirely standardised and regulated at the Federal level. Voter registration drives should be a thing of the past.
There is what is called the “Motor Voter” Act, under which DMV’s, and other public offices must have registration forms available and promote voter registration.
There are a lot of folks who think registering to vote will identify them as taxpayers and they will have to pay taxes that they have been avoided by operating through strictly cash payments. (Note that these same folks have disqualified themselves for Social Security benefits by having no work record.) And there are plenty of politicians not willing to disabuse them of that notion.
Indeed, the threat of a national ID card is one of the straw men brought against efforts to establish universal voting registration.
Tyranny: For the first five months of 1964, I was in the Navy and stationed just outside Brunswick, GA, in Glynn County, at a Naval Air Station attending an advanced electronics school.
There were no public schools in all of Glynn County. Sometime after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision all the schools were closed. White academies were opened for white children. Poor people of color had no schools to go to.
This was not some history one reads in a book. I saw this tyranny by the majority first hand, with my own eyes.
I was wondering if the Tea Party really is a southern phenomenon — but this map suggests that it is not especially — admittedly this is not the last word on the subject, but it givesyou can get an idea:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/04/tea-party-how-big-is-it-and-where-is-it-based.html
In order to burn a Confederate flag, wouldn’t you first have to OWN one? Are we sure this isn’t a clever flag maker’s marketing ploy? AND, if you order one online, do you want to be on that seller’s email and mailing list?
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All protest burning is done in effigy.
Your caution is nevertheless wise …
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Booman, the flag you posted is not the Stars and Bars, which is a completely different flag. The one you posted is best known as the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Stars and Stripes flew over slave states for over 60 years, while the ‘Confederate Flag’ did so for 4. Why not burn the US flag as well?
Because then my little friend who can’t properly figure out who wrote the article, you’d call us all traitors for burning the Stars and Stripes. Regardless of its name the rebel flag flown by the Confederacy is a symbol of hatred, racism and immorality. Now go back to listening to this man and leave us in peace:
you’d call us all traitors for burning the Stars and Stripes
Free speech and all that. Yet it remains that the US flag flew over slavery for decades longer than the ‘Confederate Flag’.
Just don’t call it the Stars and Bars. St Andrew’s Cross would be better than that.
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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I’d rather burn the flag of the Appomattox surrender monkeys…
If you are protesting tyranny and burning flags (why do flag burning seem to occur when it’s hot rather than when it’s cold), why not make the tyranny point clear?
Burn the Nazi flag, then the flag of the old Soviet Union, and then the Confederate flag of your choice. Plantations amounted to privatized work camps; when operated by the government in the Soviet Union, work camps were called gulags. And what does a plantation ethic operate under except “Arbeit macht Frei”?
And just to cause the maximum cognitive dissonance, conduct this under the “Live Free or Die” flag from the American Revolution, which you don’t burn.
For those who want to burn the American flag, don’t. It works against the message no matter how historically accurate it is to argue that until 1863 the US sanctioned tyranny where there was slavery.
The whole point of this effort is to make clear who the neo-Confederates are. They are nostalgic for an era of rich, white tyranny. Anything that distracts from that message causes the effort to fail.
Doing this in Columbia SC, Richmond VA, and Montgomery Al would be particularly pointed.