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Is the Confederate flag a symbol of treason?

Is the Confederate flag a symbol of treason?


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ThePlayDrive

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There are several threads on the Confederate flag that dance around this question.

Many people, usually, if not always, conservatives, argue in favor of the Confederate flag and the desire to fly it or place it within the public domain. Oftentimes, they refer to it as if it is merely an innocent symbol of United States history, a symbol of state's rights, a symbol of fighting against far reaching federal government and sometimes even a symbol of patriotism.

However, these arguments, to me, seem like revisionist nonsense. The Confederate flag represents treason. It was the flag of people whose actions were not based in love of their country, but in a decision to give up on their country and abandon it in order to form a new one. It was a flag flown by those who decided that they no longer wished to be a part of the United States and that they no longer wished to solve their problems while remaining Americans.

Consequently, it seems obvious to me that the Confederate flag is not one that would be flown proudly by Americans, but one that would be flown proudly by those who no longer wish to be Americans. For this reason, it seems ridiculous to allow such a flag to be present on anything belonging to or issued by the state as it represents those who want to disassociate themselves from the state. It also seems ridiculous for anyone who considers themselves a patriot to fly the flag of people who abandoned their patriotism. Am I right about all of this? If not, why not?
 
People have the right to do and say and express themselves however they wish. We should not be banning anything as long as it doesn't infringe on the safety, property, or wellbeing of others.

If someone wishes to display the confederate flag, or pray to the east, or espouse communist politics- this is their privelege, whether it is connected to their cultural traditions and heritage, or because they are predjudiced, or for whatever reason they wish. It is their right. THat's what is good about America. That's what's patriotic.
 
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People have the right to do and say and express themselves however they wish. We should not be banning anything as long as it doesn't infringe on the safety, property, or wellbeing of others.
But it is a symbol of a treason?
 
No, it's simply a historical flag.
 
There are several threads on the Confederate flag that dance around this question.

Many people, usually, if not always, conservatives, argue in favor of the Confederate flag and the desire to fly it or place it within the public domain. Oftentimes, they refer to it as if it is merely an innocent symbol of United States history, a symbol of state's rights, a symbol of fighting against far reaching federal government and sometimes even a symbol of patriotism.

However, these arguments, to me, seem like revisionist nonsense. The Confederate flag represents treason. It was the flag of people whose actions were not based in love of their country, but in a decision to give up on their country and abandon it in order to form a new one. It was a flag flown by those who decided that they no longer wished to be a part of the United States and that they no longer wished to solve their problems while remaining Americans.

Consequently, it seems obvious to me that the Confederate flag is not one that would be flown proudly by Americans, but one that would be flown proudly by those who no longer wish to be Americans. For this reason, it seems ridiculous to allow such a flag to be present on anything belonging to or issued by the state as it represents those who want to disassociate themselves from the state. It also seems ridiculous for anyone who considers themselves a patriot to fly the flag of people who abandoned their patriotism. Am I right about all of this? If not, why not?

It can be. All symbols really mean different things to different people. It's an "eye of the beholder" kind of thing. Is it objectively a symbol of treason? I think that argument can be made. But it also means a lot of other different things to different people, some of which you've already mentioned.
 
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But it is a symbol of a treason?

I don't fly the Confederate flag. I could care less about it. It is a symbol of treason to some people. Hell, statements indicating disapproval of this president are considered treasonous by some people. It is a symbol of racism to some people. It is a symbol of regional heritage to some people. It is what it is. It is unimportant. What is important is not limiting one person's freedom of expression because it offends someone else.
 
I don't fly the confederate flag, but it is a symbol of rebellion. How is that different than OWS, the Don't Tread On Me flag, etc? I think most people's objections are the racial connotations, but that is more of a cultural thing. I've found that northerners consider it racist while southerners consider it to be more of a rebellion symbol against large central (northern) government. The American flag is a flag of rebellion and personal freedom as well.
 
I don't fly the confederate flag, but it is a symbol of rebellion. How is that different than OWS, the Don't Tread On Me flag, etc? I think most people's objections are the racial connotations, but that is more of a cultural thing. I've found that northerners consider it racist while southerners consider it to be more of a rebellion symbol against large central (northern) government. The American flag is a flag of rebellion and personal freedom as well.
It's different because OWS and the Tea Party (who used the DTOM flag) want to improve the United States, not abandon it.
 
I don't fly the confederate flag, but it is a symbol of rebellion. How is that different than OWS, the Don't Tread On Me flag, etc? I think most people's objections are the racial connotations, but that is more of a cultural thing. I've found that northerners consider it racist while southerners consider it to be more of a rebellion symbol against large central (northern) government. The American flag is a flag of rebellion and personal freedom as well.

Rebellion against the country, which includes that large, central (northern... not really) government, is treason. The Confederate rebels were all traitors, by the most literal definition of the term. Although that gets even more complicated because legally, the south didn't actually secede. They only tried to. So, legally, no treason took place. But according to the narrative of the southern rebels, they made their own country, and then levied war on the United States. That is treason.

I'm glad this digression was interesting enough to warrant its own thread.
 
Rebellion against the country, which includes that large, central (northern... not really) government, is treason. The Confederate rebels were all traitors, by the most literal definition of the term. Although that gets even more complicated because legally, the south didn't actually secede. They only tried to. So, legally, no treason took place. But according to the narrative of the southern rebels, they made their own country, and then levied war on the United States. That is treason.

I agree with that. But the people who fly it today are not doing those things. They are simply identifying with that brand of rebellion to a lesser extent. Just like wearing a cross doesn't make you a Christian, but a lot of people wear crosses because they want to identify with some of the basic principles of sacrificial love. I don't think we should arrest everyone who flies the rebel flag on the suspicion of treason.
 
Treason doth never prosper.
Why does it never prosper?
For if it prosper.... none dare call it treason!
- the Bard.

The US Flag is a flag of treason as much as the Confederate flag. The single biggest difference is that the United States won their treasonous war, and the Confederate States lost theirs.
 
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I agree with that. But the people who fly it today are not doing those things. They are simply identifying with that brand of rebellion to a lesser extent. Just like wearing a cross doesn't make you a Christian, but a lot of people wear crosses because they want to identify with some of the basic principles of sacrificial love. I don't think we should arrest everyone who flies the rebel flag on the suspicion of treason.

Interesting, I hadn't known that.
 
Rebellion against the country, which includes that large, central (northern... not really) government, is treason. The Confederate rebels were all traitors, by the most literal definition of the term. Although that gets even more complicated because legally, the south didn't actually secede. They only tried to. So, legally, no treason took place. But according to the narrative of the southern rebels, they made their own country, and then levied war on the United States. That is treason.

I'm glad this digression was interesting enough to warrant its own thread.

So were the founding fathers, so what?
 
Treason doth never prosper.
Why does it never prosper?
For if it prosper.... none dare call it treason!
- the Bard.

The US Flag is a flag of treason as much as the Confederate flag. The single biggest difference is that the United States won their treasonous war, and the Confederate States lost theirs.
How is the US Flag a flag of treason? If you're talking about it being a treasonous flag relative to the British Empire, then that treason is not an example of the contradiction that I am pointing out in this thread. The US flag represents the United States and consequently flying it in the United States makes sense. However, the Confederate flag represents those who did not want to belong to the United States.

The biggest difference between the US flag and the Confederate flag is not the one lost and the other won - it's the one belongs to those who want to belong to this country and the only belongs to those who do not.
 
How is the US Flag a flag of treason? If you're talking about it being a treasonous flag relative to the British Empire, then that treason is not an example of the contradiction that I am pointing out in this thread. The US flag represents the United States and consequently flying it in the United States makes sense. However, the Confederate flag represents those who did not want to belong to the United States.

The confederate battle flag (or any other flag for that matter) means what ever the person looking at it wants it to mean, period. It is nothing but a piece of material with a design on it.

The biggest difference between the US flag and the Confederate flag is not the one lost and the other won - it's the one belongs to those who want to belong to this country and the only belongs to those who do not.

Bunk.
 
There are several threads on the Confederate flag that dance around this question.

Many people, usually, if not always, conservatives, argue in favor of the Confederate flag and the desire to fly it or place it within the public domain. Oftentimes, they refer to it as if it is merely an innocent symbol of United States history, a symbol of state's rights, a symbol of fighting against far reaching federal government and sometimes even a symbol of patriotism.

However, these arguments, to me, seem like revisionist nonsense. The Confederate flag represents treason. It was the flag of people whose actions were not based in love of their country, but in a decision to give up on their country and abandon it in order to form a new one. It was a flag flown by those who decided that they no longer wished to be a part of the United States and that they no longer wished to solve their problems while remaining Americans.

Consequently, it seems obvious to me that the Confederate flag is not one that would be flown proudly by Americans, but one that would be flown proudly by those who no longer wish to be Americans. For this reason, it seems ridiculous to allow such a flag to be present on anything belonging to or issued by the state as it represents those who want to disassociate themselves from the state. It also seems ridiculous for anyone who considers themselves a patriot to fly the flag of people who abandoned their patriotism. Am I right about all of this? If not, why not?

Isn't that funny? I've never-ever thought of support of the Confederate Flag as an historic symbol being a left/right thing. I'm surprised you think that...never heard it before. I guess I don't look at the Civil War as being treason. In the least. I look at it as states deciding to exert their states' rights and wanting to start their own union. I'm not sure I could ever think of seccession as treason. It's not the same thing.
 
The confederate battle flag (or any other flag for that matter) means what ever the person looking at it wants it to mean, period. It is nothing but a piece of material with a design on it.

Bunk.
People use symbols to represent things. The Confederate flag is a symbol that was used to represent people who longer wanted to be a part of the United States. The irony of flying the flag of people who did not want to be a part of the United States as a symbol of patriotism within the United States is not difficult to see.
 
Irrelevant to the statement.
Then your statement is irrelevant to this thread. This thread is about treason against the United States. Saying the founding fathers were traitors says nothing to contradict the point of this thread or Paschendale's point which you were responding to.
 
The US Flag is a flag of treason as much as the Confederate flag. The single biggest difference is that the United States won their treasonous war, and the Confederate States lost theirs.

That's a very good point. And that biggest difference, it's a pretty big difference. If the US had lost the war, the founders would have been executed as traitors. They had no doubt about that. Winning makes you a patriot, losing makes you a traitor.

But let's consider. Suppose the US lost, and thirty years later, people were still waving American flags around in the colonies. Don't you think those people would have been seen as traitors to the British? Wouldn't it look pretty weird if those people were waving those flags but still claiming to be patriotic Brits?
 
People use symbols to represent things. The Confederate flag is a symbol that was used to represent people who longer wanted to be a part of the United States. The irony of flying the flag of people who did not want to be a part of the United States as a symbol of patriotism within the United States is not difficult to see.

The key word in that whole post is "was."
 
Isn't that funny? I've never-ever thought of support of the Confederate Flag as an historic symbol being a left/right thing. I'm surprised you think that...never heard it before. I guess I don't look at the Civil War as being treason. In the least. I look at it as states deciding to exert their states' rights and wanting to start their own union. I'm not sure I could ever think of seccession as treason. It's not the same thing.

treason: a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state

Treason | Define Treason at Dictionary.com
 
The key word in that whole post is "was."
Not really. The history remains the same and people who fly the flag today fly the flag of those who did not want to be a part of this country.
 
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