This is a symbol that offends a lot of people. To them, it signifies racism, slavery, oppression, cruelty, and many other things that are despicable. There are some who disagree. They believe this is a symbol of history, state's rights, and heritage.
On the other hand, every American has the right to fly that flag, wear it on a shirt, or otherwise display it. Because of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, every single one of us has the right to show our rear ends and do, say, or act as total, complete imbeciles.
Long ago, our forefathers wrote:
The Confederate flag is just one example of something that offends a lot of people. Another is the swastika, representing Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime and the millions of people who were executed, tortured, and died as a result of his unbridled insanity. Wearing the swastika, flying it on a flag, or otherwise displaying it is certain to offend a lot of people. Therefore, it is no wonder that when someone does so, they're likely to be shunned, marginalized, or ostracized for being insensitive and insulting.
Like Harry Hamlin and his wife Lisa Rinna, who showed up at a Halloween party last year in costumes that were supposed to represent Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon. Hamlin wore a T-shirt with a swastika as part of his get up. Hollywood heads exploded. Hamlin and spouse immediately apologized for their insensitivity.
Harry had every right to express himself and wear the swastika on his shirt, either because of an intentional showing of support for Nazi Germany or (almost assuredly) because he's a clueless celebrity who has rocks for brains and didn't think. Most of us would have had better sense than to do something so thoughtless, but then that's what you get when you're dealing with people who are a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.
My personal throw-up moment is when I see a rocks-for-brains celebrity or a trying-oh-so-hard-to-be-hip pseudo intellectual wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt. The ones who really stand out as morons are African American and LGBT celebrities who have no idea what Che really stood for.
Can they possibly be that stupid, he asked knowing the answer? They are paying tribute to one of the most racist, homophobic murderers in history but yet they think they're being so cutting edge by displaying Che's likeness.
They never stop to think that Che's likeness is as offensive to many of us as the Confederate flag, or being called queer, is to them. Or, they just don't care. Yet many of them condemn the Confederate flag as offensive, or demand that we not call them names, and think nothing of offending those of us who see Che and are reminded of the cruelty he exacted on our families and countrymen.
Which brings me to the point of this diatribe.
We may all have the right to express ourselves, but before doing so, perhaps we should take a step back and think through our expression. Will an act of expression alienate people? Will it cause many to be repulsed or insulted? If so, shouldn't we moderate our expression to avoid needlessly insulting our fellow human beings?
If you truly believe that the Confederate flag represents your heritage and whatever other aspect of the slave days in the South you believe are worthy of celebration, go right ahead and honor your heritage. But maybe do so in private, in your home, or in a manner that doesn't rub others' noses in the less than stellar aspects of the pre-Civil War South.
If you really dig Adolf Hitler and think that annihilating over 6 million fellow human beings was a good thing because you think of them to as inferior, knock yourself out. Just do it in a manner that doesn't show the world what an insensitive, clueless idiot you are.
And then there's the torch bearers for hypocrisy, insensitivity, and utter stupidity - the athlete band of idiots who profess to care about blacks, "people of color", or others, and/or their treatment by society, law enforcement, and who knows what else.
The ones who have decided to show this professed concern by refusing to stand and salute our flag during the National Anthem, or by raising the cliche' right fist in the air.
First and foremost, life isn't fair. Got it? When you were born, no one stamped your rear end with a guarantee that life would be all peaches and cream and strawberry sundaes.
Most, if not all, of you have never lifted a finger to help anyone but yourselves. You skated through school without having to study or do any kind of typical schoolwork. You've been treated as "special" from the day you showed athletic prowess and you've been pampered and cared for ever since, at every turn, to make sure your every need was met. When you screwed up, it was fixed for you. Your hands have been held by coaches, interns, assistants and others who have carried the water for you so all you had to do was run, throw, kick, or jump. So get a grip, by all means get on your knees, and count your many blessings.
And you have the stones to complain about the way you've been treated in the U.S.
Please.
Here's another concept that might come as a shock to you - there are bad people in the world. Some of them are unfortunately cops. Some are athletes and celebrities just like you. That doesn't mean they or you are all bad. Some of them and some of you, will do bad things. Most, if not all, will be punished; if not now, at some point. That's life.
Last but not least, in case you pea brains didn't get the memo, what you're doing is perceived as insulting to many. Therefore, choose another way to express yourselves, you turds. Don't demean the only place on earth where you have been able to line your pockets with bazillions of dollars for throwing, catching, kicking, or running with a ball while a lot of us try to make ends meet with two and three real jobs.
You want to show your concern for the lives of blacks or people of color? Don't tell me that you're going to donate the increased sales of your jerseys or make anonymous contributions to causes that remain nameless. We all know that's a load of crap and when push comes to shove you won't pony up a dime. Let's see proof that you've actually written a check, and a large one at that, to a specific cause or charity that will actually show your concern for the plight of blacks and people of color.
Better yet, why don't you spend some time in Chicago, or St. Louis, or any of the many God forsaken crap holes in the U.S. where blacks and people of color are executing 100 times more innocent blacks and people of color than law enforcement ever has. Go into those communities and try to save the lives of the very people you're telling me matter.
Don't talk the talk. Walk the walk. Talk is cheap. And lazy. And phony.
You want respect for you and your opinions? Don't show your rear end by posting asinine stuff on your social media pages, like the image to the left that was posted by the Cleveland Browns' Isaiah Crowell. It's an image that mimics the beheading of innocent hostages by ISIS, only it substitutes a police officer in place of the hostage.
When have you ever put your life on the line for others, you pathetic dip wad? When have you ever put your safety in jeopardy to help another? That's what cops do every single day when they walk out the door and leave their loved ones at home. They don't head to a stadium and play a game for laughs and giggles. Their game is real life and death. Every second. Every minute. Every hour. Every day, every week, every month, and every year.
You're a waste of oxygen, Crowell. Useless phlegm that you are, you posted the offensive image less than 24 hours before five police officers were murdered in Dallas.
The response was overwhelming - in a negative way.
And then it hit you, didn't it? In the last year of a three year contract with the Browns, and since you're a marginal running back at best, you realized the impact your stupidity and how much it would likely cost you financially. So you immediately tried to walk it back, deleting the image and holding a press conference to apologize.
Crocodile tears, Isaiah.
And then there's Megan Rapinoe. MegRap, don't try to tell me how poorly you've been treated in the U.S. as a gay person and then go out of your way to let the world know that you intend to kneel during the National Anthem in protest. It's especially hypocritical and insincere when you have draped yourself in the flag thousands of times in the past because it was profitable for you or when you wanted to use it as a marketing ploy for endorsements.
Rapinoe tried to take a page from Colin Kaepernick and knelt before the start of one of her soccer matches. She saw the publicity Kaepernick received and thought she would get the same publicity by copying what he did. Problem was, no one cared what a little known athlete playing a very minor professional sport did and her "protest' was ignored by the media. So Mighty Mo held a press conference and announced that, by God, she was going to kneel at the very next game in protest.
Yawn.
Maybe no one gave a hoot because of Rapinoe's insincerity. Her "protest" might have been deemed a bit less hypocritical if she hadn't used the flag countless times in the past as a prop when trying to line her pockets.
In closing, here's my message to all of you pampered, ridiculously overpaid, twits who play a game or regurgitate a few memorized lines while entertaining the rest of us who work for a living. Stick a sock in it. Don't insult the country that gave you the opportunity to live like kings and queens by taking a crap on the very things that symbolize it. Stand and show respect for the U.S. during the anthem and thank your hypocritical, whiny stars that you live here instead of somewhere else.
Choose a better way to express your concerns over whatever bothers you, like actually doing something that goes beyond something as ridiculously convenient as kneeling or putting a fist in the air. What you're doing is offensive to most of us. Even if it's simply for the sake of taking others' sensibilities into account, don't insult us because you can. Most of us don't insult you by wearing white robes, pointy hats, swastikas, Confederate flags or otherwise showing our rear ends to offend you just because we can.
The U.S. may not be perfect and it may have its hairballs, but take it from me, it's a far cry better than anywhere else.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."That means that as an act of expression, you and I can choose to exhibit our stupidity for the world to see by displaying something that we know will likely offend a lot of people. We can also choose not to for the sake of congeniality and temper our expression by not expressing ourselves.
The Confederate flag is just one example of something that offends a lot of people. Another is the swastika, representing Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime and the millions of people who were executed, tortured, and died as a result of his unbridled insanity. Wearing the swastika, flying it on a flag, or otherwise displaying it is certain to offend a lot of people. Therefore, it is no wonder that when someone does so, they're likely to be shunned, marginalized, or ostracized for being insensitive and insulting.Like Harry Hamlin and his wife Lisa Rinna, who showed up at a Halloween party last year in costumes that were supposed to represent Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon. Hamlin wore a T-shirt with a swastika as part of his get up. Hollywood heads exploded. Hamlin and spouse immediately apologized for their insensitivity.
Harry had every right to express himself and wear the swastika on his shirt, either because of an intentional showing of support for Nazi Germany or (almost assuredly) because he's a clueless celebrity who has rocks for brains and didn't think. Most of us would have had better sense than to do something so thoughtless, but then that's what you get when you're dealing with people who are a couple of fries short of a Happy Meal.
My personal throw-up moment is when I see a rocks-for-brains celebrity or a trying-oh-so-hard-to-be-hip pseudo intellectual wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt. The ones who really stand out as morons are African American and LGBT celebrities who have no idea what Che really stood for.
Can they possibly be that stupid, he asked knowing the answer? They are paying tribute to one of the most racist, homophobic murderers in history but yet they think they're being so cutting edge by displaying Che's likeness.
They never stop to think that Che's likeness is as offensive to many of us as the Confederate flag, or being called queer, is to them. Or, they just don't care. Yet many of them condemn the Confederate flag as offensive, or demand that we not call them names, and think nothing of offending those of us who see Che and are reminded of the cruelty he exacted on our families and countrymen.Which brings me to the point of this diatribe.
We may all have the right to express ourselves, but before doing so, perhaps we should take a step back and think through our expression. Will an act of expression alienate people? Will it cause many to be repulsed or insulted? If so, shouldn't we moderate our expression to avoid needlessly insulting our fellow human beings?
If you truly believe that the Confederate flag represents your heritage and whatever other aspect of the slave days in the South you believe are worthy of celebration, go right ahead and honor your heritage. But maybe do so in private, in your home, or in a manner that doesn't rub others' noses in the less than stellar aspects of the pre-Civil War South.
If you really dig Adolf Hitler and think that annihilating over 6 million fellow human beings was a good thing because you think of them to as inferior, knock yourself out. Just do it in a manner that doesn't show the world what an insensitive, clueless idiot you are.
The ones who have decided to show this professed concern by refusing to stand and salute our flag during the National Anthem, or by raising the cliche' right fist in the air.First and foremost, life isn't fair. Got it? When you were born, no one stamped your rear end with a guarantee that life would be all peaches and cream and strawberry sundaes.
Most, if not all, of you have never lifted a finger to help anyone but yourselves. You skated through school without having to study or do any kind of typical schoolwork. You've been treated as "special" from the day you showed athletic prowess and you've been pampered and cared for ever since, at every turn, to make sure your every need was met. When you screwed up, it was fixed for you. Your hands have been held by coaches, interns, assistants and others who have carried the water for you so all you had to do was run, throw, kick, or jump. So get a grip, by all means get on your knees, and count your many blessings.
And you have the stones to complain about the way you've been treated in the U.S.
Please.
Here's another concept that might come as a shock to you - there are bad people in the world. Some of them are unfortunately cops. Some are athletes and celebrities just like you. That doesn't mean they or you are all bad. Some of them and some of you, will do bad things. Most, if not all, will be punished; if not now, at some point. That's life.Last but not least, in case you pea brains didn't get the memo, what you're doing is perceived as insulting to many. Therefore, choose another way to express yourselves, you turds. Don't demean the only place on earth where you have been able to line your pockets with bazillions of dollars for throwing, catching, kicking, or running with a ball while a lot of us try to make ends meet with two and three real jobs.
You want to show your concern for the lives of blacks or people of color? Don't tell me that you're going to donate the increased sales of your jerseys or make anonymous contributions to causes that remain nameless. We all know that's a load of crap and when push comes to shove you won't pony up a dime. Let's see proof that you've actually written a check, and a large one at that, to a specific cause or charity that will actually show your concern for the plight of blacks and people of color.
Don't talk the talk. Walk the walk. Talk is cheap. And lazy. And phony.
When have you ever put your life on the line for others, you pathetic dip wad? When have you ever put your safety in jeopardy to help another? That's what cops do every single day when they walk out the door and leave their loved ones at home. They don't head to a stadium and play a game for laughs and giggles. Their game is real life and death. Every second. Every minute. Every hour. Every day, every week, every month, and every year.
You're a waste of oxygen, Crowell. Useless phlegm that you are, you posted the offensive image less than 24 hours before five police officers were murdered in Dallas.
The response was overwhelming - in a negative way.
And then it hit you, didn't it? In the last year of a three year contract with the Browns, and since you're a marginal running back at best, you realized the impact your stupidity and how much it would likely cost you financially. So you immediately tried to walk it back, deleting the image and holding a press conference to apologize.
Crocodile tears, Isaiah.
And then there's Megan Rapinoe. MegRap, don't try to tell me how poorly you've been treated in the U.S. as a gay person and then go out of your way to let the world know that you intend to kneel during the National Anthem in protest. It's especially hypocritical and insincere when you have draped yourself in the flag thousands of times in the past because it was profitable for you or when you wanted to use it as a marketing ploy for endorsements.
Yawn.
Maybe no one gave a hoot because of Rapinoe's insincerity. Her "protest" might have been deemed a bit less hypocritical if she hadn't used the flag countless times in the past as a prop when trying to line her pockets.
In closing, here's my message to all of you pampered, ridiculously overpaid, twits who play a game or regurgitate a few memorized lines while entertaining the rest of us who work for a living. Stick a sock in it. Don't insult the country that gave you the opportunity to live like kings and queens by taking a crap on the very things that symbolize it. Stand and show respect for the U.S. during the anthem and thank your hypocritical, whiny stars that you live here instead of somewhere else.
Choose a better way to express your concerns over whatever bothers you, like actually doing something that goes beyond something as ridiculously convenient as kneeling or putting a fist in the air. What you're doing is offensive to most of us. Even if it's simply for the sake of taking others' sensibilities into account, don't insult us because you can. Most of us don't insult you by wearing white robes, pointy hats, swastikas, Confederate flags or otherwise showing our rear ends to offend you just because we can.
The U.S. may not be perfect and it may have its hairballs, but take it from me, it's a far cry better than anywhere else.
I'm one of those Southern Boys raised in the Jim Crow era of the old South and was raised to respect and cherish the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. Then I grew up... I learned through 8 1/2 years in the Army and 1 1/2 tours in the Nam that the men who stood next to me, of what ever race, were my real brothers. Since then I have always said that the old flag probably represents an idealized version - not reality - of the antebellum South and should have long ago been relegated to museums. Not just because it offends some folks, but because we, as Americans, need to finally flush all those divisive things down the toilet and come to understand we are all now just Americans. As for the rest of those young idiots, one of two things drive them: (1)15 minutes of fame; or, (2)displaying images about which they know nothing. The one thing I find most dismaying as I have become an old man is the catastrophic ignorance of history displayed by most of our younger generations. Has history become a forbidden subject?
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