What is the difference?

Question

Or is there a difference between people people saying they fly the confederate flag to represent southern/redneck pride and people using the n-word as a term of endearment? Both sides argue that to them it no longer means what it used to mean so it's okay now.

Answer

The confederate flag is racist. Plain and simple. Some people may fly it because they think it represents "southern pride", that's fine. It just means they are ignorant, and have no idea that it is offensive to millions of people. It's not their fault they are uneducated and were raised that way. There is nothing wrong with being proud of you are from the south. If you want to show that pride there are many different ways to do so. Waving the confederate flag is no different than flying a swastika and claiming "German pride". If I see someone doing either I automatically think racist/anti/Semitic or ignorant. Honestly, I don't which is worse.

Answer

There are at least two meanings to every symbol (or word), the intention behind it and how it is perceived. If some openly racist guy started cussing and throwing around the n word at a black person then it is clear that it was used as an insult. The intention behind it and the perception of it are the same. Now let's take the flag, for some it represents southern pride, or nostalgia for the days that a state was a country, but for others, those that still experience discrimination in their own home town, the same flag represents a time when a country actually fought a civil war over slavery. Think about it, the states that flew that flag stood up and basically said "I would rather own a man than be an American, and I will go to war for it." The intention of flying that flag today may be as innocent as decorating for a Dukes of Hazard party, but for some the symbol of the flag is still equated to white supremacy, and not only the pain of a history of discrimination and slavery but the more recent pain of the day to day racism that can be seen throughout our country. The results are in, and political science shows that racism isn't over in America. If you don't believe me look at the disproportionate incarceration rates as well as edu, housing, those in shelters, just this month some bank was sued because they systematically denied loans based on ethnicity. I would think that those that view the confederate flag as a symbol of slavery would also find those that fly it for nostalgia insulting. To fly it dismisses the modern day issue of racism. Flying it is the same as declaring either 'racism is over' or 'remember when we were a racist country?'. I think I've answered your question as best I can, I myself am only speculating.

Answer

I dont think it should matter honestly. I drop the "er" off of the n word and use it everyday with no shame and not one care. My hubby is from the south and has his confederate flag hanging in our bedroom. Literally on the wall next to my side of the bed. In our last place it was right behind our heads. Im so sick of people bitching about the damn flag that I have been tempted to take my maternity pictures with it wrapped around my body to prove my point. Same with the N word. Im gonna use it and Im not gonna throw a hissy fit if someone else does whether its in a racist way or not because its just a word. 😤😤😤😤

Answer

I think a lot of people consider the confederate flag as a sign of the south. I don't think too many people (at least the ones that I know that do have a confederate flag) relate it to a sign of racism or the fight for slavery. I think they just think of it more as a symbol of the south.

Answer

Hilariously good question

(And please don't group rednecks and southerners. You might agitate someone)

Answer

Okay, I'm going to get a lot of hate because I know my comment is going to offend someone...
With that being said, I personally think that both are wrong for different reasons. In another topic, I went into painful details as to why I believe that no one should use the n word outside of literature. The short version is that although words change over time and people try to use negative words in a positive way to reclaim them, the n word is so charged that it could never be turned into a fully positive term.
In regards to the Confederate flag (and here's where I'll get the most hate), I feel like it is a symbol of rebellion and treason against the country. Now I know that people who own the Confederate flag also happen to be really loyal to the nation and in no way am I saying that people who have the flag aren't patriotic, but what I am saying is that when the flag was first made, it was made so that the north would realize that the south did not consider itself as part of the United States. The confederacy was a group of individual country-states that had their own laws, seperate from the U.S. government. When the south was reunited with  the rest of the union, I feel that the Confederate flag should have been gone then, because the country was unified under law. (I'm not talking about the attitudes of the  people at the time because that's a whole other story.)
Now because the civil war wasn't fought over slavery (freeing the slaves was just a ploy to cripple southern economy and the U.S. government didn't give a damn about what happened to free slaves afterwards), I personally don't  consider the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism. And if the Confederate flag is racist, then our standard American flag is just as racist in my book. (Because the American flag has been used to deny rights to different  people for years.)

Answer

I'd love to know this too. I know many rednecks all of which are obsessed with that flag who are of all different races... it doesn't hold the same meaning anymore but I feel like people (of any race) try and hold on so die hard on it being what it used to be when that's not what it is anymore. Just like people claim the N word isn't a big deal anymore because it isn't what it use to be... so I see no difference maybe I'm wrong but that's just how I view it.

What is the difference?

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