Confederate Flag Flying

[PineapplePrincess]

Neighbour has started flying a Confederate flag today.

We are a mixed raced family, and I’m feeling a little unsettled by this. They are generally nice people, although we don’t tend to spend much time in their company. They perhaps don’t understand the impact flying the flag would have.

Don’t think I would say anything (altho’ DH May feel differently). But is it unreasonable to feel slightly offended?

We're a biracial family in the uk and we used to live in a block of flats where our upstairs neighbours flew a confederate flag on two occasions. After the first I never even looked in their direction again. There was also a van in the car park which had a small confederate flag sticker on, could never work out who owned it but they weren't the same people as our upstairs neighbors. The fact that it's the uk makes it even more racist in my opinion

The "stars and bars" commonly known as the Confederate flag was a battle flag. It was not the national ensign of the Confederacy. But so what. The battle flag is a symbol of racism.

Sorry, the "stars and bars" was the national ensign.

Send General Sherman around to do his thing

Why would Virginia not fight with the confederacy? it was full of slaveowners

We had one up 5 years ago for my husbands 30th - it was a Dukes if Hazzard party. I have to admit I had no idea of any issues around it and of the 100 people that attended no one commented at all. In the last year or so I have seen on MN that some people have an issue with it - and so I wouldn't put it up again but I do understand that many Brits don't understand that some people would find it offensive. We don't learn much about American history in the U.K. so it's not a well known thing.

Slavery in the US was established by colonists, the majority of whom originally came from Britain. So it might be a good idea to teach a bit of that in schools in the UK. On the matter of slavery, our history is your history, too.

SenecaFallsRedux

I don't disagree, but if we are to teach the history of slavery then it should be the entire history not just selected extracts.

My brother lives in North Carolina . These flags are everywhere, hanging outside peoples houses, on the front of trucks etc. I thought it was just a southern flag , I never knew it was racist.

America isnt the centre of the universe, schools already teach bits about it but fuck all about Europe

@PineapplePrincess

We’re in the UK. And they are definitely not Americans. That’s why I’m quite confused.

WHAT? Now that would be unsettling! And I am as white as it gets. I would be seriously concerned about those neighbours. Unless you are from that country or have a close relationship with that country... I dont think it is right. Someone up the street has the English St George`s Cross flag flying and even that doesnt sit 100% right with me. (I prefer the Union Jack!)

I dont know what you can do about it though....

Wow this is really horrible. I would put a letter through their door to be honest. My friend had to tell her Nan once that she needed to take the confederate sticker off her car.

I'd report it personally. Ignorance is no excuse

I won't lie, I had only a very vague knowledge of that flag, in as much as I knew it was to do with the American civil war. I know the south was said to be more racists? But I don't know anything about it, what it means or how it could be interpreted.

That said, I would never fly a flag full stop, let along without doing a hell of a lot of research first.

Sorry your chat didn't go well with the neighbour.

I've always assumed a Confederate flag to be associated as a flag of treason (towards the United States).

I'd report it personally.
There's nothing unlawful about flying it.

@SenecaFallsRedux exactly, it’s not that hard to kind out the history / connotations behind things these days. If they don’t understand it’s meaning then they shouldn’t be flying it

There's a lot of history to learn about - UK history stretches far far back and big events like the vikings, the Tudor's and modern history such as the world wars are focused on. American history is mentioned in terms of pilgrims but there is only so much that can be learnt in schools and British history touches much of the world and therefore is no more relevant than Australian, Indian etc etc. The civil war was a big event in the US and would be a priority there in terms of history - for Europeans there are events that were more impactful here. In terms of googling - if you are not aware there are any negative connotations why would you google? I think the neighbour should have taken it down when she realised it was offensive but I am not surprised that many don't know it is offensive in the first place I genuinely don't think that's widely known in the U.K. (although as it is offensive it should be)

@PicsInRed Is Bolshevism an ongoing system of oppression putting you and your family at mortal risk? No?

Then it's not the same. hmm

Your ignorance is evident. All the "old Bolsheviks" now hold power as "new capitalists". Ever hear of the war in Donbas? Civilian planes being shot out of the sky? Poisonings of political opponents? Are you aware that today, in Kyiv, one can be arrested for criticizing government policy?

I'll assume the answer is no, based on the above post.

Thats just not bolshevism. The Ukrainian government is even less so.

'old bolsheviks' is a term for those in the SDLPR before 1917 who were killed or vanished by Stalin

if you are not aware there are any negative connotations why would you google?

Because flags are symbols. It's important to know what they symbolize before displaying them.

Oh dear OP I would be very uncomfortable if my neighbour flew this flag, it has horrible connotations. Have you heard any more from your neighbour since your discussion?

I looked this up after this post - less than 50 percent of Americans think it has negative connotations so it's quite reasonable that Brits don't know. You don't do a pirate party put up a Jolly Roger and google whether it has negative connotations.

I would be very offended, that's not on. I think there is a lot of ignorance about it so hopefully they are just dumb but I would want to find out if it was me...