The Confederate flag

[Thundercrack85]

I think that statistics and public opinion show quite clearly that certain parts of a country can be more prone to racism than others. The current supreme court rejects that notion however.

 

[herakles]

I think that statistics and public opinion show quite clearly that certain parts of a country can be more prone to racism than others. The current supreme court rejects that notion however.

I think public opinion can potentially skew those statistics Thunder. I have met plenty people of non European decent who are quite racist.

 

[Wylie Times]

I think that statistics and public opinion show quite clearly that certain parts of a country can be more prone to racism than others. The current supreme court rejects that notion however.

No, that just shows that certain parts of the country can be more prone to certain types of racism.

Yes, you're more likely to experience the more obvious and upfront racism in certain parts of the south and parts of the north east (Many black folks call Boston "Mississippi north") but even supposed liberal cities like San Francisco can be horribly racist in less overt ways.

And that's before you even take into account that most people don't even have a basic understanding of "racism".

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I'm going to split the baby on this one, and say yes, there are racists all over the country (and yeah, Boston definitely has a pretty terrible track-record on race as well). But there's more institutionalized racism in the South, with stuff like voter-ID laws, anger at anything resembling "amnesty" for immigrants, and racial segregation being legal up until the 60's. There also seems to be more overt hostility directed at Obama from the Southern states than the Northeastern ones, and some of it is rooted in his race with people still questioning his place of birth and seeing him as "foreign" and un-American.

 

[Hypestyle]

It's a nominal SMH moment. I see it enough to be relatively nonplussed, but it's not anything I relate to as positive at all. The proliferation of "the stars & bars" as a cultural flag (of sorts) is worthy of academic study, because "it's all over". Not just the Deep South USA, but all over, every single state, and apparently, someone mentioned, certain parts of Canada.

That the practitioners are traditionally all white/Caucasian is also worthy of inquiry. What is the attraction? What type of "history" does it signify for those who have the stickers, t-shirts, flags, posters, giant murals, etc.?

 

[Thundercrack85]

The "Confederate flag" is not the stars and bars. The stars and bars refers to the CSA's first flag, which looks nothing like the popular flag.

 

[Hypestyle]

I don't care. it's all the same to me and the same meaning. Semantics.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I think that statistics and public opinion show quite clearly that certain parts of a country can be more prone to racism than others. The current supreme court rejects that notion however.

It's not the Supreme Court is rejecting that racism is more prevalent in the South, but rightfully stating that if you're going to put restrictions on a state's ability to establish boundaries for districts, then you have to do it to all the states as opposed to singling out specific ones. Such regulations have to be applied equally to everyone.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'm going to split the baby on this one, and say yes, there are racists all over the country (and yeah, Boston definitely has a pretty terrible track-record on race as well).

I would say that where I live in Upstate New York that I have seen far more racism than when I lived in the South.

But there's more institutionalized racism in the South, with stuff like voter-ID laws,

That's more of a Republican thing than a Southern thing. I wouldn't call states like Kansas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Arizona, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, etc. to be Southern states. Not only that, but it really isn't racism that is driving voter ID laws, but more like trying to get Democratic leaning voters away like youths in college towns.

anger at anything resembling "amnesty" for immigrants

Anger towards immigrants goes well outside the South and has been for centuries. And this is something that isn't exclusive to the United States either. There has always been and always will be a degree of conflict between native born citizens and immigrants. With this example, you're really, really, REALLY grasping at straws.

There also seems to be more overt hostility directed at Obama from the Southern states than the Northeastern ones, and some of it is rooted in his race with people still questioning his place of birth and seeing him as "foreign" and un-American.

I would say that his foreign father and foreigny sounding Muslim name have more to do it that attitude than his race. Again, we have a history of this like people questioning JFK's Catholicism.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I don't care. it's all the same to me and the same meaning. Semantics.

No. They're distinct flags.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I would say that where I live in Upstate New York that I have seen far more racism than when I lived in the South.

I'll agree that Upstate New York has some real racist pockets. So maybe instead of a south-north divide this is more of a rural-urban divide?

I would say that his foreign father and foreigny sounding Muslim name have more to do it that attitude than his race. Again, we have a history of this like people questioning JFK's Catholicism.

But isn't a lot of that rooted in race? I'm sure you've heard about the Kenyan witch-doctor caricatures? Or the e-mails that show him as a watermelon farmer? Let's be honest, this never-ending racial hatemongering against him far exceeds anything JFK endured with being Catholic. Mitt Romney surely didn't go through anything approaching this just for being a Mormon.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I'll agree that Upstate New York has some real racist pockets. So maybe instead of a south-north divide this is more of a rural-urban divide?

I think that's a more accurate assessment.

But isn't a lot of that rooted in race? I'm sure you've heard about the Kenyan witch-doctor caricatures? Or the e-mails that show him as a watermelon farmer?

While many of the jokes are tied in with Obama's race, in the end much of the fear surrounding him comes more from the fact of his foreign, slightly Marxist, father and his foreigny Muslim name. Birtherism is more based on xenophobia and Islamophobia than outright racism. Calling birtherism racism is just the American left being lazy because it's easier to call something racist than xenophobic and Islamophobic.

Let's be honest, this never-ending racial hatemongering against him far exceeds anything JFK endured with being Catholic. Mitt Romney surely didn't go through anything approaching this just for being a Mormon.

Because we already had a non-Protestant President. I'll certainly agree that Obama's treatment is worse than JFK's, but I don't think Romney is a valid comparison here. Ted Cruz would be a valid comparison, but he saves himself by acting like if Fox News were a real person while Obama acts more like a rational human being.

 

[herakles]

No, that just shows that certain parts of the country can be more prone to certain types of racism.

Yes, you're more likely to experience the more obvious and upfront racism in certain parts of the south and parts of the north east (Many black folks call Boston "Mississippi north") but even supposed liberal cities like San Francisco can be horribly racist in less overt ways.

And that's before you even take into account that most people don't even have a basic understanding of "racism".

White women who date black men have experienced racism and violence from black women. White people have experienced racism from Black people and Latinos.

I have seen Latinos attacking Black people because of racism.

IMO Political Correctness has somewhat hidden racism.

 

[herakles]

Mitt Romney surely didn't go through anything approaching this just for being a Mormon.

Actually you are wrong! I personally know 5 people who are Republicans who did not vote in 2012 simply because Romney is a Mormon! Actually there were thousands of Republicans who didn't even vote because of Romney's faith.

All of my friends are Evangelical and/or Born Again Christians.

 

[herakles]

at anything resembling "amnesty" for immigrants,

Actually Mexico has some of the most xenophobic racist Illegal Immigration laws.

People caught hiring Illegal workers in Mexico are subjected to 5 years in federal prison!

Just recently (the law was changed for Pres. Fox his mother was born in Spain) a Mexican citizen could not run for Mexico's Presidency unless BOTH their parents were Mexican born.

My reasoning for pointing this out is that I find Mexico's attitude towards American Immigration laws extremely hypercritical!

Here are some of their laws. Pretty racist if you ask me.

• Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:
– Foreigners are admitted into Mexico “according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress.” (Article 32)
– Immigration officials must “ensure” that “immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance” and for their dependents. (Article 34)
– Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets “the equilibrium of the national demographics,” when foreigners are deemed detrimental to “economic or national interests,” when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when “they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy.” (Article 37)
– The Secretary of Governance may “suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest.” (Article 38)

https://factreal.wordpress.com/2010...-states-mexican-immigration-laws-are-tougher/

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I think that's a more accurate assessment.

I think so. If you look at the voting records, southern cities (ex. Raleigh, Charleston, etc.) are a lot more liberal than rural places in the North. There are some really conservative places in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. The difference is that in the South, the rural populations are larger. The most rural area of the country, the Mountain West (aside from Colorado) and Great Plains states, is also the most strongly conservative.

 

[zeroapoc]

I think so. If you look at the voting records, southern cities (ex. Raleigh, Charleston, etc.) are a lot more liberal than rural places in the North. There are some really conservative places in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. The difference is that in the South, the rural populations are larger. The most rural area of the country, the Mountain West (aside from Colorado) and Great Plains states, is also the most strongly conservative.

Here's an example of that from my home state.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Actually you are wrong! I personally know 5 people who are Republicans who did not vote in 2012 simply because Romney is a Mormon! Actually there were thousands of Republicans who didn't even vote because of Romney's faith.

Sorry but your personal experience aside, Romney did not have the disrespect and vitriol heaped on him for being Mormon that Obama has endured from the racist birther movement. There is absolutely no objective comparison.

All of my friends are Evangelical and/or Born Again Christians.

My condolences.

 

[herakles]

Sorry but your personal experience aside, Romney did not have the disrespect and vitriol heaped on him for being Mormon that Obama has endured from the racist birther movement. There is absolutely no objective comparison.

Bush had the same disrespect heaped at him. So did Clinton. It comes with the territory. The Birther thing may have had some racist jump on that bandwagon but for the most part it was more political motive than racial.

The comical thing is that Ted Cruz is running and he was born in Canada.

My condolences.

I actually was referring to those friends who did not vote where Born Again.

Born Again Christians are not bad people. They are extremely caring and helpful.

Sure there are idiots among them but there are plenty of idiots who are liberals and/or Atheists! There are always extremists in every camp.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I would say that Romney's religion hurt him in the primaries, especially when you had candidates like Rick Santorum in the field. But once the general election came, evangelicals rallied around Romney because of Obama's stances on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. For them, supporting a Mormon is a far lesser evil than supporting someone who actively opposes everything they believe in.

 

[herakles]

4 Million registered Republicans didn't vote in 2012. Most likely because Romney was discriminated against because Mormons are viewed as a Heretical Cult by a lot of Christians.

 

[Mightmitenot]

http://www.ibtimes.com/memorial-day...ps-gather-13-states-symbolically-bury-1937185

 

[Pink Ranger]

Why does this have to be an annual event? Let's make it monthly.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

This probably could have been posted here: http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=497959

 

[Man of Steel]

Good.