By the Left. We are seeing the same tactics now with the law in AZ, i.e., pulling the race card. There is a political agenda. We have a former KKK member in the Senate.
Current State Flag of Mississippi
Posted on 05/04/2010 7:20:28 PM PDT by Man50D
A widely regarded Southern symbol of pride and states' rights is standing in the way of would-be Marines in their quest to serve their country – a Confederate battle flag.
Straight out of high school, one 18-year-old Tennessee man was determined to serve his country as a Marine. His friend said he passed the pre-enlistment tests and physical exams and looked forward with excitement to the day he would ship out to boot camp.
But there would be no shouting drill instructors, no rigorous physical training and no action-packed stories for the aspiring Marine to share with his family.
Shortly before he was scheduled to leave Nashville for boot camp, the Marine Corps rejected him.
Now, the young man, who wishes to remain unnamed and declined to be interviewed, has chosen to return to school and is no longer an aspiring Marine.
"I think he just wants to let it go," said former Marine 1st Lt. Gene Andrews, a friend of the man and patriotic Southerner who served in Vietnam from 1968 through 1971. Andrews is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group of male descendents of Confederate soldiers. He counseled the young man when he decided to become a Marine.
"He had been talking to me, and he was all fired up about joining," he told WND. "He asked my opinion of it, and I just tried to tell him the truth, good points and bad points."
When the young recruit didn't go to boot camp, Andrews learned of his rejection based on his tattoo of the Confederate battle flag on his shoulder.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
You’re a revisionist, painting a revisionist picture of an era that you can only see in black and white stereotypes, due to accepting revisionist history, lock stock and barrel. This claim of being from East Tennessee is news to me. Where? I know the area well, have people in many of my lines who went west into the backcountry in the early 1790’s prior to Tennessee territory being ceded by North Carolina.
I’ve got personal friends with ancestors who were Union deserters, who hid out in the hills until the war ended, all of them German speaking and children of recent immigrants. There was ugliness all around in the south, in the latter part of the war. To try and pretend as if the Home Guard was all there was, as far as bad behavior, is bizarrely disingenuous. Around here, the predatory deserters from both sides were known as “outliers.” There were more of them formerly of the Union camp than of the Confederate. They raided and pillaged just as much or more than the Union forces did.
There was a genral breakdown of the social order and of government itself. Of course there were elements who preyed on it. There were elements who preyed on it after the war during Reconstruction as well. If they were native southerner opportunists and crooks, they were known as scalawags. If they were northern opportunists and crooks, they were known as carpetbaggers.
Historical balance - you should try it sometime.
Why do you say that? The Corps is a selective institution, the joining of which is a privilege, not a reserved right. Further, with the weakened economy, enlistment rates have increased dramatically, to the point where new recruits often wait almost a full year before shipping to boot camp. And the Commandant himself made this more-rigorous tattoo policy a personal priority of his long before Obama assumed office.
I don’t for a second doubt the veracity of this story. But outrage over it is ridiculous and misplaced.
The young man should’ve tatooted a star and crescent moon and he would’ve been OK.
There are forces within this country who are divisive and want to reopen old wounds, including the guy now in the WH. The Confederate flag is part of our history just as much as the Gadsen flag or Old Glory. Americans died for all of them.
I owe you some times from Red & Green flag. Powerful Stuff. Go to bed.
This is the statement I found interesting:
“He acknowledged that the tattoo is quite popular in the South and that recruitment has been impacted by the ban on Confederate-flag tattoos”
My problem is the military has been turned into a social experiment and pet by the powers that be, in so many ways -instead of what it is supposed to be - an honorable calling to protect this country and keep it militarily strong.
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. — The Marine Corps released additional rules to its tattoo policy last month, banning more places on the body where Marines cannot get them and setting tougher rules for officers.
In addition to the already prohibited head and neck, Marines cannot get tattoos or brands on their hands, fingers, wrists or inside their mouths, according to Marine Administrative Message 29/10 released Jan. 15, 2010.
Both commissioned and warrant officers are now limited to four tattoos or brands visible when wearing the standard physical training uniform, according to the new policy.
The policy’s intent is “to ensure Marines can be assigned whenever and wherever they are needed,” stated the message.
The recent change helped to clarify the March 2007 overhaul of the Corps’ tattoo policy, which prohibited excessive tattoos covering arms and legs.
“I believe tattoos of an excessive nature do not represent our traditional values. Some have taken the liberty of tattooing themselves to a point that is contrary to our professional demeanor and the high standards America has come to expect from us,” said Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, in a March 19, 2007, message.
The new policy also clarified the size of any tattoos visible in PT uniforms cannot be larger than the wearer’s hand with fingers extended and joined and the thumb touching the base of the index finger. The 2007 policy was vague on the size, stating only that very large tattoos or collections of smaller tattoos covering all or most of a person’s arms or legs – also called sleeve tattoos – were unauthorized.
For officers, band tattoos wider than 2 inches are now prohibited. Enlisted Marines are allowed bands only as wide as one quarter of the arm or leg where it is tattooed as seen in the PT uniform. Band tattoos can either partially or fully encircle the circumference of the arm or leg.
Additionally, any enlisted Marine who had grandfathered sleeve tattoos can no longer apply for any Marine Corps commissioning or warrant officer programs.
“A Marine with tattoos doesn’t mean you’re a bad Marine,” said Sgt. Maj. William Wiseman, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron sergeant major. “However, since tattoos are a visual reminder of your personal thoughts, feelings and ideas, a Marine with visible tattoos may not be the best candidate for a high-profile assignment. Since the Marine Corps has the most recognizable uniform in the world, this makes the Corps a high-profile assignment. … You joined the Corps; the Corps didn’t join you.”
In September 2008, Marines with excessive tattoos were banned from holding the special-duty assignments of recruiter and Marine security guard at U.S. embassies. Marines in those jobs “have a significant impact on public perception,” according to MarAdmin 494/08.
The recent message also reiterated that tattoos or brands continue to be subject to review in some cases pertaining to promotion, future assignments and training to determine if any might tarnish the Corps’ reputation.
Any tattoos that are racist, sexist, drug-related, vulgar, anti-American or are associated with any extremist group or gang are already not permitted on Marines.
The new policy also banned apparently invisible tattoos that use ultraviolet ink only visible under a black light.
Marines who currently have any of the now-prohibited tattoos won’t face any punishment, but they must document the tattoos with photos in their service record books no later than June 1, 2010.
And you are right in pointing the finger at other criminals besides the home guards, but from Mississippi governor Pettus's gun grabbing to Jefferson Davis's massive disregard of the principle of habeas corpus, the systematic abuses belonged with the Confederate regime.
I don't see how the Confederate flag fits any of the above criteria.
>>Marines who currently have any of the now-prohibited tattoos won’t face any punishment, but they must document the tattoos with photos in their service record books no later than June 1, 2010.<<
They might as well apply for a discharge too because there is no hope of advancement.
Why would you despise something that is good? If it is because of the evil of slavery, then, by your reasoning, you should also despise the USA and the founding fathers.
Now, my husband has one family branch that appeared to support the North and they lived in western NC, right on the border of east TN. I say this because they had one brother that "ran away" to join the Union army but none of the others fought for either side. They were very religious baptist types and I think they were generally anti-war-can't-we-all-get-along. Again, I don't really count them, either since they didn't seem to support either side.
Now, I can name several soldiers on my side of the family and my husband's side from TN, NC, AL, MS and AR that were Confederate War Veterans, Prisoners of War and a few community war hero's that would refute the idea that the Yankee armies had much support in the South.
I don't think most educated people confuse the valor of the Confederate warrior with anything. In most cases, those men were defending their homes and their families and their communities and it's a terrible shame that they were ever threatened to begin with.
I remember a few years ago, my Army nephew gave me a nice new Kabar with U.S. Army engraved on it. I told him it was sacriligious to put U.S. Army on a Marine Kabar.
Now with the Marines having became just as PC (if not worse) than the other services, they can Kiss my Lily White Ass!
The Stars and Bars are associated with the KKK and white supremicist groups.
You are very biased in that fight. What was it started from and what was it about? Why was the parallel all the way to Cal,ifornia.?
I put a guy like Roland Martin and his “Confederate soldiers were terrorists” rant in the unnecessarily divisive category. That is just a broad generalization that is an expression of a crude prejudice. But there is unavoidably a division between the philosophy of Lincoln and the philosophy of Jeff Davis and a whole lot of conservatives favor Lincoln. And favoring Lincoln does not mean we consider Southerners or Confederate soldiers to be cruel neanderthals. This isn’t the Daily Kos.
Great pics wardaddy!
Thanks for posting.
By the Left. We are seeing the same tactics now with the law in AZ, i.e., pulling the race card. There is a political agenda. We have a former KKK member in the Senate.
Current State Flag of Mississippi
as is Old Glory and the Celtic Cross Bob...
so?
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