Skip to comments.
Confederate Flag Fight Rises Again in High School
WVLT-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee ^
| 1/17/06
| Stephen McLamb
Posted on 01/17/2006 9:16:08 AM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
Maryville, Blount County (WVLT) - The issue involving the confederate flag is coming back in Blount County after students at a local high school were ordered to cover up their shirts on Friday with the confederate flag on it.
WVLT Volunteer TV's Blount County Bureau Chief Stephen McLamb has the latest.
More than 150 students at William Blount High School have signed a petition seeking support for the right to wear confederate symbols on shirts and other clothing items.
But students who wore the emblem on Friday say they were threatened with suspension if they didn't cover up.
Some students say they support the right to express their confederate heritage that the school has taken away.
Many students came to school on Friday wearing a confederate symbol but say school officials then threatened them.
"If we didn't they said that they were going to suspend us, but my friend Bruce, they threatened my friend Bruce that if he didn't turn his shirt inside out, they were going to take him to juvenile," says Derek Barr, who started the flag petition.
Barr says he hopes to seek more signatures for his petition but says he's concerned about retaliation from school officials.
Attempts to contact Principal Steve Lafon or Superintendent Alvin Hord were unsuccessful.
The policy may be facing legal action, local Sons of Confederates Camp Commander Ron Jones says they will be assisting the students should a suit be filed against the school system.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: confederateflag; dixie; students
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 321-326 next last
To: detsaoT
Needless to say, Hollywood had a reputation for "embellishing" stories of the Klan's activities even that far back. On second thought, this needs clarification:
As you've seen from the pictures I've posted (and countless others are available if you search Google Images for kkk march), the Klan had a tendency to prefer the Union flag, and had no history of using the "rebel" (Battle) Flag in any of their marches. Hollywood introduced this into Klan folklore in their epic tales of the Civil Rights struggle of the '50s and '60s, produced in the late '60s through today, all of which took an extremely ... negative ... view of Southerners, whites in particular. I think the adoption of the Battle Flag by racially-motivated groups is a direct result of Hollywood's movies, not something that was acurately documented by them.
In other words, the point I am trying to make is that Hollywood had the same reputation for "embellishing" events as they do now, and that this invention of storylines out of whole cloth ("Syriana") is nothing new.
41
posted on
01/17/2006 10:44:28 AM PST
by
detsaoT
(run bsd)
To: ktvaughn
"I think everybody's got a right to wear what they want, but let's not kid ourselves about what it means"
Perhaps you shouldn't kid yourself about what it "means". What it means to you is likely to be the exact opposite of what it means to another.
THE CSA flag isn't as cool looking and doesn't carry the "rebel" connotation that these folks appear to be looking for. The "Rebel" flag (as I heard it called my whole life) is just that to meany Southerners and others. A symbol of rebelling against conventional society. Kind of a "Don't Tread on Me".
I was born and raised in the South. NEVER have I EVER known anybody to sport a CBF to intimidate blacks or to send any negative message. It's a uniquely Southern symbol which is why I believe it's hated so much.
You should know as well as I do, the American flag flies right beside the CBF at every Klan rally. That group does not define either flag.
42
posted on
01/17/2006 10:47:55 AM PST
by
L98Fiero
To: youthgonewild
"can't believe so many Southerners still want to defend the right for their kids to wear the flag of the treasonous Confederacy to school."
The difference between the Confederacy and the American colonies is who won the war. Both fought for the freedom to govern themselves, but only the latter succeeded in battle. It wasn't treason; it was patriotism, and the response of the Federal/Union government was antithetical to the spirit of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
43
posted on
01/17/2006 10:47:58 AM PST
by
NJ_gent
(Modernman should not have been banned.)
To: youthgonewild
The proud descendants of those traitors (as you would describe them) are among the most patriotic Americans. It's the south, along with the rural heartland & Rocky Mountain states, that keeps the far left from turning America into another Sweden. Take the south out and this country will be dominated by the socialist voters from the northeast and the Pacific Coast. You should like those voters. They're the ones who get the most bent out of shape over the sight of a Rebel Flag.
44
posted on
01/17/2006 10:52:35 AM PST
by
puroresu
(Conservatism is an observation; Liberalism is an ideology)
To: OldSmaj
Wearing a Confederate Flag whilst surrounded by antagonistic people, I'm only picking Oakland because it's recognizable as a place that a proud Rebel would likely hide his true feelings.
White, Black, Yellow, who cares really what your color is.
The only reason I brought up the tattooing is to eliminate the dress code issue. On the other hand, only the most committed Rebels would do so, the ones doing it for fashion would quickly be revealed. I love the challenge of free speech, how far would those people go to regulate the expression of these kids? You sensitive flaggers sure get upset easily. Ha!
45
posted on
01/17/2006 10:53:35 AM PST
by
DaoPian
To: puroresu
"The proud descendants of those traitors (as you would describe them) are among the most patriotic Americans..."
Great post!
46
posted on
01/17/2006 10:53:48 AM PST
by
L98Fiero
To: Colonel Kangaroo
The Confederate Banner will NEVER offend anyone.
Unless they LET it.
47
posted on
01/17/2006 10:57:08 AM PST
by
azhenfud
(He who always is looking up seldom finds others' lost change.)
To: DaoPian
White, Black, Yellow, who cares really what your color is. I bet you care. I bet it's the foundation of your persepctive. Scratch most South bashers around here and you'll find some sort of minnority identity resentment towards peckerwoods cloaked in highminded naivete.
48
posted on
01/17/2006 10:58:01 AM PST
by
wardaddy
(Alito is Clapton)
To: youthgonewild
"
Waving that flag to show Southern heritage is no better than waving a Soviet flag to show ones Russian heritage."
ignorancegonerampant.
49
posted on
01/17/2006 10:58:45 AM PST
by
azhenfud
(He who always is looking up seldom finds others' lost change.)
To: Colonel Kangaroo
Totally sweet vest
50
posted on
01/17/2006 10:59:01 AM PST
by
DaoPian
To: wardaddy
What's a 'peckerwood cloaked in highminded naivete'?
That's pretty classic...I gotta work that in more often.
51
posted on
01/17/2006 11:01:10 AM PST
by
DaoPian
To: Colonel Kangaroo
But if history or heritage is any guide, the Rebel flag has no business flying in Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee. What history is that? The history of Nazi Germany? The history of the Iron Curtain? If the flag has no business flying anywhere then, by the same token, you have no business expressing your opinion on this board.
52
posted on
01/17/2006 11:02:05 AM PST
by
groanup
(Shred for Ian)
To: DaoPian
Yeeee Hawww
53
posted on
01/17/2006 11:03:25 AM PST
by
DaoPian
To: DaoPian
"Actually I meant voluntary tattooing."
Would you find it offensive for someone to ask the same of German-born Jews living today?
"My categories do reflect my experience with these folks."
Then you have very limited experience with them. I grew up in the South. My experience has been quite different in most cases. Those I've known have often times been college educated, often small business owners, and generally very good, decent, friendly people. I'm sorry that there are so many poor, uneducated folks living nearby you, but that small sampling has nothing to do with Confederate supporters as a whole. Simply talking with people on this site should provide ample evidence of that.
"I think the claim of 'heritage' here is pretty weak as these people probably couldn't remember past one generation anyway."
It's rather difficult for anyone alive today to remember 150 years ago. Rather, heritage is about studying what happened, and why it happened in wherever it is you're from. In my home state of Virginia, we actually learned a great deal about that war in school from a different perspective than those in the North. I grew up learning about my heritage, but it wasn't until high school that I really began appreciating it and wanting to learn more about it.
"The laws of probability would likely prove my educational assumption"
What on Earth gave you that idea? As I said, my experience, growing up with real southerners, has been very different from your's. Of course, a lot of kids go off to college and end up coming out as brainwashed liberals, and of course they aren't going to have an ounce of pride in their heritage. Instead, they're going to hysterically decry the horrors of the world and generally be miserable, as liberals tend to be.
"Also, there is nothing wrong with being dirty or a racist."
I disagree. The former shows a lack of respect for one's self, and the later shows a lack of respect for others. Racism is inherently illogical and prone to inconsistency. Every attempt to "prove" claims made by racists has been plagued by extremely biased methodology that doesn't pass the laugh test.
"You Confederate Flaggers sure get defensive, I thought this was something you'd do irregardless of what others think?"
We're not defensive; merely tired of being lambasted by torrents of factually void and objectively false arguments telling us we should be ashamed of who we are and where we come from. We're tired of people being spoon-fed liberal lies about the "Civil War" and about the Confederate States of America. We're tired of being lumped in as a group of stereotypical "banjo kids" from Deliverance. It's not true, it's not right, and it's irritating to have to explain it to people over and over. That's my take on it, at least; others may feel differently.
54
posted on
01/17/2006 11:12:37 AM PST
by
NJ_gent
(Modernman should not have been banned.)
To: DaoPian
"I thought this was something you'd do irregardless of what others think?"
"Irregardless" is not a word. Now, who's uneducated?
55
posted on
01/17/2006 11:12:54 AM PST
by
To Hell With Poverty
(I don't think I'm half as good as I know I really am.)
To: To Hell With Poverty
NewsFlash! Confederate Flags out, Bikinis in!
Something is Rising, and it ain't the South.
56
posted on
01/17/2006 11:16:36 AM PST
by
DaoPian
To: To Hell With Poverty
""Irregardless" is not a word."
Err... actually it is. From Merriam-Webster:
"usage Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead." - m-w.com
57
posted on
01/17/2006 11:17:36 AM PST
by
NJ_gent
(Modernman should not have been banned.)
To: NJ_gent
58
posted on
01/17/2006 11:18:06 AM PST
by
wardaddy
(Alito is Clapton)
To: DaoPian
Better run and hide, boy.
You're getting beat up pretty bad here.
My ol' Granny (God rest her soul.) always told me that if you found yourself in a hole, the best thing to do was to quit digging.
Put the shovel down, son.
59
posted on
01/17/2006 11:18:58 AM PST
by
OldSmaj
(Hey Islam...I flushed a koran today and I let my dog pp on it first. Come get me, moon bats!)
To: NJ_gent
btw...not sure if it's been noted but Maryville while very bucolic is also arguably one of the more liberal hamlets in the state.
60
posted on
01/17/2006 11:19:37 AM PST
by
wardaddy
(Alito is Clapton)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 321-326 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson