"Welome to the service, chump."
Posted on 09/15/2005 10:46:04 AM PDT by conserv13
"What's up with your shirt?"
Those are the words a former senior at Fleming Island High School remembers hearing as he walked from his fifth-period algebra class toward the gym. The 18-year-old, who is not being identified due to his family's concerns of safety, had just taken off his Dixie Outfitter T-shirt, exposing a highly offensive shirt.
"What about it?" replied the 18-year-old, skinny and white.
"Well, you know it's racial," said a black student, now in a group confronting the 18-year-old.
"Yeah. So?"
The undershirt the white student wore had a confederate flag on the front with the words "Keep it flying." On the back, a cartoon depicted a group of hooded Klansmen standing outside a church, waving to two others who had just pulled away in a car reading "Just married."
Two black men in nooses were being dragged behind.
Upset by the shirt, a 17-year-old black student hit the white student in the head. A crowd of about 100 students gathered to watch the Aug. 29 fight before authorities intervened.
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
I think it's safe to conclude the white guy added a little oral explanation to his "free speech" tee shirt, to which he didn't have the @$$ to back up.
"Welome to the service, chump."
I don't think so. I think you are failing to process the obvious. Comparing US soldiers to mass murdering terrorists and to genocidal Nazis is standard fare from the Left, and that is at least as offensive as the t-shirt in question.
The difference between Freepers and liberals: I'd beat him within an inch of his life. Liberal will always back up idiot kids. Conservatives won't.
So if you say you love Bush and somebody slashes your tires thats ok?
There's a critical difference between a racist American group appropriating the American flag and the history of the Confederate flag. There were almost 100 years of oppression of blacks by racists who invariably used the Confederate flag. If the American flag were like that, it too would be considered a racist symbol.
Another great example: the swastika. Before 1939, the swastika could be found all over the place; there are still old buildings around with swastikas on them. But now, in the popular consciousness, the swastika is seen as the symbol of the Nazi party. If I put a swastika bumper sticker on my car, people will think, "Gee, that guy is a neo-Nazi," even though the swastika has an ancient history that predates Hitler.
Therer is much that is noble that is symbolized behind the Confederate flag - loyalty to one's home comes first and foremost to mind. To the majority of America - certainly amongst African-Americans, and northerners - the Confederate flag is seen as the symbol of racists. We think racism first, and The Dukes of Hazzard second up here.
It might have been an instance of"Suspension? Well, it'll be worth it to take out the garbage." And he's probably a hero among his black friends -- probably among many whites there too.
It was making light of lynching. Treating it as funny. That could be viewed as "advocacy," although it isn't direct advocacy.
But what about "Freepers should be shot"? (Head of Hillary Now)
Or "Someone should kill President Bush"? (Alec Baldwin)
Or "Someone should kill Henry Hyde"? (Some Democrat whose name I forget").
Or what about the pictures on this thread, advocating fragging military officers? You can bet that if a patriotic American took a swing at any of those jerks, he would bear the full brunt of the law, and the jerks wearing the inflammatory t-shirts would have gotten no punishment at all.
There's a double standard here. Offensive speech should be met only by more speech, not violence.
Do you think someone could have gotten away with physically assaulting any one of those people? They were directly advocating violence.
The world of Constitutional Law. Look at Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, 315 U.S. 568 (1942).
Yet other people can walk around with anti American shirts, anti-Christian slogans, anti-women garbage, and that's freedom of speech? I saw a hat yesterday that insinuated that sheep are better sexual partners than women. In a Von's pavillion with his KIDS in tow. I agree that the shirt is appalling-so was the hat, but the laws governing what constitutes freedom of speech/expression need to be clarified and more evenly enforced.
"So if you say you love Bush and somebody slashes your tires thats ok?"
Nope. That's political crap. Let's see, how about someone wearing a t-shirt with a picture of your mother on it, and an obscene message on the back saying how good she was in bed. That's personal.
A picture of the Klan dragging two black people by their necks behind a car is something different than a bumper sticker about some politician.
Grow up, please.
Add Old Glory and Christian flag to you list of Klan approved, now racist symbols. Even the resident South haters of FR won't side with you on this one jude.
I hope you are just as harsh towards the other morons out there with equally offensive displays.
How about the "blood for oil" crowd? As a soldier, I'd love to punch a few of those clowns for that one. Or, "bush is the world's number one terrorist" crowd?
Either we want free speech or we don't. which is it?
He'd get a recording contract from Death Row records, that's what'll happen.
"I love people saying its ok to hit the kid...Just remember it when its you and yours...Yes the kid is an idiot but lets not get silly here"
If it was my kid saying the same to a white kid, I would say to him while I'm taking him to the hospital "Son, I think the family line should die off with you."
Thanks, those are good points all.
Love the screen name, you old fart. ;^)
I suspect this kid is in for a rude awakening. He clearly doesn't catch on very quickly, though.
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.