confederate flags in the north??

[naylawren]

I'm a minnesota native and I hunt with my dad. He directed me to this website because some we've seen some of his hunting buddies withconfederate flags on their trucks and 4 wheelers. I'm in college right now, and I am currently doing a sociology project on midwesterners who displayorownconfederate flag, especially those who consider themselves non-racist. I'm not here to judge, I'm just looking to hear some honest opinions...so if any of you all own rebel flags or havenoticed them in the north,it would really help my project to hear about it!

Thanks!

[Chuck7]

NO flags but knew of a few KKK in Maryland.
Chuck7

Coming from the South you of course see alot. Southern pride, but I think I have only seen one stars and bars since living in MD since 1996. Even at Dover Raceway I don't see it. Little bit of a culture shock, but its the way it is.

[The Rev]

I have a lot of black friends that the flag offends.. It is usually associated with red neck bigots, but I understand Southern Pride.. In fact our High School senior rings have a Rebel Flag and the saying "Southern Pride".. It was on the news locally because it offended blacks... I personally could give a hoot one way or the other. We have bigger fish to fry, and offending someone will always be around. We can't make them all happy all the time.. I used to get offended by the Phrase "Jesus Freak"... Now I just consider the source.

[IL Rancher]

We see it around here a lot but that is because a local School was the Stark County Rebels so they had a guy dressed in confederate garb as a mascot and the confederate flag was in the stands. I think last year they might have talked about having the school change names or outlaw the display but I don't remember what happened with the whole thing.. Of course this is from the state that until the past 10 years or so had a school called the Pekin Chinks so....

[Chuck7]

I teach at an elementary school where children are sent come if they where a confederate flag. Many of my parents though come to PTA meetings donning thier flags,
C7

[North Texan]

No Confederate flag here. Just an American flag, a Texas flag, and a Texas Tech flag. But I know a lot of people that have them. They're the kind that are rednecks and proud of it. I am, too, I just don't have the Confederate flag to prove it.

I really don't see the Confederate flag as being much of a symbol of racism. More a "Southern Pride" type of deal. You want racism, there is plenty of that, too. But the folks with the flags and the folks that are genuinely racist aren't always the same folks. The people I know that are racist are very careful about it, not leaving any signs or signals that would alert the casual observer.

[bigbulls]

As it has come to mean today.




Racism



Southern Pride





Here is a little reading about the "rebel flag".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_flag

[deernutz]

I'm from the north and have never owned a confederate flag, but I due believe that people have a right to own and fly them. I in no way shape or form see it as representing racism.

[Chuck7]

When I came down here in Florida in 81 to go to Bible school I was shocked. Here is one of many examples of prejudiceness I saw. My wife and I rented a trailor from a fellow Assembly of God family.They had about 5 trailors. They would only advertize the trailors in our local Assembly of God College which is now Southeastern University. A young man {Whom is now a missionary applied for an empty trailor} After about 3 days of living in the trailor the landlord found out he was a light skinned black man. It blew me away as my landlord said." We are sorry but you will have to leave, I had no idea you would be black." This particuliar young man was probably the nicest man at the college. He just smiled and said ."I understand "and left.
Very sad.
C7