With all of the flack that Confederate flag has been given of late, there are some interesting questions being raised regarding its meaning. The flag, however, like many symbols, is problematic at best: It has a lot of different meanings, and each of those myriad sometimes contradictory meanings are perfectly legitimate, as it has earned both its good and bad meanings. To some people it is legitimately a symbol of racism and oppression given its use by a number of racist organizations; there is no denying that it has gotten a bad rep. On the other hand, it has also become a symbol for rebellion, especially against strong authority figures including the government itself. But which symbol appeals to someone is an argument everyone should work out for themselves; that's an issue one needs to work for himself.
The issue here is that every symbol has its both its positive and negative meanings. There are few symbols that don't have strong meanings in two different directions; humanity is just that truly varied in its differing perspectives, and that few ways of looking at things are really wrong. A problem develops, however, when one group decides to attack a symbol because of how that symbol appears to them, despite how it appears to another group; it's a way of attacking a problem without attacking the actual problem. It's actually not a bad strategy, as sometimes the best way to defeat a group is to take away its symbol; without the symbol to rally behind it tends to dissipate, at least until it finds another symbol.
However, by the same token, people need to start looking at things from another perspective rather than just getting offended. They need to take the opportunity to look at something from the other perspective before getting too upset; sometimes the exploration is worth it. It's worth considering that the Civil War flag is a symbol of rebellion against the government in an era when people chafe under government oppression of all stripes, ensuring that it will only become more popular as time goes by.
Obviously there is the question of what to do when a symbol has racist or sexist undertones, as the flag certainly does, but we do need to note that every symbol has negative issues. The American flag, for example, is seen as an oppressive symbol to a lot of groups across the world, just as the peace symbol is seen as a symbol of a politically correct herd mentality; both are positive symbols to their respective groups, but have their negative connotations from their opponents. That duality is intrinsic to any symbol, and needs to be allowed for in any discussion.
Ultimately, we need to be aware of hw the symbol is seen by the other side, and how our own symbols are seen by the opposition. We need to stop assuming that others looking at things differently is a bad thing and start realizing that different perspectives are just as valid as our own. Sometimes we need to bear in mind that our perspective is not the only valid one, and that we need to look at the other side; sometimes limiting ourselves to a mere stereotype makes us more blind than our opponents. It's just a matter of respecting our opponents, and that is something that we all need to get better at....
The issue here is that every symbol has its both its positive and negative meanings. There are few symbols that don't have strong meanings in two different directions; humanity is just that truly varied in its differing perspectives, and that few ways of looking at things are really wrong. A problem develops, however, when one group decides to attack a symbol because of how that symbol appears to them, despite how it appears to another group; it's a way of attacking a problem without attacking the actual problem. It's actually not a bad strategy, as sometimes the best way to defeat a group is to take away its symbol; without the symbol to rally behind it tends to dissipate, at least until it finds another symbol.
However, by the same token, people need to start looking at things from another perspective rather than just getting offended. They need to take the opportunity to look at something from the other perspective before getting too upset; sometimes the exploration is worth it. It's worth considering that the Civil War flag is a symbol of rebellion against the government in an era when people chafe under government oppression of all stripes, ensuring that it will only become more popular as time goes by.
Obviously there is the question of what to do when a symbol has racist or sexist undertones, as the flag certainly does, but we do need to note that every symbol has negative issues. The American flag, for example, is seen as an oppressive symbol to a lot of groups across the world, just as the peace symbol is seen as a symbol of a politically correct herd mentality; both are positive symbols to their respective groups, but have their negative connotations from their opponents. That duality is intrinsic to any symbol, and needs to be allowed for in any discussion.
Ultimately, we need to be aware of hw the symbol is seen by the other side, and how our own symbols are seen by the opposition. We need to stop assuming that others looking at things differently is a bad thing and start realizing that different perspectives are just as valid as our own. Sometimes we need to bear in mind that our perspective is not the only valid one, and that we need to look at the other side; sometimes limiting ourselves to a mere stereotype makes us more blind than our opponents. It's just a matter of respecting our opponents, and that is something that we all need to get better at....
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