Is Jack Bridwell Asshole of the Day?
Is Jack Bridwell asshole of the day for saying "I don't understand" why people are offended by the Confederate flag license plate?
A new Georgia license plate featuring a large Confederate battle flag has ignited a controversy in the state — but its designer thinks the whole thing’s overblown.
“What’s the big deal?” asks Jack Bridwell, the state commander of the Georgia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the designer of the specialty plates that benefit his organization. “If I offend anyone, I don’t understand why because we had the emblem on there for years.”
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The Confederate flag is an especially charged symbol in the South, representing a legacy of racism, injustice and oppression to many while held up as an important emblem of heritage by others.
http://nation.time.com/2014/02/20/confederate-flag-georgia-license-plate/
Why are they offended? Well, let's review, and ignore the usual Southern revisionist whitewash of history.
#1 The Civil War was fought over slavery. It was NOT fought over states' rights, except perhaps in the extremely limited way of saying that it was fought over states' right to allow slavery. How do I know this? Because there was one outcome of the war-- no more slavery. States' rights was not removed from the Constitution, but slavery was.
#2 By attempting to leave the Union, the South was treasonous and undemocratic. They lost the election of 1860, but rather than accept the outcome of democracy, they left. Even ignoring the slavery, this is bad too. America is a democracy and celebrating the most undemocratic thing done in 235 years is wrong and offensive.
#3 Since the Civil War the Confederate flag has been waved by every racist, segregationist, and everyone knows that. Don't tell me it celebrates your heritage-- you're celebrating your racist, segregationist, undemocratic treasonous heritage.
So, unless you don't think treason, racism, slavery, and segregation are offensive, don't tell me you don't understand why someone finds the Confederate flag offensive, especially when displayed by the government. You're just being willfully ignorant of how your words and actions will appear to others.
Oh, and there's a Confederate Hertiage month sponsored by this group. I'll bet they're as willfully oblivious about how that's offensive too.
Photo source: http://budswebs.homeip.net/confederate/2004-04-01_atlanta/hellanta.htm