Since moving to Florida I have taken a notice to the expansive amount of confederate flags being flown and stickers on trucks—sometimes the trucks even have flags. I’m looking forward to researching this topic so I can articulate, even if just mentally to myself of how this is a foul mess and prevent me from going into apoplexy while driving.
Initially, I needed more information to what the confederate flag is. Where it came from. What was the initial reading? I learned that there were many flags, but the confederate flag was actually a battle flag for E. Lee. Also, I have had the chance to look at some interesting reasons of why this is appropriate. This also made me consider some of the monuments that are still in Florida that are being defended—I will need to look further into this.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/confederate-flag-always-racist-119481
While doing my research I was immediately hemorrhaged with flippant opinion based pieces, some coherent and others belligerent. Although this seemed counterproductive, I think it is immensely important that I get a feel on both sides and attempt to be as objective as possible. As much as I would like to troll, it is important that I find an understanding of where both sides are coming from. Some of the points are moot, and this statement is related to irrational statements made by both sides. I’ve included some links below.
http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-the-confederate-flag-racist
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/24/us/confederate-flag-myths-facts/index.html
I’ve decided to bring in some media into this research, some of which contain interviews. What was most disturbing was, the viewpoint of some of those being interviewed. Many of the people were oblivious—some even discounting the horrors of slavery others explaining that their families who owned an individual were truly different. I am going to have to find further interviews and sources, my sources are becoming one-sided, southern and white washed. I need to find more diverse bloggers and opinions.
I have found some academic journals in relation to the topic relating to political correctness, from ten years ago. Which is interesting to me, because this term has just recently seemed to spawn out of nowhere to negatively refer to people are attempting to not be … disgustingly rude or bigoted individuals. The conversations introduce black churches and movements attempting to ban the presentation of the confederate flag in government/public places. I really would like to touch this topic to blacklivesmatter and how certain individuals don’t think it’s necessary and founded idea.
Webster, Gerald R., and Jonathan Leib I. “Religion, Murder, and the Confederate Battle Flag in South Carolina.” Southeastern Geographer 56.1 (2016): 29. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
Smith, J. D. (2004). Robert E. bonner. colors & blood: Flag passions of the confederate south. princeton: Princeton university press, 2002. 223 pp., ISBN 0-691-09158-7. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 46(2), 419-421. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fau.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/212682148?accountid=10902
Carpenter, L. (2001). Old Times There Are Best Forgotten: The Future of Confederate Symbolism in the South. Callaloo, 24(1), 32-37. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3300447
I want to transition my research into a broader sense in relation to the incident of sports players not kneeling for the national anthem… Peaceful protest working for a still subjugated people. With the inclusion of recent police reports and fatality statistics. I think this could be a solid end of the paper.