I saw a strange thing in Greenville yesterday.

[stage left]

I was heading into town on North Main Street, an old, old residential district. There among the smattering of American flags flying from front porches was an actual Confederate flag, not the battle flag, but the stars and bars. I'm still scratching my head over that one. This is the flag. Sorry it's so durned big.

[Hoyt]

1. Probably just trying to be subtle about their racism. Last time I drove from Greenville to Asheville

, a few years ago, was surprised at the number of confederate flags waving along the way. Hope some of those yahoos decide to take theirs down, as well.

[stage left]

2. Yep.

That's sorta what I thought. Still he was outnumbered by the Stars and Stripes about five to one. Makes me want to know who lives there. I'm a curious sort. Some people might call it nosy.

[MADem]

3. They're searching for a substitute, I'd say....

Of course, Americans are so thick, they might think it's an old, OLD flag from the early days of the colonies!!! "Duhhhhh...that was before we got all of our STRIPES!!!" Sort of like Maduro of VZ, praising Cuba while fondling the Puerto Rican flag!!

That one will have a tough time catching on, I think....

[Warpy]

4. Now that's the proper heritage flag

not the flag the Klan and every other asshole in the country adopted as a finger in the eye to everybody who wasn't them.

I'd give this person props for knowing history. The rest of them are just assholes.

[patricia92243]

5. Agreed!

[stage left]

7. I think you've got it.

That could be the reason people in Pennsylvania with zero "Southern Heritage" fly that thing. As a finger in the eye to everybody who isn't them. I'm convinced that the redneck mentality is not confined to the South.

[Warpy]

8. Oh, hell no, it's not

It was an asshole indicator in Mass. too. I didn't see it often up there, but I did see it, especially around some of the exurbs. I think they displayed that one rather than the Nazi flag they preferred because the latter would have gotten them stomped into a fine paste by the JDL.

But yes, the mentality exists everywhere. There are just more of 'em in Dixie.

[SCantiGOP]

10. credit to David O Selznick

Director of Gone with the Wind. The famous railroad station scene, where the camera sweeps out to show thousands of dead and dying Confederate soldiers being tended to, and with a row of Confederate flags flying. They were going to use this accurate flag, but the Director thought the other was much more dramatic. I have read that is the primary reason that the battle flag of Northern Virginia (Lee's army) became the symbolic representation of the Confederacy.

Then, of course, when it was put back up a hundred years later it had little to do with the Civil War - it was a sign of defiance to the coming "threat" of desegregation.

[blm]

6. Heading to Greenville next week.

Will be interesting to observe the climate there.