"I still feel like it's not an issue for a presidential candidate," the former Arkansas governor responded.... "I don’t personally kill people, so it’s not an issue for me," Huckabee repeated. "That’s an issue for the people of South Carolina. Do you kill people? I doubt it. Does anyone on your panel kill people? I doubt it. For us, it’s not an issue."
@5: because the battle flag is different from the official flags of the confederate states and what flies at the state capitol in SC is the battle flag.
@7: Well now I am confused about this one being the "battle flag," since there were numerous different confederate battle flags as well...
Seems like everyone already thinks of what is being called the "battle flag" as the "confederate flag" anyway, so it strikes me as odd the distinction is being demanded now, but que sera sera.
“That’s an issue for the people of South Carolina.”
So, what are the people of South Carolina saying?
“Republican South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Republican South Carolina senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott plan to call for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the state Capitol, sources told NBC News on Monday.”
Huckabee has to placate GOP primary voters. And their main requirement for a candidate is that they don't challenge a single self-centered fear in their lily white, selfish, know-nothing heads.
Are you all forgetting states' rights? Of course it's a state issue, not a national issue. The good people of South Carolina moved from the top of the capitol to the grounds. Good progress. Now the good people of South Carolina see that it should be moved entirely, as @15 said.
What's more, the good people of South Carolina made it a right-to-work state - unlike the nasty liberals of Washington state who stifle good jobs.
We are a nation of states, not a nation of a central authority.
Dearest raindrop, we who come here understand the code words "states' rights" and what they mean. Just as we understand that "right-to-work" means no worker rights in the job place. And the "right" to work-for-less. Peddle your crap elsewhere.
The reason we're calling it the "Confederate Battle Flag" is because of the pedantry of the slavery apologists who will find whatever loophole to worm and squirm their way out of calling the flag for what it is: The symbol of American racism.
You see, by calling it 'the battle flag,' you're somehow removing it slightly away from the CSA. "See?" they say, "It was only the flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, and displaying it means you're honoring the soldiers of that army. And nothing else!" By doing so, they remove the soldiers from the cause they were fighting for (the rights of states to enslave other humans), remove it from historical context (taking up arms against their government, AKA 'terrorism'), remove it from the hands of the KKK who championed it.
Basically, by calling it the "Confederate Battle Flag," we're saying "Alright, you fucking pedantic bastards, we'll call it by its proper name, while still telling you its a symbol of racism, and your continued clinging onto it means you hold racist values while desperately trying to deny them and not take responsibility for them."
Now, it is true that the South doesn't hold the monopoly on racism. But there's a lot more trees in a forest than on a prairie, even though prairies do have trees. Know what I mean?
Heaven ordained supremacy.. What a mad fuck that guy was. And all the others who followed him. Wonder he didn't say over women as well. Cause we know, that's how those dicks thought/ think as well.
@20: Nevertheless, they are the constituents of their elected representatives. The "good people of South Carolina" still applies. And as @23 acknowledges, no state is bigot free. In fact, bigots are free to believe whatever they want in whatever state as long as they follow the law and respect their fellow enlightened citizen neighbors.
@22: That is South Carolina's prerogative. If they choose to have non-unionized factories it should make no difference to you. You don't live there, I assume.
@25 ..."it should make no difference to you." So we shouldn't care about the status of our fellow countrymen, even if they live in a different state than we do?
@27 - I see no reason to assume it's a matter of preference. The reason I move so little is that it takes years to save up enough money to move. That's not even accounting for other obligations or obstacles that might outweigh my preferences.
Translation: I don't want to piss off half of my base, so I'm not going to say anything against X, while simultaneously trying to appear neutral on the issue to other people who *are* against X, so that any hope that they might vote for me will not be diminished.
In other words, he's not even so much as going to come up for air from kissing the asses of the entire American public until after the election. Once that happens, he's *totally* going to enshrine the Confederate flag in the constitution.
No one in America has cared anything about states rights for at least two centuries. That's one of the important facts to remember about American politics; whoever has the weakest case will appeal to the false notion that somebody cares about any rights a state may or may not have.
For some reason this makes me think of Rick Santorum suggesting the Pope leave science to the scientists (because the Pope dared mention climate change), even though he and TeaOP gynoticians aren't leaving medicine to the doctors when it come to women's reproductive health.
Well, Hucksterbee, since you will never have an abortion--nor have to raise a child you don't want and cannot support--abortion and contraception shouldn't be issues for you. And since neither you nor anyone in your immediate family is gay, GLBT rights shouldn't be an issue for you.
Now, if you wanted to placate people on both sides of the issue--because you're a squirrelly little creep--you could very well say you understand why people would object to the flag, given their perception of its meaning. However, you don't feel it's right to tell them to take it down, although you hope they'll do the right thing. But of course you won't because placating your racist base is more important than not pissing off the rest of the country who will never, ever vote for you.
@19: "right to work" means "right to benefit from union representation without paying for said representation". For a party that talks about cutting off freeloaders, the Republicans sure are happy to enable them.
@25, yeah, I should care about the wages earned in states far away from me. Corporations that provide high paying jobs here move their production facilities there. That affects me. Nobody wins a race to the bottom. Globally or domestically.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_t…
Seems like everyone already thinks of what is being called the "battle flag" as the "confederate flag" anyway, so it strikes me as odd the distinction is being demanded now, but que sera sera.
Biggest Strength: Last name has optimal number of syllables for chanting
Note that in the passage that tweet quotes, the designer of the file:///Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_(1863-1865).svg">File:Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_A…">second national flag of the confederacy tells us that it is the field of white which refers to loathsome racism of Southern slaveowners-- and that field of white is not present on the battle flag.
The whole damn thing is still appalling, of course, but don't go thinking you've nailed the "just our culture" racists to the wall with that quote.
And the internet is terrible.
So, what are the people of South Carolina saying?
“Republican South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Republican South Carolina senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott plan to call for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the state Capitol, sources told NBC News on Monday.”
He's just tap dancing.
What's more, the good people of South Carolina made it a right-to-work state - unlike the nasty liberals of Washington state who stifle good jobs.
We are a nation of states, not a nation of a central authority.
The reason we're calling it the "Confederate Battle Flag" is because of the pedantry of the slavery apologists who will find whatever loophole to worm and squirm their way out of calling the flag for what it is: The symbol of American racism.
You see, by calling it 'the battle flag,' you're somehow removing it slightly away from the CSA. "See?" they say, "It was only the flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, and displaying it means you're honoring the soldiers of that army. And nothing else!" By doing so, they remove the soldiers from the cause they were fighting for (the rights of states to enslave other humans), remove it from historical context (taking up arms against their government, AKA 'terrorism'), remove it from the hands of the KKK who championed it.
Basically, by calling it the "Confederate Battle Flag," we're saying "Alright, you fucking pedantic bastards, we'll call it by its proper name, while still telling you its a symbol of racism, and your continued clinging onto it means you hold racist values while desperately trying to deny them and not take responsibility for them."
Now, it is true that the South doesn't hold the monopoly on racism. But there's a lot more trees in a forest than on a prairie, even though prairies do have trees. Know what I mean?
@22: That is South Carolina's prerogative. If they choose to have non-unionized factories it should make no difference to you. You don't live there, I assume.
Haven't heard much from Ted in awhile, so maybe it is best we keep it that way.
In other words, he's not even so much as going to come up for air from kissing the asses of the entire American public until after the election. Once that happens, he's *totally* going to enshrine the Confederate flag in the constitution.
Well, Hucksterbee, since you will never have an abortion--nor have to raise a child you don't want and cannot support--abortion and contraception shouldn't be issues for you. And since neither you nor anyone in your immediate family is gay, GLBT rights shouldn't be an issue for you.
Now, if you wanted to placate people on both sides of the issue--because you're a squirrelly little creep--you could very well say you understand why people would object to the flag, given their perception of its meaning. However, you don't feel it's right to tell them to take it down, although you hope they'll do the right thing. But of course you won't because placating your racist base is more important than not pissing off the rest of the country who will never, ever vote for you.