@2:

That would of course just make them two-time losers, but then this group appears to take their butt-soreness over constantly being on the losing side of history pretty seriously.

That mayor sounds like our top troll.

What charming young people. I wonder if they will mention their brave display of "heritage" in their college application essays.

While I understand that most flag owners are very responsible and would never intentionally harm someone else with their flag, it is time to enter the modern era and realize that your archaic right to own a flag is much less important than public safety.

Most people agree with common sense flag tailoring standards, it is not like people want to come and take your flag.

Have you seen some of these flags they are making these days? Go to a large car dealership, and you might see a 8' x 12' flag just waving outside the place. No one NEEDS a flag that big.

#flags #flagviolence #flagsense #notonemore #fuckthenff

@5: I know right? I mean what kind of person needs a flag that could double as a small circus tent? Where would you store it? Under another tent sized flag?

@6: Someday our out of control society will create a flag so big it destroys us all.

But seriously, check out this website:

https://www.grandnewflag.com/flag-sizing…

Anyone can just log in and buy a flag (even up to 30' x 50') without a background check! They even offer tactical flagpole accessories with any purchase.

Speaking of the confederate flag in general, and not these folks in particular; it often is a 'country boy' thing.
Dukes of Hazzard.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
etc.

And the question becomes how much right to people have to force their interpretation of a cultural symbol on other people.
If you think the confederate flag is racist don't fly it.
But it is arrogant and oppressive to insist that anyone anywhere who has any confederate flag paraphernalia ia a racist.

For example, some might reasonably associate Catholic trinkets and icons with systemic child rape, with centuries of genocide and exploitation of indigenous peoples all over the globe.
They might insist that anyone who displayed that crap was a pedophilloic advocate of genocide and exploitation.
The person displaying the crap may protest that they are just cultural Catholic; that the stuff only has sentimental value; that they are not pedophilloic genocidal exploiters—which is bullshit, of course—just go read a history book if you don't believe us.

So obviously all enlightened right-minded opponents of systemic endemic child rape and genocide and exploitation must militantly oppose displays of Catholic trinkets and crap and call out the pedophilloic genocidal exploiters who display it.

@7: This reminds me of Texas Camp the times I'd been to Burning Man lo these many years ago. Their entire camp was covered by a giant Texas state flag that served as their enormous shade structure. I'm not kidding it took up the whole corner of that section of block and then some.
It was very impressive and served as an excellent landmark.

@8:

Dang, that's taking whataboutery to a whole new level, comrade - поздравления!

If people can nuance over a rainbow flag they can nuance over a confederate flag. Granted the latter is abhorrent, but it still an expression of free speech and guaranteed under the first amendment. Civics describes these as duties: as actions available to the citizen, rather than assigned tasks. Hence that is where the mayor picked up the antiquated use of the term that Dan misinterprets.

@8: You worry me - all these contortions you're performing; are you stretching both before and after? That's where people get in trouble and end up ruining their backs, and you're cranky enough without adding a slipped disc into the mix.

@9: Well, you know how those Texans like to do. Everything HAS to be bigger.

we can't help it;
intolerance makes us cranky...

@11: Yeah no. Some symbols have stink that won't wash out, and the stars and bars is one of them.
It is certainly their right to display it but let's not pretend there's any "nuance" involved. One need only view the video of these young'uns to here exactly what they think this flag means.

@13: True that! :)

If only there were someone who, while perhaps disagreeing with what these kids are saying would defend with their lives their right to say it.
That would be an awesome country to live in.

17
Showing contempt for the symbol of a nation that granted the contempter freedom and prosperity?
Now that's a chump move.
Next thing you know athletes who are paid millions for playing a school yard game will be protesting about how unfair American society is.
Nah, no one could be that clueless.....

22
If cops are murdering black people they should go to jail.
If cops are murdering black people and not being punished we all will join the protest.
How many black people were murdered by police officers in the past year?
Who were they?
Please let us know, this is very distressing news.

@18- Yep, the ACLU and NAACP are pretty awesome.

But Dan is right, the appropriation of cultural symbols needs to be stopped.
Now.
Nipped in the bud.
What is next? Urban radio stations playing country music?
People who are not actual cowboys wearing the boots and hats?
Non-lumberjacks wearing plaid flannel shirts?
Why, it could even get to the point that people who don't do yoga try to wear the pants....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU55auqD…

Ah dunno, man. The part in the Constitution about treason including "...adhering to their enemies...", "their" in this case referring to these United States; sounds like a case could be made. Cuz, you know, the Confederacy was our enemy...

26
How many black people were murdered by police officers in the past year?
Who were they?
Please let us know, this is very distressing news.

30
Don't tell us you are just running your mouth with no facts to back it up?
Not here on Slog...
say it ain't so.

24
Totally awesome, actually.
This started when a student ripped a flag off a students truck in the schoiol parking lot.
ACLU and NAACP lawyers will be suing the student, right?

@11 - Did you miss the point about Michigan being a northern state? It is well, well north of ye olde Mason-Dixon line. We hang out with Canadians and have picked up parts of the Canadian accent ("Say Ya! to da UP, eh?")
WhyTF is the "Confederate Flag" being waved proudly there? (answer below)

@18 - "If only there were someone who, while perhaps disagreeing with what these kids are saying would defend with their lives their right to say it."
...Their right to say.. what, exactly, Denali? That they are northern supporters of the former, secessionist, slave-owning states? Or...is iiitt... juuust perhaapps...

No, they were just being Michigan rural racist assholes.

Believe me, I would know.
#10yearsInMichigan

No Tolerance for INtolerance.

@29 - Do the work, Denali. Go look up those details that you want others to simply hand you. The info is out there. Start with Diante Yarber.

@29:

What would be the point of acquiescing to your bullshit "prove my assertion is false" narrative? You're not interested in whether or not we can provide evidence that counters your unbridled passive-aggressive concern-trolling, because we also know you don't give a shit about the number of POC killed by LEO's, regardless of what term is used to describe it. You'll just keep moving the goalposts like you always do until the field runs into the ocean, and then claim "victory" because no one else but you feels like drowning.

@21,. 28 - Blip, you are killing it with incredible succinctness! Thank you!

34
So you scold us but then throw out a little hint,
you sly dog.
"Yarber was inside a car in a Walmart parking lot in Barstow, California, on April 5 when law enforcement officers arrived, according to a press release. They were responding to a call about a “suspicious vehicle” and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Yarber reportedly “reversed the vehicle and struck one of the patrol cars.” The release also stated that Yarber accelerated toward the officers and struck a second vehicle before officers opened fire on the car."
A car can be a pretty deadly weapon.

Is that it?
How many black people have been murdered by police in the past year?

35
You have it backwards, dear.
GS asserted that police murder black people.
A very specific serious accusation.
We would like more, not really more; we would like some information.
How many black people have been murdered by police in the past year?
(if there were none you don't need to reply. GS didn't, after all)

@36: Agreed.

Thank you, Blip. May your patience never run out.

39
The names actually are available, because the people exist.
https://www.ushmm.org/remember

No, not clever at all.

Yep, conservatives love themselves their racist confederate treason flag. And the reason is pretty clear: they hate the USA. They hate that we're a multi-cultural society that derives strength from it's diversity. They hate that we let black people vote. They hate that we have separation of church and state. They hate that we're a nation of immigrants. They hate our government by the people. They hate the constitution (they even have to lie about the 2nd amendment to love it, a well regulated militia anyone? anyone? Bueller?).

In short they hate everything about the USA. There is not an American ideal or institution they're not openly hostile to. So they stockpile their guns and wave their racist confederate treason flags and fantasize about AGAIN taking up arms against our country.

They're a very dangerous bunch to have around.

@37 - "according to a press release" ....Hm.. who's press release I wonder?
The police press release?
Diante Yarber's family's press release?
The bystanders' press release?

Who would be the most believable? To you, I mean.

Dig deeper, Denali... dig deeper...

I agree with Mr Savage's sentiment, but suspect that this is what happens when one agrees to call homophobia a subset of racism as well as a subset of misogyny.

Thank you, Blip. My thoughts exactly (more elequently expressed, though).
And John Brown 4 you- interesting slant. Explains much!

I think it's weird that you oppose having the rainbow flag there - when the BML activists interrupted Toronto Pride and forced the current ongoing detente with police, there was a lot of "but we're talking 'queer' issues now, not 'race' issues", but most everyone agreed that any political forum is one where BML and race issues can be discussed. When you consider that all activism is moving towards intersectional activism, and when you consider that you once extolled Harvey Milk for going out and making connections with other activist communities, your point kind of falls flat. The Rainbow Flags weren't there stealing focus - one could say that they were highlighting the support of the queer community for racial issues (which should always be the case). It's possible that, right now, you should never see a rainbow flag without an accompanying BML flag - and vice versa.

...so nobody's going to mention that the mayor looks like a lizard in a baggy fleshsuit? He's good old-fashioned nightmare fuel.

How many of those people were murdered by police officers?

Jesus taint-chafing Christ. Cops do murder. They have a “blue code” or “blue wall” of silence where even so-called good cops get sucked into it. Because of this, they are never convicted, even when charged with murder. (As ANYBODY with an entire police force helping to back lies with “evidence” would be.) When I say never, I mean it hasn’t happened yet in modern day America. It’s not hard to figure out why and how they do this; the disbelief at the possibility that it happens is actually more confusing.

To put a cork in the blowhards sucking the air out of the room as they fellate themselves.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-…

Rainbow flags were symbols of general tolerance for hundreds of years before queer tolerance specifically, Dan. That's why the gay liberation movement adopted the symbol in the late 70s.

@53, thank you.

I might add that there are several kinds of rainbow flags - for example the rainbow peace flag (without text) is easily mistaken for the rainbow pride flag, if you don't know your rainbow flags well. Even if you do, a mix-up is still possible, since the people using and making the flags mix them up often.