Mississippi Flag

To zsomething:  How do you feel about your state legislature's actually having voted to design a new state flag without the current Confederate flag insert?  What about the apparent requirement that the new flag contain the words, "In God We Trust" - ?

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/28/politics/mississippi-flag-confederate-emblem/index.html

I'm extremely happy that they ditched the old Confederate flag. That's been WAY overdue. What's weird is seeing Republicans congratulating themselves for it when they're the ones who've been blocking it for decades. But, oh well, as long as it's coming down, I'm fine with it.

The "In God We Trust" thing is more stupid silliness, but Mississippi's always got to be dumb and defiant to somebody or 'nother. People here are never happy unless they think what they're doing is pissing somebody off. The South's reputation for being "good, kind people" is a whole lot of hogwash -- we've got some of the meanest cruel-hearted scum on the planet down here. There are good people, too, but they're outnumbered. Anyway, I'd rather they be picking on atheists like me than a whole race. We atheists are used to taking it, and so while it irks me a bit because I know the intention of it is a big "fuck you" to everybody who's not religious, I don't care about it overmuch, because I don't respect the intelligence of the people doing it, anyway. I'm so happy to see the other flag come down that this new insult seems like small potatoes. I do have a co-worker who's gonna be PISSED about it, though -- he even paid extra to get a license plate without "In God We Trust" on it. I just took the regular one, 'cuz it's not on there very big, anyway, and I could stick some tape over it if it really bugged me. I've never been the kind of atheist who gets too hung up on things like that or getting het-up over "Merry Christmas," etc., though... I know I'm outnumbered and my opposition are childishly spiteful, so if little jabs like that pacify them and let them think they're "in control" enough that they won't feel the need to go around shooting us all, then, no major deal. Let the babies have their bankie and pacie to go with their fairy tales.

Eminently measured and mature response to the IGWT "silliness," z. As usual, you're a far better person than I. Guess you have to be pretty measured and mature to survive in Mississippi without going off the deep end. It's tough enough here in the deep red Panhandle.

Right-wing religious goofs are easy enough to figure out... it's like out-maneuvering a toddler. I try not to ever get too freaked out about their little symbolic "we've got to remind the heathens and non-whites that we run everything!" gestures of defiance, and just roll my eyes a lot. Thing is, they're really insecure and no amount of control they have over a society is ever going to be enough to make them not feel threatened. Their beliefs are really shaky -- everybody's gotta be playing their little Dungeons & Dragons game or they start to doubt it's real -- and they're super-paranoid... it's a way to keep their cult insular. As long as anyone else has any rights at all that go counter to their wishes, they're going to feel "oppressed" and have to pee on a buncha lamposts to mark their territory... and they looooove to feel like they're a persecuted minority no matter how much they're bullying people. That's why the "you have to say Merry Christmas!" thing is such a big deal to them, even though it really doesn't mean anything. It's why they have to put up "Jesus" billboards every couple of miles on the highway, or try to get the Ten Commandments monuments set up in front of courthouses, or this whole "in God we trust" thing on the license plates and the flags. It's just to re-assure themselves that they're still in charge, and let the rest of us know that we're in "occupied territory" and better not get too uppity. They like the rest of us to feel "tolerated." But they don't get that it really works both ways and there's a lot more of us than they think there are. I run into more people who tell me "I'm an atheist but I can't say it aloud," because they worry about violence getting done to them living in the South. I'm big enough and armed enough where I don't worry about it too much, but, it is a legit concern.


I've given up long ago expecting the right-wing-version-of-Christians to ever be graceful about anything, or to respect anybody else. It's just not a trait that the right-wing-version-of-Christians is strong enough to have, they're too weak. I just view 'em as kinda pitiful, figure all these constant "reminders" are something they need in order to sleep at night, and shrug it off.

Besides, pissing you off is what they want to do, so, I try not to oblige 'em. Then they're the ones who are upset.

We've lived in Gulfport for a few years now, hardly could be called natives for sure. We were amazed to see the governor say he would sign the bill to abolish the state flag if the legislature passed it.

The demonstrations protesting the murder of George Floyd have really brought the race issues we have in this country to the fore. There is a growing awareness of racial inequities. It is a consciousness raising time for many white Americans as they realize they know very little about the American Black culture.   The cultural tide is finally flowing in the direction of more social justice. The MS state flag is just part of this shift.

Business leaders were saying they would lose a lot of money, contracts, bookings etc. if they didn't get rid of the stars and bars on the old flag. The thing that really tipped the scales though and can't be acknowledged enough in my opinion was that the SEC said they wouldn't play any games in Mississippi if they kept the old flag. That was the very last straw!! NO FOOTBALL?!  Not happening!!

The local news showed people out in shops buying up the old flags.

The flag at the courthouse in Gulfport came down this evening for the last time and people were out taking pictures of the event.

Too cool. Now we get to vote in November on the design of the new flag. I'm not crazy about the "In God We Trust" either. It seems out of place on a state flag. I agree with Z when he says it was a nod to the old establishment and a poke in the eye to the rest of us for all the reasons he mentioned.

“The past is never dead. It's not even past.”

― William Faulkner

Speaking of racist stuff, here's a fun thing that Trump's team thinks is a "defense" -- Trump tweeted a video of some of his supporters tooling around on their golf carts ('cuz god forbid those mighty warriors of the superior-race get some exercise or not be able to make a quick getaway if "Antifa" shows up - it's hard to run in wet pants!) and one of 'em was yelling "WHITE POWER!" over and over again.

Trump apparently "didn't see that" even though it's literally the first thing in the video, so I guess he just re-tweets anything that hoves into his field of vision. Being completely uncritical (and, in fact, disinterested) about what information is passed on to the American public and world-at-large is such a good trait in a president.

Anyway, the White House flipped out when they saw what had happened, and they rushed to get Trump to remove the tweet... but it stayed up for three hours or so because Trump was on the golf course, had left his phone somewhere, and couldn't be reached.

Let that sink in a minute. The president of the United States couldn't be reached for three hours. Suppose there'd been some national emergency? Too bad.

Hell, Dumb-Dubya was a colossal fuck-up of magnum-magnitude but even he was accessible, even if he did waste about ten minutes 'cuz he wanted to see how My Pet Goat turned out (and you can't really blame him, that book is one suspenseful sonofabitch). Trump couldn't be contacted.

That they let this happen shows how valuable even his own handlers feel Trump would be in a crisis situation. They let him be sloppy with his reachability because... who wants to keep Gilligan in the loop, anyway? He's only going to make things worse, so, let him keep playing golf, everybody's better off.

I swear, the "Biden's senile" scenario that the conservatives are trying to create is getting weaker and weaker every day, because even if there were something to it beyond the guy just having a stutter and thus fumbling his words more than most, that still wouldn't be a situation you could avoid by voting for Trump, is it?

I mean, every damn round these muhfuckas got in their magazine is a dud. Squib loads, every one of 'em. Even if they were true, which they aren't in any significant way.

Biden tells lies. Well, that'd hardly be a "vote Trump!" scenario, would it? Frying pan/fire, anyone?

Biden's corrupt and practices nepotism! Ummmm... have you met Ivanka? Don Jr. Jared Kushner... who's probably the most corrupt Jared in America and I'm not forgetting that Subway guy who was a goddamn child molester?

Biden's senile! So, we're supposed to vote for the guy who thinks we should shoot up with Lysol and is so obsessive he spends twenty minutes making excuses about why he couldn't handle a ramp, and expects people to cheer for him when he drinks water with one hand?

Biden misspeaks! Aw come awwwwwnnnnnnn, honeychile, you DON'T wanna open that door, belieeeeevedat.





I mean, name it and ya still ain't gonna turn anybody off of Biden. Name any fault or character flaw you want and Trump's still gonna be worse and not by a little bit, but by the freakin' Matterhorn.

Anyway, yeah... unavailable for three hours 'cuz golf. What an important, crucial-to-the-survival-of-the-country guy we've got here. Defend 'im, go on, just try.

Ho-leeeee shit.

This is the new Trump shirt.  Next to its obvious inspiration.



That's fucking insane.

This gives them about three options, none of which are good.

Option 1: "Yeah, we liked the Nazi imagery and decided to copy it, because hey hey, we're the Nazis!"

Option 2: "How were we supposed to know that that extremely widespread and well-known symbol had bad connotations? We had no idea, because, lord, are we stupid!"

Option 3: "Okay, the staffer who designed the shirt was obviously pranking us by copying Nazi imagery, and we're dumb and fell for it."

That's pretty much it.

You take the Confederate flag away from these assholes and all they do is go, "Okay, then, we'll just move on to the next racist thing!"

Sheeeeeeesh. I am so glad I don't have to defend this party.

zsomething wrote:Ho-leeeee shit.

This is the new Trump shirt.  Next to its obvious inspiration.



That's fucking insane.

This gives them about three options, none of which are good.

Option 1:  "Yeah, we liked the Nazi imagery and decided to copy it, because hey hey, we're the Nazis!"

Option 2: "How were we supposed to know that that extremely widespread and well-known symbol had bad connotations?  We had no idea, because, lord, are we stupid!"

Option 3: "Okay, the staffer who designed the shirt was obviously pranking us by copying Nazi imagery, and we're dumb and fell for it."

That's pretty much it.

You take the Confederate flag away from these assholes and all they do is go, "Okay, then, we'll just move on to the next racist thing!"  



Sheeeeeeesh.   I am so glad I don't have to defend this party.

LOL, you're getting pretty far out there! That eagle symbol is pretty common and in fact is somewhat representative of silver eagle coins. You're hopelessly bigoted toward anything conservative aren't you? You must realize not all R's support the Trumpet and they aren't all a bunch of idiots. You are, in fact, falling into the TDS group - the very same group who helped elect the idiot in the first place by keeping his name out front (negative or not doesn't matter). I kinda figured out after he was in office about ten minutes that he was in hopelessly over his empty head. Let him finish destroying himself and take it easy dude! This country will survive the Trumpet or any lousy president.

gatorfan wrote:

LOL, you're getting pretty far out there! That eagle symbol is pretty common and in fact is somewhat representative of silver eagle coins.

C'mon, now. It's not just the eagle. If it was just an eagle I wouldn't worry about it. There's a lot you can do with an eagle that doesn't ape Nazi imagery. It's an eagle, wings outspread, perched on something round. Why even make the American flag round if it wasn't inspired by that Wehrmacht eagle? There is no stretch there... it's the same damn pose with only a few details changed. And that Nazi eagle is hardly an obscure symbol. Hell, I've seen it on tee-shirts, too. You trace around those two images you wouldn't be able to tell which outline went with which.

This is a few weeks after Trump posted a red triangle denoting his political enemies... which is the same symbol the Nazis used on political prisoners. Once could be ignorance and clumsiness on their part. Twice is pushing it. The red triangle's pretty obscure. That swastika eagle isn't.

They're dogwhistling at a particularly nasty chunk of their base that they should be rejecting... but can't afford to because they've got too much invested in that chunk.

You're hopelessly bigoted toward anything conservative aren't you?

Well, not hopelessly, but I'll admit I'm not fond of 'em in general. I have good reasons for that -- they've ruined my state and kept it back for decades. I put up with 'em every day at work and half to do half their work for them because they're too frickin' stupid to do it themselves, and have to calm their ridiculous fears all day long. It gets exhausting after a while. I've never made any secret that my main motivation is anti-conservative rather than pro-liberal.

You must realize not all R's support the Trumpet and they aren't all a bunch of idiots.

I've never said anything of the kind. In fact, I've said the opposite. I know you don't support Trump. So, I wouldn't figure you'd buy the tee-shirt. So I'm not sure what you're taking offense with, but... whatever. I don't say every Republican is an idiot. I will say that everyone still supporting Trump is an idiot, though. There's not much convincing argument that could be made otherwise.

You are, in fact, falling into the TDS group - the very same group who helped elect the idiot in the first place by keeping his name out front (negative or not doesn't matter).

Nah. Stating facts about the guy isn't "TDS," it's just reality. I'm not gonna be boxed into not pointing out the guy's flaws (lord, "flaw" is such a kind word in this instance) out of fear of being said I have "TDS." That's a handy way to shut people up, but, nope, ain't workin' on me. I don't buy into every theory that comes out about him, only the stuff that can be backed up by not-too-wild evidence. But if they put out something like that tee-shirt, yeah, I'm gonna comment on it, 'cuz it's too obvious a parallel not to.

I kinda figured out after he was in office about ten minutes that he was in hopelessly over his empty head. Let him finish destroying himself and take it easy dude! This country will survive the Trumpet or any lousy president.

Yeah, it'll survive him. It's gonna be sorely wounded for quite a while, though, and America's reputation will be set back for decades for having elected such a jackass. And although I'm a critic of it when it deserves it, I love our country, so... that pisses me off. Our trade, in particular, is gonna suffer for a long time because of this bastard. Our old partners have learned to work around us, instead of seeing us as a crucial hub. And once new trade deals have been established it's gonna be hard to get them back. And Trump revealed a lot of ugly things about this country... and America's image was one of its best selling points. So, yeah, I know it'll survive him, but just surviving's not really good enough. So, I'm still gonna be pissed at the guy. Call it "TDS" or whatever, don't really care, I'm not letting up 'til the asshole's out of office in as much disgrace as possible. This isn't just another "bad president." Dubya was a bad president... but at least still felt legit and competent, like he was trying to do the job he was elected for. Trump's just a headcase. I really don't know why he has any support at all. I'm starting to wonder what his cultists wouldn't support.