stars and bars and such
I had the opportunity to buy gas yesterday, and in the next bay pouring quarts of oil into an old, primer colored pick'em up truck were three people. Two were guys, one wearing a stars and bars t-shirt, and the girl with them had a big stars and bars belt buckle. The back window of the pick'em up truck was decorated in the same motif.
It made me think of something that occasionally grates on me, emobdied in that symbol. This whole "heritage, not hate" thing is just a crock. Daughters of the Confederacy aside, that symbol embodies oppression for many and incompetence for the vast majority of the others.
If you think about it, you never see the stars and bars emblazoned across the back window of a Lexus. You don't see it flying from flag poles in front yards in gated communities. It's rusted out pick'em up trucks and trailer parks that sport that symbol, and there's a reason for that. It's the grasp for something of glory in an otherwise substandard life, and an excuse for the same.
I also know what I'm doing is stereotyping, and isn't the case for everyone who holds a place in their hearts for the popular symbol of the confederacy, but but the same token, Dixie Outfitters would go broke if not for the trailer parks of the south. I have spoken with people who claim that special place, and that it isn't a symbol of hatred. I suppose it's just coincidence then, that more often than not, those are also the people who won't think twice about telling me a racial joke under their breath (because in their heart of hearts, they may not think it's wrong, but they know it isn't acceptable), sprinkled with degrading terms for their fellow man. That usually only happens once and rarely gets as far as the punch line. "Heritage not Hate" gave them some legitimacy to rally behind, but they still wink when they see a Klan rally parading their hijacked standard down main street. Then they go into a rage when they discuss Muslims and the militants who have hijacked that religion and used it to legitimize their intolerance, but they don't see the parallels. I know this isn't everybody, but from my (admittedly unofficial and unscientific) sampling, it is far and away the majority. Other people have some pride in their heritage too and I'm one of them, but I don't have a big ol' belt buckle with an Italian flag on it, and if I did. No, let's not even go there. I won't ever have a big ol' belt buckle, with or without the Italian flag on it.
And so we get to the lumberyard theory on the stars and bars. There are people who aren't satisfied with their lot in life. They look out from their porch on cinderblocks, past the vehicle on cinderblocks and see the BMWs and Corvettes, and new Malibus, for that matter. They drive past houses with real foundations and wonder, "Why isn't that me?" They want someone to blame and don't want it to be them. They may have dropped out of high school, but that's not why they aren't better off. They may not get to work every day, especially on Mondays after watching NASCAR with a case of beer, but that's not it either. It's someone else's fault. It's a government that helps everyone else to a better life but them. They feed each other this crap and swallow it hook, line and sinker because it lets them off the hook, line and sinker. No longer is it their fault. They have someone else to blame. They also have a convenient symbol with reminds them of a romanticized antibellum past and points the finger of blame for their less than perfect present.
It's just one of the many reasons I also don't like affirmative action. I want that excuse done away with for all concerned, so when minorities make something of themselves, nobody has any doubt why. I want minority employees and business owners in this country to know they got where they are because of their own merits and not because some stupid quota system says the company is short of whatever it is they happen to be or we haven't awarded enough contracts to someone who looks a certain way, or whatever, and I want Bubba's excuse for his lot in life pulled out from under him. I want people to be able to take pride in themselves for their accomplishments, or take the blame for their lack thereof, whatever the case may be.
It made me think of something that occasionally grates on me, emobdied in that symbol. This whole "heritage, not hate" thing is just a crock. Daughters of the Confederacy aside, that symbol embodies oppression for many and incompetence for the vast majority of the others.
If you think about it, you never see the stars and bars emblazoned across the back window of a Lexus. You don't see it flying from flag poles in front yards in gated communities. It's rusted out pick'em up trucks and trailer parks that sport that symbol, and there's a reason for that. It's the grasp for something of glory in an otherwise substandard life, and an excuse for the same.
I also know what I'm doing is stereotyping, and isn't the case for everyone who holds a place in their hearts for the popular symbol of the confederacy, but but the same token, Dixie Outfitters would go broke if not for the trailer parks of the south. I have spoken with people who claim that special place, and that it isn't a symbol of hatred. I suppose it's just coincidence then, that more often than not, those are also the people who won't think twice about telling me a racial joke under their breath (because in their heart of hearts, they may not think it's wrong, but they know it isn't acceptable), sprinkled with degrading terms for their fellow man. That usually only happens once and rarely gets as far as the punch line. "Heritage not Hate" gave them some legitimacy to rally behind, but they still wink when they see a Klan rally parading their hijacked standard down main street. Then they go into a rage when they discuss Muslims and the militants who have hijacked that religion and used it to legitimize their intolerance, but they don't see the parallels. I know this isn't everybody, but from my (admittedly unofficial and unscientific) sampling, it is far and away the majority. Other people have some pride in their heritage too and I'm one of them, but I don't have a big ol' belt buckle with an Italian flag on it, and if I did. No, let's not even go there. I won't ever have a big ol' belt buckle, with or without the Italian flag on it.
And so we get to the lumberyard theory on the stars and bars. There are people who aren't satisfied with their lot in life. They look out from their porch on cinderblocks, past the vehicle on cinderblocks and see the BMWs and Corvettes, and new Malibus, for that matter. They drive past houses with real foundations and wonder, "Why isn't that me?" They want someone to blame and don't want it to be them. They may have dropped out of high school, but that's not why they aren't better off. They may not get to work every day, especially on Mondays after watching NASCAR with a case of beer, but that's not it either. It's someone else's fault. It's a government that helps everyone else to a better life but them. They feed each other this crap and swallow it hook, line and sinker because it lets them off the hook, line and sinker. No longer is it their fault. They have someone else to blame. They also have a convenient symbol with reminds them of a romanticized antibellum past and points the finger of blame for their less than perfect present.
It's just one of the many reasons I also don't like affirmative action. I want that excuse done away with for all concerned, so when minorities make something of themselves, nobody has any doubt why. I want minority employees and business owners in this country to know they got where they are because of their own merits and not because some stupid quota system says the company is short of whatever it is they happen to be or we haven't awarded enough contracts to someone who looks a certain way, or whatever, and I want Bubba's excuse for his lot in life pulled out from under him. I want people to be able to take pride in themselves for their accomplishments, or take the blame for their lack thereof, whatever the case may be.
John put this out here at 9:27 AM
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