Is the Confederate Flag a symbol of racism?

Wrong, once any symbol is classed as hate speech business no longer have to deal with them, which is were we are almost.

someone who flies a Confederate flag.

“Normally, (refusal of service) would only be warranted where the customer’s presence would somehow be distracting to the wellbeing, to the safety, to the welfare of the other people in the business and the business itself. They can’t arbitrarily refuse service to some because they don’t like the way that they look,” Meynard said.

Where does the public stand on this issue? Overall, Americans are divided on whether it's all right or not for Southern states to fly the flag -- 46% approve, while 44% want the practice stopped. This represents a slight erosion in support for the flag being flown compared to eight years ago. In 1992, 55% approved, while 40% disapproved.

So why now?

Because Democrats no longer see any electoral payoff in talking to guys with Confederate flags in the back of their pickup trucks, they no longer have any incentive to make even weak gestures toward keeping the flag around. Progressives are freed from their need to keep up their awkward dance with rural Southerners for the sake of maintaining some degree of power in the South (a dance that dates back at least to FDR’s reluctance to endorse anti-lynching laws). Polarization has forced them – and freed them – to explore new paths to power.

At the same time, it’s important to realize that most prominent Southern Republican politicians have roots in either the suburban or old establishment Democrat wings of the party. I doubt if Nikki Haley or Bobby Jindal grew up with much affection for the Confederate flag. The same goes for Mitch McConnell – who entered politics in Jefferson County (Louisville), an old Union town whose Republicanism was strong enough that it almost voted for Herbert Hoover in 1932.

This isn’t true across the board – Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, who initially defended the flag, grew up in a rural small town in his state – but for the most part, I don’t think most Republicans in leadership positions ever had much use for the Confederate flag beyond political calculations. With rural whites now largely polarized into the Republican column, Southern Republicans no longer have to go hard after their votes. If anything, they need to watch their flanks in the suburbs and in the business wing of the party, and so it is now more natural for them to move against the flag.

Polarization has, generally speaking, made lawmaking more difficult on the national level. But this, at least, is one instance where it has probably greased the skids.

Quote:

maxdancona wrote: someone who flies a Confederate flag.

are they a protected group of some sort?

Dont you think though it is very important not to take away rights just because of fashion ?

Quote:

Where does the public stand on this issue? Overall, Americans are divided on whether it's all right or not for Southern states to fly the flag -- 46% approve, while 44% want the practice stopped. This represents a slight erosion in support for the flag being flown compared to eight years ago. In 1992, 55% approved, while 40% disapproved.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/2926/americans-divided-southern-states-flying-confederate-flag.aspx

So the degrade of wanting to afford southerners the right to fly their flags of the defeated splinter states in the civil war has been active for some time. Me: I want people to keep flying what ever flag they want. I want people to keep saying what ever is on their minds. I like having ways to know what other people are about, and I like having my own thoughts and saying what I want to say. I believe that freedom is good.

This practice of trying to silence unpopular minorities and minority views will not be good for us, of that much I am sure.

Part of the reason there has been an erosion of support for the Confederate flag is the passage of time, another is the migration into the South of people whos families either were not here at the time or were Yankees.

This practice of trying to silence unpopular minorities and minority views will not be good for us, of that much I am sure.

The entire history of the human race has been that of majorities silencing minorities, you know like burning crosses on uppity blacks' lawns

No one is saying you can't fly your battle flag,

but in the spirit of meeting free speech with more free speech, I can say I find it racist.

I do not support racist symbols.