How to hang a confederate flag, the left way.(For PinkoLady)

lonelyelendi · Post by **lonelyelendi** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:33 pm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - When artist John Sims sees the Confederate flag, he sees "visual terrorism," and a symbol of a racist past. When Robert Hurst sees the flag, he is filled with pride as the descendant of a soldier who fought for the South during the Civil War.

Their differences have flared into a war of words, catching a local museum in the middle.

Hurst walked into the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science this past week and saw an exhibit by Sims, including a Confederate flag hung from a noose on a 13-foot gallows in a display titled "The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag."

Hurst asked the museum to remove the display, along with 13 other pieces by Sims.

The museum, however, announced Friday it is standing by Sims' work, on display since Feb. 26, because it wants to inspire dialogue in the community about a symbol that engenders a diversity of strong responses.

"There's a balance between the nature of the art that we show and the outcome that we seek, which is to promote dialogue and conversation, and have you maybe think of something in a slightly different way," said Chucha Barber, the museum's executive director.

Hurst, commander of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter, said Friday he has lost respect for the museum, calling the display of Sims' work "offensive, objectionable and tasteless."

"They're alienating a large portion of the population around here," Hurst said. "Maybe they just wanted to cause some controversy."

He called Sims an "irrelevant individual" with no artistic talent.

"There are some people who have great talent, and they rely on that talent to be successful. There are others who don't have great talent, and they have to rely on a gimmick," Hurst said.

Sims responded that he's about as irrelevant as the Constitution.

This is not the first time that Sims and the Sons of Confederate Veterans have sparred. In 2004, Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania drew protests from the group when it displayed the same gallows.

Barber said she was not aware of the confrontation in Gettysburg, but said it probably would not have changed her museum's decision.

Hurst says he has discussed the possibility of taking legal action against the museum, although he's reluctant to give Sims more publicity.

Florida statutes say it's unlawful to "deface, defile or contemptuously abuse" the Confederate flag, but say it's also illegal to prevent the display of the flag "for decorative or patriotic purposes."

"I think that we're well within the statute," Barber said.

PinkoLady · Post by **PinkoLady** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:00 pm

"The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag"...

F*CKING BRILLIANT. Holy crap, John Sims = Awesome.

Can I have this thread, instead?

lonelyelendi · Post by **lonelyelendi** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:04 pm

Sure...I'll edit it right now.

PinkoLady · Post by **PinkoLady** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:11 pm

Haha

Killthesmiley · Post by **Killthesmiley** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:34 am

you know whats funny...is the vast majority of american's feel that the confederate flag is a symbol of racism.
The KKK use it very often as their american flag actually.

I understand where the SCV is coming from, but they have to be respectful for the change of times.

Jamidru · Post by **Jamidru** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:13 am

Sims responded that he's about as irrelevant as the Constitution.

Ha. Sims, I think I love you.

PinkoLady · Post by **PinkoLady** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:10 pm

Killthesmiley wrote:you know whats funny...is the vast majority of american's feel that the confederate flag is a symbol of racism.
The KKK use it very often as their american flag actually.

It's more funny that most people from the South say it's not a symbol of racism.

I know people like to pretend that the Civil War wasn't about slavery, (but rather "state's rights") but it was. It was about the state's right to own slaves, and therein completely deny a person their human rights, which can not, and never should, be a state's rights. I mean, if you look at the Declaration of Sucession, they sight slavery policy as the main issue, considering Southern economy was almost completely based on slavery--regardless of whether or not the North's main goal was to free slaves, the South's main reason for trying to secede was to keep them.

Besides, the confederate flag only made a come back in the South at the height of the civil rights movement in the 60s, to send a message against it-- like when congress declared that it was unconstitutional for any state to make a law banning interracial marriage in 1962, etc.

So anyway, my point is, people who don't really know history and just repeat what apologist revisionists say, or are themselves revisionists, might deny it, but the condfederate flag = racism. Even though there are people who hold up the confederate flag as a symbol of purely regional southern pride and aren't actually racist--- it is what it is, and that is a racist (not to mention treasonous-- though I don't really care about that) symbol.

Note: this post is really just a reply to yours, Kelly, but not directed at you or anyone here in its content-- more like this idiotic girl in one of my classes at school, and I'm just ranting about it all here.