[Know Your History: Rebel Flag Edition]

~ mzxiii ~ Leave a comment

“Why are people proud of the fact that they can wear flags that literally say this place once supported slavery? Why? Because they are shit heads that’s why.”

kyubi-no-kittsune:

twistedtheuntoldstory:

me being confused at all the confederate flag merchandise at virginia beach

me every time I see that damn flag lol

This always annoys the hell out of me because The Civil War was actually NOT FOUGHT OVER SLAVERY ABOLITION! (You have to dig because the information often shared is incorrect.) As a matter of fact, In his inaugural address Lincoln proclaimed that it was his duty to maintain the Union and that he had no intention of ending slavery where it existed.

The first states to secede did so as a result of unfair taxation on the farms and plantations and the National Gov’t overstepping its boundaries in regards to state law. The stars and bars represent a defiance against the National Gov’t. Essentially drawing a big X over the original national flag.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2967.html

Here is a PBS link that, in many places, reiterates the fact that Lincoln insisted that the war was not about ending slavery but keeping the union whole. He declared the southern slaves free as a war tactic but DID NOT FREE THE NORTHERN SLAVES!

So, in short, the Virgina Battle Flag, often referred to as the Confederate Flag, was a rebellious statement about the National Gov’t overstepping it’s boundaries in regards to State Law. It was/is not a symbol of racism or hatred.

History is written by the victors and in the American Civil War the Seceded states were not the victors so they were vilified. So their flag became known as a symbol of hatred. Just as the svasktika was renamed the swastika and vilified by the Nazi Party.

As the swastika is sometimes worn by ignorant assholes to perpetuate hate, so is the Confederate flag flown. However, just as the swastika is worn by traditionalists who know the true beautiful history of the symbol, so is the Confederate flag flown by Americans who believe in their historic right to freedom from government tyranny.

[Gardening: or How I Managed To Let Toxic People Into My Life]

~ mzxiii ~ Leave a comment
Originally posted: October 2, 2014 at 11:07am

I imagine my friendship is a garden.

I pick the prettiest, most interesting, most intelligent, most loyal, most loving, most honest looking seeds and I plant them in my life. I don’t always check their progress daily. Sometimes there are things that keep me away from my garden for extended periods of time. Often I look out my window and I see them growing. They fill my life and my limited times of leisure and enrich it in so many ways. Some of these plants nurture my heart, some my mind, some support me when I am too tired or weak to stand on my own. I love this garden and guard it fiercely. I nurture this garden in my own way. When the wind blows, I listen to the songs the reeds play. When it is too cold for my garden, I offer warmth, even if it means being cold myself. I am not one of my plants. I never really feel like I fit in when I walk through my garden. The plants know this and they love me any way.

The problem is that some of those seeds never bloom, never really do anything. They aren’t flowers or fruit. They aren’t shade trees. They’re weeds. Deceptive plants like dandelions. You might think they’re pretty at first but then you see that all they do is steal the nutrients from the soil and kill the plants around them. They might not mean to destroy things. They don’t think they’re wrong. It’s what they are. But when you love your garden completely you forget to pull the weeds. You forget that the pretty yellow flowers in the corner, that have been in your garden longer than you can remember are the ones destroying it from the inside out.

That is the best way I can describe blackrock, alva, tuesday, and the other people who have weasled their way in. How could I not see what everyone else saw so clearly? Because I planted them in my life. I nurtured them, cared for them, helped them grow, and in turn became blind to the fact that they were weeds.

My sincerest love and affection to the flowers, plants, and trees in my life. Even those of you who are a little nutty. ❤