A show I like to watch when I can is ESPN's Outside the Lines. The show takes a look at a variety of issues in sports, from high school to professional. This morning's show had a feature on the current tension between the NCAA and the State of South Carolina regarding the NCAA's prohibition of any post-season games being played in the state as a result of South Carolina's display of a confederate flag on its capital grounds. Back in 2000, the flying of the confederate flag was a super-hot issue not just in South Carolina but also on a national level, as the governor decided to stop flying the flag directly over the capitol building. Many in the state were outraged at the move, but a "compromise" was reached after the state decided to fly a smaller flag next to some type of confederate memorial, also on state grounds.
"A smaller confederate flag next to a confederate memorial also on state grounds?!?! BRILLIANT!"
To me, the confederate flag represents a number of things, all of which I do not believe should be sponsored let alone displayed by any arm of a southern state. When I see a confederate flag, the first thought that immediately comes into mind is: we like slavery. The proverbial "we" being much larger and much more vocal 150 years ago than today, but nonetheless the "stars and bars" are perhaps the most vivid symbol of what is arguably the saddest and most shameful period in this country's history. Some first place votes may go to the white pointy hood, and maybe the two go hand in hand. The next thing that comes to my mind is a war, a Civil War, where one side believed so strongly in a way of life that thousands died fighting for its survival. Indeed, every now and again I feel a slight chip on my shoulder on my new home turf, as if to say, sorry folks, but my side (i.e., the north) was right. And we kicked your ass.
So the debate on this morning's show discussed the fairness of the NCAA's decision to ban all post-season play from the State of South Carolina as a result of its flying a confederate flag on state grounds. Post-season collegiate play in all sports brings a boatload of cash to those cities fortunate enough to host events, as well as a wealth of publicity to any given city, its facilities, and its people. The opponents of the NCAA's decisions talked about the "history and heritage" that the confederate flag represents, that many southerners are proud of this aspect of its history, and the NCAA should not penalize the state for its decision to create a display in honor of an era that is near and dear to the hearts of many of its citizens.
The Holocaust is a part of Germany's history and heritage, but when I visited Germany a number of years ago I didn't recall seeing any swastikas flying over Berlin's goverment buildings. In fact, I don't recall seeing any swastikas whatsoever. When I went on a day-long walking tour of Berlin, I remember the stop at Hitler's bunker, the spot where he got his ass blown off and was killed. Looking back through my roll of pictures I took on that tour, there is no statue or other permanent marker noting the location of the bunker. No tree or gated area. In fact, there is nothing. As the group stood in the vicinity of the bunker that afternoon I listened intently to the tour leader talk about the embarassment Germans still felt about that aspect of their history and their adamant refusal to mark, let alone honor, this historical site. I read with great interest a few months ago of a memorial that was finally erected at this site. Sometimes, I suppose, its okay to have a small reminder of how badly you or your people fucked up back in the day. If it makes one mad or embarassed or vow to never repeat such a horrid mistake, then carve your little marble block and stick it in the ground. The Holocaust survivors with tattooed numbers on the underside of their forearms certainly have their permanent markers.
Down here, however, a large confederate flag flying over a state capitol building is nothing to be ashamed of. Not at all. In fact, there was outrage back in 2000 when the flag was taken down. Yes, people have distant relatives who fought for the South during the Civil War and lost their lives. But those families can honor their fallen loved ones in other ways. They can do it privately, or they can fly their own confederate flag on their lawn. (During a road trip a few weeks ago I spotted one flying above a mobile home and it actually had in huge block letters RED NECK centered on the flag. Hey, uh, Billy Bob, when you're flying a confederate flag over your mobile home on a back woods road, the rest of the world kind of assumes the whole RED NECK thing.) The problem, however, is when a state body decides to display that same symbol. A symbol that stands for people of one skin color selling people of a different skin color. Selling people. Selling. People. Perhaps my Holocaust example fails in that the slave owners who bought and sold slaves for use as their personal workers, as slaves, did not stuff them into an incenerator when they no longer had use for them. But if you asked a Holocaust survivor and a former slave about their pride, about their self-esteem, of their view of the world, I'm thinking you would see striking similarities in their answers.
Slavery is indefensible. Indeed, times were different 150 years ago. But even 150 years ago, a large group of people understood and appreciated how incredibly retarded the concept of slavery was. Once upon a time I heard that the good ol' US of A was the one of the last countries in the world - in the entire world - to ban the practice. (You stay classy, white southern tobacco farmers.) That's embarassing. That makes me sick. I'm sad to say it makes me embarassed to be an American at times. The feelings for others on this issue is quite the opposite, and that's fine. I'm just as fervent a believer in the late Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes's landmark idea of this country being a "marketplace of ideas" ($20 to the person who can site the Supreme Court decision where he coined that phrase, I would have to look it up myself). But for those ideas that are so outdated and I'm sorry, but just so blatantly wrong, I don't want a state or any other governmental body putting them in my face. If an individual wants to break out a white robe and white pointy hat on Friday nights and join hands with other like-minded people around burning crosses and nooses and make plans to shave their heads and gripe about how we're "losing this country," by all means: knock yourself out. But for a state government to worry about offending people if it refused to display the same exact prop that features so prominently at these same meetings really puts me at a loss for words.
Good for the NCAA in banning post-season play from the State of South Carolina. The hit the state is taking in the wallet for any lost revenue or exposure for not hosting events pales in comparison to the hit on its image for continuing to fly the confederate flag.
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