Republicans & Conservatives: Archives

I would have to say, who cares? The Soviets are not going to rise again. Now, the clothing with the Nazi SS slogans all over them are worrisome, as people actually do buy into the neo-nazi thing. However, I simply am not going to get into the mindset of banning clothes. More important things are going on.

Mr. Hogan, just pause a moment and consider the irony of using the imagine of soviet communism to increase T-Shirt profits. It’s evidence of the strength of our free market, not our impending takeover by the forces of communism.

Personally, I think it’s in awful taste. That said, this is what you guys get for mounting such a successful assault on political correctness- anything goes!

Mr. Hogan,

If you are going to say “Amen” and prod Target towards not selling the Soviet Hammer and Sickle, why don’t you also request they stop selling any apparel that bares the “Confederate Flag”? I would say the “Confederate Flag” also represents “the suppresion of human potential for [millions] of people”.

It would be simple, Mr. Balko could simply change a few words and re-send the letter to Target’s CEO. He could say, “It’s important that we remember the ruthlessness, brutality, and threat to our own liberty wrought by [insert southern slavery and brutality wrought in the pursuance of preserving the confederacy of southern states].”

Easy as that. He could even send the letter to Wal-Mart, Meijer and any of the other major super-store chains. And I am willing to bet, more people in this country feel uneasy when they see the symbol of the Confederacy than when they see the sickle and hammer.

Could be worse…. At least Matthew Hogan never mentioned GOD in his hysterical rant.

The symbolism is in bad taste, and Mr. Balko has a right to express his displeasure. It’s a free country.

Economic interdependence between nations is the single most powerful force for peace on earth. If such sales increase economic interdependence between our two nations, I say go for it. I for one would be loathe to wear a hammer & sickle, but, symbolism is often lost on trend followers anyway. No big deal. Not like Americans are going to worship communism as a result.

Since over 90% of all apparel that we in this country buy and wear comes from “across the big pond” I would be far more concerned with where it comes from rather than what it says on it. There is a very good chance that the goods you refer to are purchased as “blanks” and we are adding the text here via screen printing and/or embroidery.

Big name brands that we retail are manufactured in the Middle East, some in fact in countries that are either directly involved in terrorism or are harboring those that are.

Heck if it makes me some money, I have some T shirts I would like to sell to anyone who could afford my price.

They have the Rebel Flag on the front, with the hammer and Sickle in the center of the flag, Nazi symbols on each side and mounted on a stick of wood from the holy cross. And it’s done up in the official colors of Green Peace. It is the only one like it, a real one of a kind and I will sell you as many as you want or can afford.

I feel he can sell whatever he wants to.because you can get stuff with the rebel flag, and the Marijuana leaf on it.

Response for Ahmed,
The Confederate flag is not a symbol of slavery or displayed only by those who believed in or supported it. The flag is a part of American History, an era if you will. I submit that far more people in this country feel uneasy when looking at the area where the twin towers used to be or visuals of the Iraqi War on TV showing American military and civilian personnel being beheaded and otherwise tortured than they do when looking at the Confederate flag.

Seeing the Hammer and Sickle on a t-shirt is in bad taste, Nazi symbols are disgusting but to say “I would say the “Confederate Flag” also represents “the suppresion of human potential for [millions] of people”. This just shows the short sidedness of some peoples mindset.

The Confederacy was not about slavery it was about States Rights. It angers me when I hear people blame a country that exisited for 4 years for the entire institution of slavery yet that same institution of slavery exisited under the American Flag for 90 years. Do we now want to ban our Country’s colors?

I believe that before people go spouting off opinons that they have heard elsewhere, educate yourself.

Ahmed and Steve,

The Confederate Flag analogy was a good one for many reasons. First, the Confederate Flag means different things to different people. To many in the South, it’s a southern-pride, rural-pride, states-rights emblem. To many others (esp. in the North), it’s a symbol of our slave past, and very offensive.

Likewise, the hammer and sickle mean different things to different people. The Soviet Union was a marriage of Communism (an economic model based on shared-wealth principles) and Totalitarianism (a political model based primarily on fear). Most Americans confuse the two. It’s entirely possible to have a communist democracy, or a capitalist totalitarian regime.

To some, the hammer and sickle represents the unfulfilled dream of the commune. To others, it represents the harsh reality of Stalinist rule.

Either way, the best method of showing your displeasure is to NOT BUY THE STUFF! Vote with your wallet. Otherwise, you’re just giving them free publicity.

What is worse is that the unseen label “MADE IN CHINA”. The workers in China earn slave labor wages. Yet, where can you go in this country and try to buy something not made in China. The Chinese government is still a communist government. Helping our national enemy on economic grounds is sadly appalling.

Tom brings up an excellent point, it would be nice to see “Made in China” changed to “Made in the USA”. But until our government starts hitting these companies with higher taxes for outsourcing that won’t change.

To Rick and Rob,

Rob, I am hoping that your response to Ahmed and myself was essentially a “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” message. If you like it buy/wear it, if it offends you do not buy/wear it. In either case, trust me when I reiterate the point that the message on the shirt is being put there by USA suppliers and sold to retailers. They are not being imported from abroad with text. (90 % of volume is that way on all apparel)

Rick, The hammer and sickle is in bad taste. There are only a few ways to suppress the distribution of those shirts. 1) do not ever, ever for any reason purchase one, 2) boycott all retailers who keep them in stock, 3) imprison all people who wear them as anti american 4) ignore them completely with a “sticks and stones” philosophy

I was wondering if any Americans out there saw the real threat! Thanks for placing Red China as the one to watch these next few years. We continue to buy Chinese products at a staggering amount. All of that money is used for defeating USA forces, also it is used to buy our bonds that the US government issues for our debt. Isn’t it amazing that our enemy would surround us at choke points in the world. Panama Canal, most of the Caribbean islands, most of S. America, most of our ports are run by huge conglomerates of the Peoples Liberation Army. Be alert America, watch out for these Red Chinese!

Rick,

Not to get too far off-topic, but…

As a historian who as read and studied over a hundred different works on the subject, I think I can address the slavery vs. states rights issue effectively. It’s a complicated topic, but I’ll try my best ‘blog summary:

The States Rights argument works very well in South Carolina. In fact, they nearly left the Union 20 years earlier, in the Nullification Crisis, over States Rights issues which had nothing to do with slavery.

Unfortunately, the States Rights call didn’t ring so loudly elsewhere in the South. Only when a northern-born, anti-slavery-expansion president was elected, entirely by votes from the North, did any of the other states leave the Union.

Lincoln and the (former Free Soil party) Republicans wanted to contain slavery to the South, and not allow it to expand West, in hopes that it would “burn itself out”. The Southerners, on the other hand, didn’t want to be left in the inferno. They felt that staying in the Union would lead to a Haiti-style slave revolt on a MUCH larger scale.

Case in point: After the first seven states left (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas), they sent commissioners to other southern states (Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and even Maryland) to try to convince them to leave, too. These commissioners didn’t argue that the North was violating their states’ rights. They didn’t argue economics. They argued that, if they stayed in the North, their slaves would rise up against them to rape and murder their daughters and wives. That was the one message that rang the loudest in the South. Keep your slaves on a tight leash, or they will KILL YOU.

Of course, none of those other states actually succeeded until the first shots of the war were fired, so one could argue that they may have left for states’ rights issues. But the underlying cause of succession, initially, was fear of what would happen if slavery was confined to the Deep South.

Of course, the Yankees weren’t saints, either. Their main reason for going to war wasn’t to “preserve the Union” or to “free the Slaves”. It was to keep milking their cash-cow. Due to protective tarriffs, the South was a forced market for Northern goods. If they left, they could buy cheaper European goods, putting Northern factories out of business.

And, you’re right, the Confederacy wasn’t to blame for slavery. Many northern states (ex. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey) were former slave states. Maryland was still a slave state until AFTER the Civil War! And those that did abolish slavery did so not by freeing slaves, but by selling them southward, thereby increasing the dangers of southern slave revolts.

It was not a war of saints and patriots — of ideologies and principles. It was a war of fear and greed.

Steve,

“3) imprison all people who wear them as anti american”

Did you ever consider that ignoring Freedom of Speech is pretty anti-american, too?

Besides, last I checked, being anti-american isn’t a crime.

IMHO he has the right to say what he likes, just as I don’t shop at Target ( the lib’ owner) but hey thats just my personal choice. I also try not to purchase anything made in COMMUNIST China either. Even though this is becoming harder to do every day. It’s also one of the reasons I created www.angryamericandesings.com ( should be back up in a day or so) Let them continue to put the reds on their shirts( represents the CEO) I’ll keep making mine :)

WOW, these posts and discussions are becoming quite in depth in their scope. Soon we will be preceeding posts with Mission statements, Scope documents, Gantt charts, etc.

Great job Rick.

What should I do with my Che Guevera shirts then, Matthew!?

Hee hee.

I’m rather fond of evil empire memorabilia but I understand how trivializing it is. The Che shirts probably bother me more.

Personally, I find the explosion of American-flag clothing and stickers of the last few years to be offensive. I’d like to see those taken off the shelves. Nationalism is one of the most harmful human forces in history, as seen in the lead-up to World War I. But I guess our education system is too horrible these days for anyone to make that connection.

I’ll admit that it is a little disturbing how, to many young people today, wearing the symbols of “evil empires” is considered on par with wearing a Darth Vader t-shirt. Murder, torture, and genocide are not “cool”.

These symbols are considered protected speech, though. I disagree with you buying/wearing them, but I’ll defend your right to do so. This is America — you have the right to be stupid if you want to be.

It makes me sad that this debate is even going on. I doubt many people here even remember Nakita beating his shoe on the desk at the UN screaming “We will bury you!”
Yea, I’m an “old guy”, 57 years old and I live in the best country the world has ever known. My son serves in the military and I have the American flag proudly displayed in my home. I can’t control the tears when I hear our national anthem and my heros are the patriots who fought to protect my freedom.
As corny as it sounds, I wear the American flag on my shirt. I don’t feel I owe the communist governments anything. I love my country and I remember those who have sworn to destroy it. Damned shame so many people have such short memories.

Rob,

Rob and Douglas,
My # 3) “imprisoning all people who wear them as anti american” is a bit strong.
I was looking for some comparison to how we surpressed freedom of movement and expression in the past and could only come up with the imprisonment of the Japaneese Americans in WW11 who also had committed no crime. Also I thought it would tip off my political position as being slightly further to the right than Attila the Hun.

Douglass, I really like your comments. And you are right it is very hard to buy apparel that is not made in a communist country. Take it from me (lifetime of experience in apparel and textile industry) a large % of the apparel that is imported into this country is manufactured in a communist country and/or one with a direct link to the communist influence.

Freedom of speech also allows me to be an advocate for severe punishment or consequence regarding any act I consider anti-american. We are making the communist slogan T shirts, not the communists.

Julia,
Why would the Nazi SS emblem be anymore offensive than the Hammer and Sickle? The Nazis aren’t going to rise to power again either.
I donn’t think either should be sold but I reckon if people them they have a right to them. This is a free country after all.

If you want American made, get a “Spin stops here” Tee shirt, He claims all that stuff is made in USA… lol

In response to Rob’s comments about the Slavery issue……Very well stated!!!! You are correct in saying that “Unfortunately, the States Rights call didn’t ring so loudly elsewhere in the South. Only when a northern-born, anti-slavery-expansion president was elected, entirely by votes from the North, did any of the other states leave the Union.” I think the fact that the North was trying to impose her will on the South concerning many issues and not just salvery, had something to do with it as well.

Does anyone except me see the irony of this topic? I mean, why is it that conservatives, supposedly the supporters of the free market, are now advocating a restriction on what an American corporation should be allowed to sell?

Steve-
I would ask you to please use a last name or something to avoid confusion

Everybody-
Look, the person who put the hammer and sickle on these shirts is probably very pleased they’re so controversial. It will likely add to their business, and let them make more money.

There is always a part of our culture that loves to play with dark symbolism, just to make themselves feel they are hardcore. Whether it’s the drooping pants of a deathrow inmate whose belt has been confiscated to prevent suicide, the pentagram of a Goth trying to take on satanic airs, or the Dark Lords of the Sith T-shirt of a Star Wars fan who thinks the Jedi are dull wimps, there is a power to dark-side imagery. It’s freedom from restraint and rules, freedom from needing somebody else’s approval, including one’s parents. It’s a hollow freedom, but it’s often the kind that we embrace when we’re young and angry, or old and antisocial.

As for what it represents? It is because we live in the peace and freedom of a nation like ours that people can be so transgressive. If they really knew first hand the system whose dark side appeal they were keying into, they might through off such symbols. As it is, it’s just the pop culture of folks who have only a vague notion of history outside our borders.

Rick-
Could you enumerate exactly what those issues are? It easy to say states rights related to something else, but what else, precisely could motivate this war?

To Beagle,

If your post implies that I claim the “stuff” is made in the US you have not read any of my posts. What I said was that it is made elsewhere and imported as a “blank”. A blank is apparel terminology for a T shirt that has nothing written or drawn on it. A US screenprinter or embroiderer is what “makes” it into what the end user sees in terms of what is displayed on the chest or back. Hence my conclusion “I looked at the enemy and it was I” applies in terms of creative appearance of the finished product.

Matthew, the whole point of being a teenager is shocking and annoying your parents. (Don’t you remember?) T-shirts are a pretty harmless outlet - better for kids to blow off steam that way than piercing their tongues or doing drugs.

- W

“I think the fact that the North was trying to impose her will on the South concerning many issues and not just salvery, had something to do with it as well.”

The final spark was the electoral college, actually. Populations had grown faster in the North than the South (among whites at least). There came a point when the North could elect the president without needing a single vote from the South. That’s how Lincoln got elected — even though he wasn’t even on the ballot in most southern states!

William,

If that is the point of being a teenager then I wasn’t a very good one.

Stephen,

Off the top of my head I can think of two issues, in short:
1. Representives for Congress are selected by district and the number of Representives you get depend on the population per capita in each distirct. When you look at the population of the two sides, North and South, the districts in the North were much more densely populated than those of the South and thus there was more Northern representation in Congreess than Southern representation. So you ask what does that matter? Laws were being passed that were detrimental to the South, tarriffs and such, that the Southern people felt were unfair and placed an undue burden on Southerns trying to make a living. This is a States Right issue.

2. The main exported crop from this country at that time was cotton, where were all the cotton producing states? In the South. The North couldn’t let the Southern states just go otherwise their “cash cow” would be gone. This is an ecomonic issue.

I hope that answers your question, if not let me know and I’ll dig some other stuff up. Good dialouge.

Rob,

You know your stuff, as I said in my last post this is a good dialouge. You folks are keeping me on my toes, very enjoyable.

Steve,

I implyed nothing of you and adressed no comments to you personally.

The “He” in my post was was about Bill O’Reilly, I assumed that anyone interested in politics would have known that without pointing it out. BTW.. O’Reilly is a self-important buffoon in MHO.

Thou shalt not abridge the right of Target to sell what it doth please! But thou shalt be given the choice of whether thou shalt shop at Target or neigh. So it has been declared! So it shall be!

**Clap of Thunder**

Zeek…

Excellent point.

If you don’t like it don’t buy it.

If you don’t like what’s on TV change the channels. If you don’t like what’s on any channel, buy a nice stereo and get rid of the TV.

If you don’t like a radio station, find another one.

If you don’t like the politics of your state or county…move.

Tom L,

I’m sensing some sarcasm here… are you being sarcastic?

If you don’t like the politics of your state or county…move.

Of equal value to the notion of not opening your wallet to finance something you don’t like (i.e. Target’s commie-Tees), is that if you don’t like the politics, get involved and work for change. Change is made by the people who work the system. It may not be the best system, but it is the best one currently available.

Zeek,

no sarcasm here.

Robert,

Good point…so long as we are working the system and changing it to meet some immediate needs. But, still a very good point. We should all be involved in politics. Many have died to give us the right to do just that.

What would yankees know about States Rights and the South before the War Between the Sates?
What they read in yankee history books?

Ron,

What would yankees know about States Rights and the South before the War Between the Sates? What they read in yankee history books?

Although I currently live in Indiana, I was born in Arkansas, in a very southern family. Where I come from, it’s not called the “War Between the States”… it’s called the “War of Northern Aggression”. I was raised on States Rights theory, and believed it for much of my life.

Since then, I’ve educated myself on the topic. I’ve read dozens of theories, from hundreds of sources (both Yankee and Rebel).

Today, Southerners like to hide the past behind the States Rights theory, while Northerners paint the picture of the great Yankee liberator. Both are dead wrong.

By 1860, the international slave trade had been banned. There was no market for the South to sell their slaves into. These slaves were breeding faster than the white man, so they had to have a place to offload them to. All of their hopes were on legal slavery in the West, so they could share the burden. Otherwise, the slave population would get so high in the South that slave revolts would be inevitable.

The plan of the 1860’s Republican (former Free Soil) party was to stop the expansion of slavery into the West. They were tired of the “Slave Power” controlling the federal government. (In fact, the Northeast threatened succession themselves during the Hartford Convention in 1814 over this same issue.) Lincoln’s plan was essentially to let slavery “burn out” in the South.

Southerners in the cotton belt saw this as a death sentence. And, when Lincoln was elected entirely by northern votes, they saw no hope remaining in the Union.

Look at the messages of the successionist commisioners from those states. These were Southerners talking to other Southerners. They spoke of amalgamation — the blending of the races — as their greatest fear. They truly believed that their wives and daughters would be raped and murdered by revolting slaves if something wasn’t done.

The biggest problem with the States Rights theory is that there was no major States Rights violation to trigger seven states to leave the Union together. The trigger was the election of Abraham Lincoln. It wasn’t anything that he did in office, since they left BEFORE he was inaugurated. It was the very thought of an anti-slavery-expansion candidate taking office that convinced them to leave.

My only question is why? Why is target selling these t-shirts? Are they a popular item? Are they flying off the shelves? Is all that red imagery in their advertising symbolic of a covert communist agenda? Seems unlikely from a discount department store chain. They should have every right to sell these tasteless t-shirts. And we have every right to boycott their store, and protest outside. Somebody needs to get word to the Cuban exile community in Florida. They’ll be all over this.

The Confederacy was not about slavery it was about States Rights.

Yea, the States Right to have slaves, if not then why did they have slaves at all. Could be that they could not get enough Irish people to work to death at jobs too bad for the slaves to do and they had all this land to plant after the native owners were chased off. Call it what you want, when ever I walk through a cow pasture, I expect to step in something unpleasant and just because it is unpleasant does not mean it is not there and did not happen. Be that as it may, I can not bring myself to burn a Confederate Flag and yet condone a Slavery Museum in Fredericksburg. One side of the story is just that, an incomplete truth. Only by preserving everything that happened can we know the complete truth or close to it. We all can preserve without condoning what happened. Pride can be taken for the battles fought and the flags flown without wanting to go back to that way of life. . Must we step on another mans pride just to improve our own? History can not be changes (yet), but history can change us, in this case let’s let it do so. Be who we are not what was there.

This isn’t the first time target has gotten attention for contraversial clothing. Do you remember when they were selling those racially offensive t-shirts? “Two Wongs will make it White.”

I’m going to settle this whole slavery debate. The civil war was a dark stain on our history. Both sides had reasons to feel ashamed. The slavery issue had been a point of contention between the southern states and the northern states since the beginning. The south’s economy relied entirely on slavery. They were fighting for their economic survival. That doesn’t make them right. States rights was an excuse. It was a smoke-screen, since slavery was a federal issue. It was a violation of their civil rights as naturally born American citizens, a violation of the constitution which would fall under federal jurisdiction. It took the south until the 1960’s to live up to the standards of the constitution. There’s no excuse for that. There’s no reasoning that away.

And you shouldn’t spread around a false perception of history just because it’s less painful for your pride! Slavery needs to be remembered, and understood. We can’t forget what happened, or we’ll be doomed to repeat it.

c biggins,

They were fighting for their PHYSICAL survival as much, if not more, than their economic survival. It wasn’t just an issue of whether or not the slaves would work the fields anymore. Those black men and women still had to go somewhere, whether they were slaves or free. The slave owners saw what happened in Haiti, and were afraid the same thing would happen to them.

Back to Confederate Flag issue, though. No matter why the South rebelled originally, the CF has become, in modern times, more of a symbol of rural pride than of racism and bigotry (at least among those who fly it). Here in Indiana, I know several NASCAR-lovin’ farmboys who fly it. They’re not racist — it just has a different meaning to them. It’s lost its power as a symbol of fear.

The Hammer and Sickle has likewise lost its power to the younger generation today. An icon that we feared has become little more than a t-shirt decoration to them. Eventually, our children and/or grandchildren will feel the same way about Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. It’s part of letting go of the fear and moving on.

Lincoln was right. Slavery would have eventually burnt its self out in time. The cotton gin and other farm mashinery were fast becoming more economical than slaves.

To c biggins,
Saying States Rights was a smoke screen or an excuse just shows how little you really know about that War. Understand, I’m not an advocate of the institution of salvery but slavery was large cog of a very complicated group of issues of that time.

Rob,

You said the South “rebelled”, a rebellion is when a certain faction of the populus trys to overthrow the current government. The South wasn’t trying to overthrow the government in Washington, they wanted to be completely separate from them. That is why I have never agreed with anyone who calls Confederates “rebels”. The South just wanted to get away from the North and the Constitution gave them that right.

“Lincoln was right. Slavery would have eventually burnt its self out in time. The cotton gin and other farm mashinery were fast becoming more economical than slaves.”

Slavery couldn’t just burn out peacefully if confined to the South, for too many reasons to list here. The big ones, though, were:

1) Ecomonic dependency: Slaves were more than just a force of labor — they were an economic market all their own. Where we invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, Southerners invested in slaves. Slave prices had gone through the roof (due to lack of new imports), and some estimates indicated that nearly 3/4 of the wealth of the South was held in slaves. To this day, the South hasn’t recovered from the economic loss.

2) Job competition: Jobs for poor whites were few and far between in the South. Ending slavery would put millions of black men and women in competition for those jobs. Unemployment would shoot through the roof — which it did after the war.

3) No historical precident: There’s no real evidence that slavery could have peacefully “burnt out”, since it’s never really happened anywhere else. In most countries, as in the Northern states, slaves were sold off long before abolition occurred. And, since no nation had ever had the concentration of slaves vs. free souls that the South had, nobody knew what the “vengeful negro” would do in such large numbers. Small-scale slave revolts were already taking place, and at least one large-scale revolt (in Charleston, SC) had been uncovered and defused before igniting.

“You said the South “rebelled”, a rebellion is when a certain faction of the populus trys to overthrow the current government. The South wasn’t trying to overthrow the government in Washington, they wanted to be completely separate from them. That is why I have never agreed with anyone who calls Confederates “rebels”. The South just wanted to get away from the North and the Constitution gave them that right.”

Symantics. Merriam-Webster defines “rebel” as “opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler”.

The American colonists weren’t trying to overthrow the government in England when they rebelled/revolted/seceded. They just wanted to be separate from it. Whatever word you would use to decribe that event (revolution, rebellion, revolt, secession, etc.) would apply equally to the South, had they won.

And whether the Constitution gave the South the right to secede is in question. When the Northeast threatened secession during the War of 1812 (google ‘Hartford Convention’ for more details), many voices in the South argued that the Union could not be dissolved. The entire argument hinged on whether the States had formed the Union, or whether the People had formed the Union. The Constitution begins with “We the People… do ordain and establish this Constitution….” In 1814, the South preferred Jefferson’s “We the People” ideal. In 1860, they preferred the “Union of States” ideal. The North and South both switched sides whenever it was politically expedient to do so.

We may very well find ourselves revisiting this debate soon, if China ever decides to re-annex Taiwan. If Taiwan has a right to leave China, why didn’t the South have the right to leave the Union? WWLD — What Would Lincoln Do? :-)

McGinleyy,

“The cotton gin and other farm mashinery were fast becoming more economical than slaves.”

This is completely false. The cotton gin made the southern dependence on slaves GREATER, not weaker. The reason is because the cotton gin was 5,000 percent more efficient than a human being, meaning that cotton became cheaper and easier to use for textiles and as a result the demand for cotton grew very rapidly in the late 1700s and early 1800s. As demand grew, cotton production had to increase to meet it and consequently cotton farming spread throughout the South. Since cotton farming is labor intensive, the spread of cotton as the region’s chief crop also intensified the South’s depndence on slave labor.

Do not insult the plight of the slaves by saying the situation was getting any better, because it wasn’t. And as great as Lincoln was, he didn’t really want to make an issue of the abolition of slavery until Union morale began to flag, at which point he used it as a “higher purpose” giving the Northerners the moral high-ground. As such, I wouldn’t cite him as an authoritative speaker on abolitionism.

Never have I been so disgusted with so short a post.

Symantics. Merriam-Webster defines “rebel” as “opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler”

Indeed; by this very definition the North fits the definition of the rebel, since they opposed and took arms against a government, that being the Confederate States of America. Just because one party does not recognize the legitimacy of another does not necessarily make it so. It has been said that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

Robert,

“It has been said that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

Yet in the end, the victor determines which particular perception history shall adopt, and it will not necessarily be the more accurate of the two.

I’m going to settle this whole slavery debate.

Not to pick on you and I do wish you the best of luck in settling this issue. But what makes you think you can do so, if the war its self did not do so, Reconstruction (A DNC Policy) did not, The Clan did not, and about 140 years of time passage did not. Much like me all I think you did was settle it for your self and that’s the best we can hope for. After all Target sells every thing equally to every one all over this country and they do it with out having slaves in America. I don’t know about the rest of the world, they may have some slaves tucked away somewhere, if you find them please let me know. I would love to help set them free as Maj. Denis F. Burke of the Union Cavalry did from 1861 to 1865. But then there were relatives on each side who fought hard for what they believed in. Except for a few from Eastern Kentucky, I think they fought according to the locations of the Kentucky Whisky Distillers, but then if you follow the battle lines in that part of Kentucky you will find that both sides seem to only fight from one Distiller to the next.

For the Record…

I went into a target store this morning. I tried to purchase a “Roma Atletica” T-shirt, which displayed the “CCCP”. When I went up to counter, I discovered that this T-shirt had been “recalled”. The cashier said he had never in his life seen a piece of clothing “recalled”. He also told me that if he sold me the T-shirt, he would be fired. I tried to test this, and went back and tried to purchase the other Roma Atletica T-shirt’s which featured Communist imagery. All of them had also been “recalled”.

Thank you, Matt Hogan. Your small minded crackpottery and kept others from expressing themselves as they choose, and has hurt your beloved bland, harmless, and souless Free Market Capitalism.

I today went into Target and saw the Roma Atletica CCCP and Hammer and Sickle jacket. I am definetly not communist, for I am more on the other side near fascism. I saw the jacket and thought the design was really awesome, and decided I must have it, just because I thought it would be cool to have a jacket with CCCP on it. I would never buy anything with a nazi sign on it by the way… but this jacket just seemed great. I guess they haven’t recalled that jacket yet, or the person that sold it to me didn’t know? I look at it as a joke… I just thought it was hilarious that Target was selling stuff with soviet emblems on them.

Comment deleted for flame baiting and name calling. Maxi-V, please take your personal attacks elsewhere, they are not welcome here.

—WatchBlog Manager