I know that you are trying to draw some sort of infurance to determine whether or not the man has or has not racist motivations. But in the bigger picture of things what does that matter? We are talking about mob rule here. The voice (or opinion) of the majority being used to silence the minority.
Isn't that what John Adams was fighting against when he defended the British Soldier who were charged with crimes in the "Boston Masscure"? The Mob called for those soldiers to be hung. Adams proved the soldiers not guilty.
Isn't that what desegration was all about? Overturning the voices and the will of the Majority to give the Minority an oppertunity to speak their mind and change attitudes?
That is what the Constitution is about, to prevent the tyrany of the many over the few, or the unpopular. We haven't always followed the Constitution have we? While the majority have the right to set standards, but they do not have the right to surpress desent.
As for giving the opposition ammunition, this is where the opposition does not respect the very things I am talking about. The problem is not in abstaining from giving the opposition "Ammunition", but in teaching the opposition the beauty of our Constitution and the rights embodied in that document, and to encourage them to do onto others (respect the opinions of others) as they would have others do unto them (have others respect their opinions).
you said,"I do wish he had used some other method or object to show his objection".
Would it have made any difference if he had flown the 1st National instead? Or maybe the United States flag upside down as was suggested by George P.? Those two examples may not have been as contriversial, But appearently the point of his demonstration was possible to draw attention. Would he have recieved that attention had he used some other flags, or Object?
A man whispering sometimes draws more attention, that a man yelling, but not often.
You wrote; "His way can be turned back on all of us who defend the flag."
How so? Did it change your opinion of the Confederate Battle flag? No. His display will not change the minds of reasonable educated people. And unreasoning people will never change their minds anyway. It makes you uncomfortable about the CBF, but we are uncomfortable about this flag anyway, because, we feel like we have to "defend it honor". We are uncomfortable because of the actions of others in the first place. It was the Confederate Veteran which gave that flag its Honor in the first place, and not us. We can not defend it past what they have already done. When we become unashamed of the Confederate Battle flag then we can change the minds of others. Because as long as we are ashamed and defensive of that flag it can always be used against us as a weapon.
Again; You commented; "Flying it does not to dishonor it but using it as a tool such as this may be seen that way."
The CBF is a tool, just as the United States flag is a tool. It repersents a people and a culture which we have been told and reeducated to be ashamed of.
Honor and Dishonor are concepts held only within our individual preceptions of right and wrong. As long as we are defensive and afraid to show the flag we acknowledge that we believe that our ancestors were wrong and THAT is the real Dishonor of that flag and our ancestor. We do not have the Guts of our grandfathers to stand up and speak our convictions. We run, and hide, like a bunch of Cockroaches then the light hits them, and say "Oh, I wish he hadn't done that."
In all honesty we are afraid to stand up against those, and are even willing to join with those, who would tear down that flag from that man's flagpole because he, and not us, may be a racist. The fact is that there will always be those who do not agree with us on the CBF and it's proper place in history, and there will always be those who will abuse anything. You can not stop that. But these things would not take on as much importance as they do if we ignored them and did not lament over them so much and just went on about our business of teaching the truth.
Instead of condeaming this man's actions we should all go out and raise a flagpole flying the Battleflag. In that manner we then could then teach our version of the flag. But, no we are afraid that we will be critized for flying it, because of this man's action. I have a piece of property on which a 1st, and a 3rd National flag fly over. I have been called a racist for that. Does that matter to me? No, I know what I am ,and am secure in my beliefs, and those flags are still flying at the top of those poles.
What Would Grandpa Do?