Need some info..having a "discusion" with my teabagger cousin..

[madmom]

he is saying the confederate flag is not about racism bla bla bla..then asks "why did the u.s navy fly it on there ship in ww2". First I've heard of this, but I'm no history buff. Anyone have an answer for me??

[Eric J in MN]

1. The burden of proof is on him...

...to show that it was normal during WWII for US Navy ships to fly the Confederate flag.

That would be news to me.

[Scuba]

2. If it happened it was no doubt because some Navy personnel were racist assholes.

[Warpy]

3. I've never heard of this and I would imagine

that any skipper who allowed it would be busted back to ensign, shuffling papers for the rest of his life, war or no war.

In the south, the battle flag is more about not having any mean ole gummint push the good ole boys around. It's more a statement of swaggering machismo than anything else.

Outside the south, it's a great asshole indicator (well, inside the south, too, if you don't like swaggering macho twits) and it's a great advantage when assholes advertise what they are so you can spot them at a distance and avoid them.

[Wait Wut]

4. I'm not finding anything.

Is he confused and thinking about the Gadsden flag? Y'know, the flag the teabaggers stole from the Navy and made it a symbol of idiocy?

[Journeyman]

5. First thing to do is ask him to prove it, then you can decide if it's worth it to discredit him...

Make him to provide the facts. Why should you waste your life researching what could very well be a chimera?

[Half-Century Man]

6. WWII buff and Navel veteran

Never heard of that. Is it part of any state flag of a southern state? might have been on a state named battleship. ie the USS. Alabama

[renie408]

7. WHY??? WHY are you having a discussion with your teabagger cousin?

What, you couldn't find a screwdriver to ram through your hand??

[sufrommich]

9. Because we've politely ignored this crap

for long enough. If the only noise people who usually don't pay attention to politics hear comes from the right wing,they tend to buy it. I wish everybody would take as much time as the Tea Party does to argue their case.

[renie408]

15. I was kidding.

It was a joke.

[sufrommich]

20. Oops, my apologies. nt

[madmom]

12. Our discussion started out about Obamacare..I think I may

have swayed him, maybe just a little, so I honestly think he could be saved.

[renie408]

16. That would be great.

Don't get your feelings hurt if he turns right back around and goes back to his previous asshattery.

I will think I have made headway with the various Tea Party freaks in my life, only to have them backslide the second they are out of my sight.

[madmom]

19. Oh I don't get upset that easy. If I can just get

a hint of a doubt, I feel I have made progress.

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. A discussion starting with …

ObamaCare, then moving to the confederate flag not being racist?

I suspect your cousin will only be salvageable … sometime after January 2016; when the Black guy is no longer in office.

[csziggy]

8. It happened, but I agree with Suba "because some Navy personnel were racist assholes"

20th century popularity

During the first half of the 20th century, the Confederate flag enjoyed renewed popularity. During World War II some U.S. military units with Southern nicknames, or made up largely of Southerners, made the flag their unofficial emblem. The USS Columbia flew a Confederate Navy Ensign as a battle flag throughout combat in the South Pacific in World War II. This was done in honor of Columbia, the ship's namesake and the capital city of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union. Some soldiers carried Confederate flags into battle. After the Battle of Okinawa a Confederate flag was raised over Shuri Castle by a Marine from the self-styled "Rebel Company" (Company A of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines). It was visible for miles and was taken down after three days on the orders of General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. (son of Confederate general Simon Buckner), who stated that it was inappropriate as "Americans from all over are involved in this battle". It was replaced with the flag of the United States.[25] By the end of World War II, the use of the Confederate flag in the military was rare.[26]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America#20th_century_popularity

Read the next section of the Wikipedia article - that could give you some ammunition to counter this.

[The Magistrate]

10. One Light Cruiser, Ma'am

A captain can pretty much do as he pleases....

You might remind him that at the time the services were still segregated, and on 'white' ships in the Navy, Negroes were assigned as mess attendants. Servants, in short.

[Hoyt]

11. If he doesn't think confederate flag symbolizes racism, I'd treat him like someone flying a swastika

I think poster above is correct, he's talking about the yellow Gadsden -- "don't tread on me" -- flag.

In my opinion it might have been a Navy symbol at one time, but nowadays it has been usurped by right wing tparty bigots, and has become a symbol of hatred. I consider those that revere it, as no better than nazis, as well.

[madmom]

13. LOL.. I asked him for proof, and just like your average teabagger he

changed the subject. Now he wants to know.."why do doctor offices need to know if you have guns in your home." So far we have gone through Oprah's racism, the filibusters, aka dems power grab, confederate flag,why do some fed forms ask for race,and now this. He just keeps jumping around everytime I knock down his argument. LOL I must be winning

[Ligyron]

14. it's definitely racist

but I think the teabags mostly use it to signify they are "rebels". even tho they believe they're in the majority (go figure).

[Marrah_G]

17. Wiki is your friend

20th century popularity

During the first half of the 20th century, the Confederate flag enjoyed renewed popularity. During World War II some U.S. military units with Southern nicknames, or made up largely of Southerners, made the flag their unofficial emblem. The USS Columbia flew a Confederate Navy Ensign as a battle flag throughout combat in the South Pacific in World War II. This was done in honor of Columbia, the ship's namesake and the capital city of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union. Some soldiers carried Confederate flags into battle. After the Battle of Okinawa a Confederate flag was raised over Shuri Castle by a Marine from the self-styled "Rebel Company" (Company A of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines). It was visible for miles and was taken down after three days on the orders of General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. (son of Confederate general Simon Buckner), who stated that it was inappropriate as "Americans from all over are involved in this battle". It was replaced with the flag of the United States.[25] By the end of World War II, the use of the Confederate flag in the military was rare.[26]

And there was PLENTY of racism during WW2.

[madmom]

18. I tried other sources, and found nothing, because when you show them that they

are wrong,using wiki, they always say it's not a reputable source.

[FatBuddy]

21. why waste your time?

life is too short.

[madmom]

22. see post #12