While watching the TV

Last night the missus and I were watching the John Stewart show and they had a segment about the Dukes of Hazzard and how Cooter was boycotting it, as was some other guy that was a leader of the NAACP.

Two things struck me. First, with the "redneck" or "hick" speak. Now see, this is what the rest of the nation hates about New Yorkers (or people from the Northeast in general). It doesn't come off funny. Just obnoxious. I realize these people don't represent the average New Yorker taking the subway to work or running a gas station in the Adirondecks. But it's still the shit that pisses the rest of us off.

Next, the Confederate Flag and all the "controversy" around it. Being white, growing up in rural Oregon and far from the South, the banner was always the Rebel Flag, not a symbol of hate. It had more to do with being a reminder that the South is rebellious and was, historically, the symbol a new nation was going to assemble under. Coming from an area in Oregon that wanted to form Jefferson State, I like it's reminder of rebellion. But I can also understand why African American get a little pissed when seeing it, mainly because those asshole Klansmen insist on flying it at their dumbass rallies. Though, I've also seen them call themselves and bring out the bible and occassionally fly the American Flag. Should those now be considered symbols of hate?

These sons-of-bitches are co-opting any symbol they can to spread their message. The dumb mother fuckers have even turned to rap! Rap! But concerning symbols, according to an article I read in International Tattoo Art magazine, the US military won't allow "racist" tattoos on their soldiers, including shamrocks and celtic knotwork. That means these dickheads have taken the heritage of another people and are now using it for their own ignorant purpose. So where does this shit end?

We need to take our cultural symbols back from these fuckers. Period. We know bad shit, really bad shit, has been done under our flags. Getting rid of them isn't the way to handle it though. Just as the Civil War had more to do than just slavery, so do these symbols of national, regional and cultural pride.

Next time you see one of these dress-wearers sporting an American or Rebel flag or tattooed with a celtic theme, when they start spouting off their bullshit, pull their skirt up over their head and go to town on their kidneys. Unfortunately assholes like this only understand violence and fear. We need to take our symbols back or we'll be left with nothing.