defending the flag

[DannyinJapan]

Yesterday Takako and I went to Maxvalue, a grocery store here in Japan, to get some stuff for dinner. As we were walking thru the produce section, I noticed that they were using two American flags as tablecloths under a display of cherries.
Basically, the flags were deing used as decorative dropcloths to catch cherry stems and I guess, to get the attention of passersby.

I made Takako go with me to the service counter and I told them that it was inappropriate and I didn't like it.
The manager seemed very nice, but honestly, I dont think it ever ocurred to him that using our flag as a dropcloth/decoration might be offensive.
I dont know if they will change it, but at least he knows one American doesnt like it.

 

[Nasty]

I have less tact. I'd have taken the flags off the table myself and told him exactly why as I left the store.

Want to bet he'd recognize it if we did it to his?

.

 

[gravertom]

Well done Danny.

Thanks!

Tom

 

[hollowdweller]

That's where a little multiculturalisim on their part would have helped them.

 

[BruiseLeee]

I have less tact. I'd have taken the flags off the table myself and told him exactly why as I left the store.

Want to bet he'd recognize it if we did it to his?

.

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head...

 

[Yvsa]

In reality we are one of the very few nations that honor our flag.
Countless times I have seen folks from other countries drape their country's flag around themselves and drag the tail of it in the dirt like it was nothing, or commit other demeaning behavior towards their flag. :grumpy:

 

[kronckew]

In reality we are one of the very few nations that honor our flag.
Countless times I have seen folks from other countries drape their country's flag around themselves and drag the tail of it in the dirt like it was nothing, or commit other demeaning behavior towards their flag. :grumpy:

ain't it the truth! over here if you fly the union jack, you are a racist!

 

[DannyinJapan]

well, they use our flag like its a happy face or paisley. I see purses, handbags, car headrests, shoes, pants, you name in, in Japan they use the American flag like its a popular fabric design.
I ignore it, chalking it up to the general lack of contact with reality.
When they actually make a flag and use it to catch stems and dirt from 20 baskets of cherries, I take offense.
Hang it up if you like over or under, but it anit no damned drop cloth.

 

[Yvsa]

ain't it the truth! over here if you fly the union jack, you are a racist!

Kronckew what flag are you allowed to fly without being called a racist?
That must be like the Confederacy battle Flag over here. A great deal of my people fought under that flag.
Stand Watie was the last Confederate General to surrender and was Cherokee.
There is almost some difficulty every year for the people who lost loved ones under the Confederacy Flag to pay homage to their ancestors.
In every war there are heros and bastards on each side. No nation has a monopoly on one or the other when it comes down to the average person.

 

[Svashtar]

Hey, I'm from California, and we fly our national flag everywhere, and NO one had better disrespect it!

 

[kronckew]

Kronckew what flag are you allowed to fly without being called a racist?
That must be like the Confederacy battle Flag over here. A great deal of my people fought under that flag.
Stand Watie was the last Confederate General to surrender and was Cherokee.
There is almost some difficulty every year for the people who lost loved ones under the Confederacy Flag to pay homage to their ancestors.
In every war there are heros and bastards on each side. No nation has a monopoly on one or the other when it comes down to the average person.

My family (the blackfoot side) of course fought against the federals in the war between the states, most people don't realise that many of the civilised nations were aligned with the CSA, as we lost, the victor wrote the history books and made it out to be a war against the big bad slave owners down south, instead of the states rights fight it really was. more people of colour fought for the south integrated into southern regements, than fought in the north where they were lumped into segregated service regiments and relegated to cleanup & burial details (except for one famous regement they made a movie about, but they were forced to accept white officers). the yankee carpet bagger policies & confiscation of southern lands AFTER the war was mostly what turned southerners into the racists and Klanners for almost a century aterwards....gen'l lee freed his slaves before the war, grant only freed his when lincoln forced him to, people ferget the 'emancipation proclamation' only applied to the states in rebellion against their federal masters, and did not apply to slave owners in the north. lincoln hoped to start a slave rebellion like the one in 'spartacus'.

of course it was them yankee sojers who treated the injuns so nicely during the post war period. nuthin' like invading someone elses territory to boost profits for them yankee war factories.

anyway, i can quite happily fly my confederate battle flag here, i have done so at concerts in the park where it's nice to have a rally point so you can find your chairs & blanket again after the trips to the facilities.

the english union jack was used as a symbol for a rightist political group over here, so flying the UK flag became a no-no. it is OK of course to fly the welsh, scottish, or no. irish flags as they are oppressed conquered territory striving for independance and entry into the great socialist paradise of the european union, but it was only after the english won the world rugby cup a year or so ago that it was again acceptable to fly or wear the st. george's cross flag of england, tho it is still considered a bit rightist and thuggish in polite socialist circles.

 

[Yvsa]

My family (the blackfoot side) of course fought against the federals in the war between the states, most people don't realise that many of the civilised nations were aligned with the CSA, as we lost, the victor wrote the history books and made it out to be a war against the big bad slave owners down south, instead of the states rights fight it really was.

Snipped for brevity.

anyway, i can quite happily fly my confederate battle flag here, i have done so at concerts in the park where it's nice to have a rally point so you can find your chairs & blanket again after the trips to the facilities.

the english union jack was used as a symbol for a rightist political group over here, so flying the UK flag became a no-no. it is OK of course to fly the welsh, scottish, or no. irish flags as they are oppressed conquered territory striving for independance and entry into the great socialist paradise of the european union, but it was only after the english won the world rugby cup a year or so ago that it was again acceptable to fly or wear the st. george's cross flag of england, tho it is still considered a bit rightist and thuggish in polite socialist circles.

Thanks Kronckew. I sure wasn't aware of that and doubt that the other good folk here did either. Seems a damned shame too me. Folks should be proud of their country's flag IMO.
What and who was the "rightist political group" that used the UK Flag as a symbol and what were they standing up for?

You posted the "Real" history and the reason for the War of Aggression. Not a whole lot of folks know that.
Glad to know there was another here who's ancestors fought under the Stars and Bars.
After this last ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court under discussion in another thread here it seems that the war for States Rights is far from over.

And speaking of the Stars and Bars almost everyone thinks that flag was The Battle Flag of the CSA instead of the "Real" Stars and Bars pictured here.........

Folks that are interested can read more about it
Here.
The Stars and Bars was just too much like the USA Flag
and the Battle Flag of the CSA created a lot less confusion on the battlefield than the Stars and Bars so was brought into more use for that reason.

 

[Nasty]

My family was still in England and Europe when all that went on. Why do folks still call me a Yankee?

I think they just really don't like me...

Durn Dune lovers.

.

 

[kronckew]

My family was still in England and Europe when all that went on. Why do folks still call me a Yankee?

I think they just really don't like me...

Durn Dune lovers.

.

Hi nasty & yvsa

nasty, it's a bit irritating when the brits call me a yank, i always tell them the proper word is d@mnyankee and it only applies to them the other side of the mason-dixon line...call me a johnny reb, southron gentleman, southerner, alabaman, american, redneck, but don't call me a yank, thems fightin' words....

yvsa, the british union jack

has been overused by the far right BNP (British National Party) which, while having a few valid arguements, is extreme in their anti-asian, anti-muslim views - they have been accused of espousing and actually causing violence against those they preach hatred against. a bit like the nazi brownshirts before hitler took over. BNP Website they sound ok, but then so did Adolph.

what i don't like is the socialist labour govt. of tony bliar, while recognising the BNP as a legal political party, barrs govt. employees from belonging to it. what's next? the conservatives & lib dems?

for those who don't know, the later CSA Flags had the battle ensign in the corner (the battle ensign is square, rectangular versions are actually the naval ensign).

, the white flag with the ensign was not very popular, some called it the white flag of surrender, so they added a red vertical bar to the free edge, the last flag of the confederacy

.

i like the 'Bonney Blue Flag' myself, a blue flag with a white (sometimes gold) 5 pointed star in the middle, popular before the CSA adopted the stars & bars & the song was generally used as marching & battle music by the boys in gray. my male greyhound, Blue, is registered as 'Bonney Blue Flag'

BBFlag Music

here's Bonney Blue Flag himself:

and cain't finish with anything but Dixie

y'all come back now, y'hea!