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Same reason why people wear any outdated symbol, it’s a part of their heritage. The way the US Civil War is mistaught in schools, there was supposedly a clear cut line that one side was righteous and the other was fighting only to maintain slavery. This is part of the story. The north suspended major freedoms (habeas corpus) in the south and had imposed a harsh tax regime based on the fact that they owned the factories required to turn raw goods into textiles (just a small example of the intricacies that are not taught in school).
The stars and bars is outdated and I do not believe it should appear in any state sanctioned way, but just because a private citizen flies it doesn’t mean they condone the worst parts of the history.
If you believe it does, you need to apply the same logic to other symbols as well. Not just the easy one of the swastika, but the hammer and sickle, the raised fist, the red star, and crescent moon to name a few...
D1 is giving off major “lost cause-r” vibes....
My mom's family is from the rural south (she's the youngest of 8 so times were different for her than some of her siblings) and I grew up with my parents in the northeast but we used visit and keep in touch, more so growing up than now.
I am not speaking for all people who fly the confederate flag but for those I personally grew up knowing and know today - it is absolutely tied to white supremacist ideas and the civil war for them. Also, it's a means of intimidation to outsiders especially as the areas around them are seeing some development and becoming a little more diverse.
Sometimes they say things like heritage or other "safe" words but more often they say what they really mean, especially after a few beers. I try to check in on my elderly aunts and uncles but it's really tough to maintain the relationship there.
Pro
Spot on!! Thanks for shedding your light! Forgive my colleague who seems to believe Deloitte is harder to get into than Harvard.
Pro
Last point: you have to ask yourself, why did white supremacists and anti-civil rights folks resurrect/promote the Confederate flag in the 1940s and 1950s, if the flag is only a symbol of “states rights?”
No clue what it symbolizes for them. I mean, if they can’t acknowledge that a state flag and state constitution has more meaning/weight and than an unofficial flag they adopted, I’m not sure how sincere their states rights reasoning is.
Rebelliousness, anti-americanism, longing for a time were they could get away with doing henious things, and the law protected them but not the ones they hated.
It's a lounging for an alternative version of history rooted in white supremacy. Flying that flag is subscribing to a fantasy belief, that if only things had gone differently in the civil war, they would have a more privileged position in society
Visual Storyteller
Non American here. Please be gentle.
If you asked them why, they’ll tell you “state rights”.
If you asked them why behind the door of a “members only” club, they’ll tell you a different reason.
It’s amazing that the confederacy only lasted like 5 years and still has the following that it does.
Visual Storyteller
Nirvana only lasted 5 years as well.
Well some people fly both.
Visual Storyteller
Americana
OP, the question of why people fly the confederate flag is ultimately tied very closely to how people react to seeing someone fly that flag. Whatever reason someone gives is ultimately going to be discounted if not rejected by people who associate the symbol with hate and racism. For example, I may love Norse mythology but if I walk around with a swastika and rune symbols, good luck explaining to people I’m not a neo-nazi. And there’s an awful lot of people in the US who don’t associate flying the confederate flag with any sort of good cultural, historical or heritage reasons. People who view it as a symbol of hate will likely never agree with someone who claims they fly it as just a symbol of their heritage (divorced from the old south, slavery context).
Visual Storyteller
They turned in their confederate flag for a Trump flag. Same meaning, less historical baggage.
Rising Star
Because they believe a group of traitors and enemies of America is part of their heritage and something that should be celebrated.
A lot of good answers here, but honestly a lot of the reason it’s still used today is because it makes Democrats angry, which to them must make it a good thing