Thursday, October 27, 2011

On the Confederate Flag on a Texas License Plate

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is moving on ahead in his desire to issue a new vanity license plate in Texas, a vanity plate featuring the Confederate flag – the so-called “Stars and Bars” flag that is such an unique symbol of Southern oppression of African-Americans. Today he urged the governing board of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to approve his tag “at their leisure.”

Like right now.

Right now because it appears that Texas governor Rick Perry is opposed to the tag. Not officially, mind you, just a personal opinion.

This is such a thinly concealed attempt to bring a hated symbol back to Texas’ highways and byways, it is laughable. It reminds me of the War Memorial on the south lawn (naturally) of the state Capitol. It’s a memorial dedicated to Southern Confederate soldiers who fought for, get this, state’s rights.

No, really. It’s there. I think I remember seeing that it was dedicated at the end of the 19th century, when Texas was an unrepentant and unreconstructed racist haven (kind of like these days).

Here’s a distance shot of the memorial.

And here is a close-up of the engraved dedication.

See what I mean? Unrepentant. I particularly like the foray into statistics. The South lost because they were hopelessly outnumbered but they gave back better than they got.

Here in modern times, when we have a better grasp on statistics, it seems clear that if you put more men in harm’s way, more men will be killed.

So you see? Nothing really new here under the Texas sun.

3 comments:

Greg said...

How on earth can you object to a monument to Democrats put up by Democrats?

Hal said...

C'mon Greg, you of all people shouldn't be falling for that newly restated meme that Democrats were in the KKK and Republicans were emancipators. That is 19th century thought ans expression. We all know what I am writing about.

Bringing up this: why do you, a hopelessly right wing conservative blogger, continue to read and comment on my blog postings. You obviously don't agree with a single word I post, it causes you great stress, and I almost never allow your comments to post unless it suits my purposes.

Why? Why. Read. My. Blog.

I don't read yours. OK, once someone told me to go and read your blog when you posted an incredibly racist blog against Muslims. But that was the one and only time that I have ever visited your site. I don't have the time or the inclination to read yours. Why read mine?

Susan said...

Because Greg will do anything to avoid paying attention to his wife.