Cuban Flag, "Confederate" Flag Comparison?

[KokomoDave]

Why is this in the Break Room and not in political discussions? Time to move it where it belongs...

 

[jsharmon7]

Negative, Ghostrider. Being a Miami indian is a matter of genetic inheritance which cannot be changed. You can be born anywhere in the solar system and still be one if your parents are. Being a rebel is a state of mind. I can be one anytime I decide to be.

Maybe I didn’t choose the best comparison, but the idea is the same. Regarding “rebel,” I’m using that in reference to the Confederacy. It just seems silly that someone could look back through their entire family history and cherry-pick a four year period from 150+ years ago to identify with as their “heritage.” To me it’s a political statement whereas the Cuban flag, by itself, isn’t.

 

[Wolfhound]

I voted no difference. I wouldn't fly either of those flags personally. If you fly them because of your heritage then that makes sense to me. If you fly one of those flags because you support racism or Communism then you have issues.

I can't see into someone's heart and know which group they fall into. And like KittySlayer said some display them without any thought or reason.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Maybe I didn’t choose the best comparison, but the idea is the same. Regarding “rebel,” I’m using that in reference to the Confederacy. It just seems silly that someone could look back through their entire family history and cherry-pick a four year period from 150+ years ago to identify with as their “heritage.” To me it’s a political statement whereas the Cuban flag, by itself, isn’t.

Simply because the war only occurred for 4 years doesn't negate the fact that the flag is a symbol of something larger. The ideology was and is a long-lasting one, and it just so happens that the CSA flag was tacked on as a symbol of that. IMHO (and not to get too far off topic), it's a shame that the fight for states rights took place over a civil rights issue is today so largely undeniably a travesty and black mark on our nation's history. The war was about state's rights, the topic (battle) that inflamed the war was about basic human rights. At the risk of sounding racist (I am not racist at all), the wrong side won the war over state's rights; the battle was won over human rights. Just like flying flags is dependent upon a person's intentions, fighting that war was dependent on their intentions as well. I wasn't there, I'm not a historian, but it seems to me like the north was fighting the battle of human rights and the south was fighting the war of state's rights. They were both fighting for a cause that I fully believe in, they both should have won (if that were possible)...

 

[two70]

I can't see into someone's heart and know which group they fall into.

No, but it's not hard at all to listen to a person's words/observe their actions and from that context determine their intent. Symbols(ie. flags in this case) are meaningless without context. So, based on context in which the Cuban flag was being used one can conclude that it was not being worn as a symbol of the the richness of Cuban heritage but was being worn in the context of supporting communism. The "Confederate" flag as being discussed in the meme and by the OP purposefully have no context. The meme, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is actually drawing a pretty compelling contrast between the tacit approval of the clear intent based on context of the use of the Cuban flag and the disapproval of any use of the "Confederate" flag based on assumption without any context. Asking if there is any difference between the two is akin to asking if there was any difference between an English knight fighting the French(or vice versa) and Don Quixote tilting at windmills. One has a real enemy, the other is looking for one and not finding it creates one instead.

 

[indiucky]

The Cuban flag is the heritage of all Cubans,

It depends...Is it the same flag as before the revolution? If it is then yes...If not? No....

I base this on the feelings of my wife's Cuban Godmother...Her family lost EVERYTHING when Castro took over and as a young girl had to flee Cuba with a small suit case....She hated Castro and Che until the day she died....

IMHO

I voted no...I really don't care what flag someone flies on their own property....

 

[Old Dog]

To me the Cuban flag is current and relevant, and anyone of Cuban heritage has a right to fly it proudly, as do those that support those Cubans celebrating their heritage. Not so much if it is being used to express communist ideals. If I recall correctly, the Confederate, Southern, Rebel flag became irrelevant in the summer of 1865. Those states that flew it were reentered into the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, under the US flag. Use of the Confederate flag today, therefore; could mean anything that the flier or observer wishes it to, as they see fit.

 

[jagee]

People choose to be offended. If a piece of cloth offends you, that is your choice. YOU can decide to make a big deal out of what it represents to you, or decide that is something you would not wear, but to each their own, and go on about your day.

*Hitler wore Wrangler blue jeans. Now because I wear Wrangler blue jeans I'm a Nazi supporter? Nah, I don't think so. Wranglers just have the best color of blue in the denim debate so I choose to wear them.


*The historical accuracy of this statement may be questionable at best.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Agree with jsharmon. The Cuban flag patch on a para military style jacket is intentional. If it’s About heritage she’s talking Fidel, not Rubio

kut you ignored reply #2, curious as to your thoughts

someone can fly the rebel flag on a pole and just be symbolizing the south or rebel hood. If you put it as an insignia on the back of a white hoodie and walk around with the hood up that has a different meaning. Same with her patch and jacket look

your poll asks an innocent question but your post frames it differently. Show both on a flag pole and then ask the question, unless you want different results

...and I still have nothing against the smiley face and the words "have a nice day."
Wearing a hood and robes sans accompanying regalia kinda conveys the point. Adding something to it, does not make it MORE offensive. An olive drab jacket, is innocuous. The person wearing it, more noteworthy. Castro I've never seen wear anything with the Cuban flag, and Che (an Argentinian) only displayed the Soviet Star. Emma Gonzalez, is in fact of Cuban descent. A descent far closer to now, than anyone displaying Confederate regalia.

 

[Kutnupe14]

One should also point out that Emma Gonzalez is gay, and Castros Communist Cuba didn't exactly have an policy of "accommodation" towards gays.

Edit: Emma Gonzalez is first generation American. Her father fled from Cuba in 1968.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Eye roll. Change the argument and then answer it (again)

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Where’s the “It’s just a meme, calm down” option?

 

[Sylvain]

People choose to be offended. If a piece of cloth offends you, that is your choice. YOU can decide to make a big deal out of what it represents to you, or decide that is something you would not wear, but to each their own, and go on about your day.

*Hitler wore Wrangler blue jeans. Now because I wear Wrangler blue jeans I'm a Nazi supporter? Nah, I don't think so. Wranglers just have the best color of blue in the denim debate so I choose to wear them.


*The historical accuracy of this statement may be questionable at best.

This! ^^

I wouldn't get offended by any flag.
Wear whatever flag you want on your shoulder, or fly whatever flag you want in front of your house.

The same flag represents different things to different people.

Even if a particular flag represents hate to most people it doesn't mean that its display is a representation of hate.
Take a Nazi flag for example.If it's displayed at a KKK rally it won't have the same meaning as if it's displayed inside a WW2 museum.
Even though there's the same ideology behind that flag.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

People choose to be offended. If a piece of cloth offends you, that is your choice. YOU can decide to make a big deal out of what it represents to you, or decide that is something you would not wear, but to each their own, and go on about your day.

*Hitler wore Wrangler blue jeans. Now because I wear Wrangler blue jeans I'm a Nazi supporter? Nah, I don't think so. Wranglers just have the best color of blue in the denim debate so I choose to wear them.


*The historical accuracy of this statement may be questionable at best.

I wouldn't necessarily reduce a flag to a "piece of cloth", in meaning/intent. They literally stand for something.

A Nazi armband isn't something you'd see someone wearing in public... and say "What, it's just a piece of red cloth with some squiggly lines on it. It means nothing!"

Possessing a flag is one thing... but wearing it or flying it does give some weight to it, and/or what it represents.

 

[miguel]

If you like your flag, fly your flag. Makes it easier to call in air support.

 

[HoughMade]

...A Nazi armband isn't something you'd see someone wearing in public... and say "What, it's just a piece of red cloth with some squiggly lines on it. It means nothing!"...

You would have to believe just that if you accept the "just a piece of cloth" rationale.

I mean, ignore the fact that it tells you something about whoever would wear it...something the person is trying to communicate.

Clearly, being offended is the only thing in play it's got nothing to do with what a person is telling us about their own beliefs by choosing to wear a flag or armband or whatever. It would be silly and capricious to form an opinion about someone based, in any part, upon what they choose to display to the world about themselves.

 

[jagee]

I wouldn't necessarily reduce a flag to a "piece of cloth", in meaning/intent. They literally stand for something.

A Nazi armband isn't something you'd see someone wearing in public... and say "What, it's just a piece of red cloth with some squiggly lines on it. It means nothing!"

Possessing a flag is one thing... but wearing it or flying it does give some weight to it, and/or what it represents.

I wouldn't wear a Nazi armband in public or otherwise. If I saw someone wearing it, I would most certainly judge them because of the meaning behind it...but I wouldn't let it ruin my day. That is all I was getting at.

 

[BrotherFred]

The person saying "if you are going to put a Cuban flag on your arm, then go back to Cuba" concerns me more than the person with the flag on their jacket.

 

[HoughMade]

The person saying "if you are going to put a Cuban flag on your arm, then go back to Cuba" concerns me more than the person with the flag on their jacket.

Would that be the same guy who wanted Elian Gonzalez forcibly kept separated from his father?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I wouldn't wear a Nazi armband in public or otherwise. If I saw someone wearing it, I would most certainly judge them because of the meaning behind it...but I wouldn't let it ruin my day. That is all I was getting at.

Right, the cloth means something, and we can pretty easily form an accurate judgement of the person wearing it. Gay pride flag? Probably means you support gay pride. Nothing wrong with using the things people wear/fly to judge or form an opinion of them.

Separate from that: Yeah nothing worth getting worked up over.