Originally Posted by: R. Shackleferd
I heard an interesting comparison regarding Islam and the current perception of Muslims. During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate south seceded from the Union, for several reasons (not just the issue of slavery, as is often assumed). So they adopted their own flag, commonly termed the Rebel Flag. Thousands of men fight and die by that flag, and despite the loss of the war, the flag remains a symbol of Southern pride and independence, and is highly regarded throughout. However a relatively small group emerges...the Ku Klux Klan, which I presume needs no description. And they of course continue to use this symbol in their own racial agenda, which includes violence and murder. To be sure, some southerners at the time might've been sympathetic to their cause, but overwhelmingly most disagree with their tactics. But even from those who totally disagree, there is little outcry, out of fear of retribution or harassment, or just pure indifference. So sadly, the Confederate Flag has since become commonly associated as a symbol of racism, violence, and hate.
So unless those who are grouped together with others make a stand from within against using tactics, symbols, or whatever for their own extreme agendas, it's too easy to associate those with the larger group.

what's funny about the stars and bars....if you actually read the confederate constitution...it did more to take away state's rights than to preserve them...now whether that document was to be temporary or permenant....it basically gave a lot of power to the federal government and very little to the states. one area of the confederate constition i really liked though was the part specifically stating that riders on laws was prohibited....we really need to do that now. riders are getting out of control. one law should be one law...not the funding for veterans/tax cut for the upper 1% bill. you know?

sorry to get off base but after doing research...it was a lot about slavery and while the union was hurting what would become the confederacy...the actual constitution the confederacy was founded upon did very little to grant states their rights as claimed by many.

as far as muslims go.


the idiots who do that garbage in the name of islam are about the same number of idiots who protest soldiers' funerals because "god hates fags" as they would so eloquently put it. they're in the minority, some are actually forced into doing it by way of threats on family members or are promised that their family will actually beable to eat. others are just ignorant radical idiots who have been suckered in by a bunch of chicken hawks....wow, sounds like some of the people in our military.