“The Confederate flag and free speech: It's long past time to stop mythologizing our ancestry - Oregonian” plus 1 more

The Confederate flag and free speech: It's long past time to stop mythologizing our ancestry - Oregonian

Posted:

Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 7:00 AM

By Jeffrey Fuller

After reading about Ken Webber, the Medford school bus driver who was fired for refusing to remove a Confederate battle flag, which he called an expression of his "redneck" identity, from the antenna of his truck while parked at a local school, I was reminded of my own upbringing in Missouri near the home of the notorious Confederate guerrilla and outlaw Jesse James.

Coming of age in an area where Southern sympathies still exist, where Jesse James is still celebrated (even I, a liberal historian, struggle not to brag about the nearness of my roots to this legendary and murderous man), and where the "Dukes of Hazard" just made sense, I've often found contradictions in the realities and fictions surrounding the South and an understanding of who we are as individuals. The brief background information about Webber in The Oregonian brought two specific issues to mind:

The first issue is the fact that there is no Confederate heritage without hate. The belief that the Confederate flag stands for "heritage not hate" is one steeped in mythology, in a dishonest reading of the South's stated intentions, and in the addition of ideas that simply did not exist until after the war was concluded and Reconstruction was in full swing. The state of South Carolina's declaration of secession spelled out the South's cause quite succinctly. The writers attest that states have the right to secede first and foremost, and in this the myth is born. The right to secede equaled a war for state's rights. The rest of the declaration goes on to assert that the United States' refusal to uphold the Fugitive Slave Act and the "election of a man ... whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery" made it impossible for South Carolina to continue as a member of "the Union heretofore existing between this State and the other States of North America." All of the rights they find abused fall under the guise of slavery. In fact, the right to secede and the rights supposedly abused by the federal government concerning slavery are the only rights mentioned in the cause of so-called heritage preservation.

The second issue is the overlaying of the term "redneck" onto a noted symbol of hate. The etymology of the word stems from the sunburned necks of America's farmers. Where I grew up, redneck was generally a term one earned through hard labor and long days in the field. It was a badge of honor one wore on his skin, not because he tattooed it on himself but because nature saw fit to brand him with its mark. It was a celebration for the group that represented the nation's heartland and life blood. It was not a term that anyone who adopted the style could claim. Driving a pickup, wearing a mesh-backed cap and listening to country music were not enough. There was pride in who they were, but to wave a flag would have been too ego-driven and grounds for ridicule.

Why is it that some Americans, especially in the case of the Confederate flag, must continue to ignore our past and mythologize it as something worthwhile and grand? Ken Webber, and many others around the nation, not only fly this statement of hatred ignorantly but take it a step further and fly it with bellicose defiance, unintentionally ridiculing a time-honored faction of American livelihood.

We should take a page from Germany's bravery in admitting our historical prejudice rather than pretending it was something else. The Germans labeled the swastika as a symbol of hatred and bigotry. The Nazis built the autobahn and pulled Germany out of its economic calamity, yet no one ignores the Holocaust because of these triumphs. So why cannot Americans acknowledge the Confederacy's intent to dominate in all aspects the lives of a people based on the color of their skin, to brutalize them, rape them, whip them, brand them, take their children and work them into their graves? That is the real history of slavery, the real history of Southern secession, and the real history of the Confederate flag. It is time we admit our past failures and bigotry, and stop mythologizing our ancestry as something grand when it was anything but.

Jeffrey Fuller lives in North Portland.

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Comprehensive concert and comedy calendar for the week starting 3/4 - New Haven Register

Posted:

Billy Ray Cyrus, MGM Grand Premiere Ballroom, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Route 2, Mashantucket, 800-200-2882.

The Lee Boys, Fairfield Theatre Co.'s StageOne.

Tartan Terrors with Ask Your Father, The Ridgefield Playhouse.

Tera Melos with Marnie Stern, Fugue, Heirloom Arts Theatre .

The Original Saturday Night Dance Party, Toad's Place.

The Rock 106.9 WCCC Presents: Monster Energy Outbreak Tour featuring Rev Theory with Pop Evil, The Black Cloud Collective, Aranda, Crossing Rubicon, Abyss, Death On Arrival, The Awakening, Full On Wolf, Webster Theater.

Saturday Afternoon Jazz Jam with Dave Dana and Brian Buster (early), Cafe Nine.

The Manchurians with The Reducers (late), Cafe Nine.

Battle Of The Bands - Preliminary Round featuring Torndown with Forging Utopia, The Circuit, Fear the Masses, Casting Call, That's The Problem, The Space.

Lou Pella with Doc Baker's Traveling Musicological Extravaganza, The Outer Space.

David Cassidy, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Freeplay (cover band), Daniel Street.

MDIII, Georgetown Saloon.

Red Cadwallader, Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar.

Sharp Drezzed Man, C.J. Sparrow Pub & Eatery.

Black Rock Rocks Mardi Gras party, Acoustic Cafe.

The Jazz Guild (early), Two Boots.

Mike Freeman's ZonaVibe (late), Two Boots.

Groovetime, J. Roo's Restaurant.

Livingston Taylor, Infinity Hall.

The Jerrod Cattey Trio, Olde School Saloon.

Joe Fonda Jazz Trio, Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center.

Airborne Jazz Band, Bin 100, 100 Lansdale Ave., Milford; 203-882-1400.

Out of Thin Air, New Deal Steakplace.

Heavy Breath with We Were Skeletons, Chauncey Gardiner, My Fictions, The Cookie Jar, New Haven, private house party; GO, http://thectsound.com/yabb/index.php?topic=1932.0.

Testing For Echo with Free Grizzly Bear Rides, Root In Stereo, Fools On Sunday, Chance, Dun Bin Had, Amity Teen Center, 10 Selden St., Woodbridge; 203-298-9735.

SUNDAY

Luther with Communipaw, Alive In Love, Heirloom Arts Theatre.

Open Blues Jam with Travis Moody Band, Cafe Nine.

High School Open Mic, The Space.

Valli Sings Valli, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Local band showcase featuring After Autumn with Ruthie Shultz, Steve Mallon, Sandoval Band, Daniel Street.

Kids karaoke, Georgetown Saloon.

Bill Fluker and Friends, SoCo's Bar & Restaurant, 50 Fitch St., New Haven, 203-764-2662.

MONDAY

Etana & Gyptian with Jungle Man, Toad's Place.

A Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence & Friends, In Lilly's Pad, Toad's Place.

Beatnik 2000 #561, Cafe Nine.

Eric Stepanian, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun casino.

"Anything Goes" open mic with J Cherry, Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center.

Jim Oblon, The Owl Shop, 268 College St., New Haven; 203-624-3250.

TUESDAY

Furthur, Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford; 203-265-1501.

Tab Benoit with Otis and the Hurricanes, Fairfield Theatre Co.'s StageOne.

The Wolfe Tones, Toad's Place.

Pussy Magnet, Cafe Nine.

Young Dubliners, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Acoustic Open mic with Marc Huberman, Georgetown Saloon.

Open mic night, Acoustic Cafe.

Shaka and the Soulshakers, Two Boots.

Karaoke with Andy, Olde School Saloon.

Open Mic Night Hosted By Seth Adam Trio, Stella Blues, 204 Crown St., New Haven, 203-752-9764.

UltraRadio.com Open Mic @ Kelly's, Kelly's Restaurant & Bar, 196 Crown St., New Haven; 203-776-1111.

Greg Sherrod Band, The Owl Shop.

WEDNESDAY

The Protomen with Mile Marker Zero, Heirloom Arts Theatre.

Local hip-hop showcase featuring Booslick with Kode Red, Mayo Giovanni, Cash Time Industries, Killa Ben, Tallent, Dublin, The Ingredients, Toad's Place.

Ron Anthony, The Outer Space.

Dr. K's Motown Revue, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Local band showcase featuring Risk All In Life, Mouth On Tailpipe, Attack Memphis, Daniel Street.

Cajun Roadhouse Wednesdays live music with DJ E-Bomb, Two Boots.

Karaoke, J. Roo's Restaurant.

Tab Benoit, Infinity Hall.

All-request music party, Olde School Saloon.

Airborne Jazz Band, Cafe Goodfellas.

George Lesiw Trio, The Owl Shop.

Manic Productions Presents: Fang Island, BAR, 254 Crown Street, New Haven, 203-495-8924.

THURSDAY

Raul Malo Solo with Seth Walker, Fairfield Theatre Co.'s StageOne.

Evergreen Terrace with Lower Than Atlantis, Too Tall Grizzly, Like Beasts, Heirloom Arts Theatre.

The Blasters, Cafe Nine.

Burn Lexington with Loyalty Among Thieves, Hope to Live, Systems and Skylines, The Space.

Rehab, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun.

Open mic jam with Artie Tobia, Georgetown Saloon.

Ken Safety's Open Mic, C.J. Sparrow Pub & Eatery.

Brian Dolzani and Melissa Mulligan, Acoustic Cafe.

Thirsty Thursdays + Karaoke, Two Boots.

Jace Everett, Infinity Hall.

Airborne Jazz Band, Angry Olive Italian Bistro & Restaurant, 1625 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill; 860-257-8402.

Make Do And Mend, Balance And Composure, Baby Grand, University of New Haven German Club, UNH, 300 Boston Post Road, West Haven; no phone.

By Entertainment Staff / @nhregbuzz

FRIDAY

Bon Jovi, Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville; 800-745-3000.

Connected: Friday Night: Massive, Fairfield Theatre Co.'s StageOne, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield, 203-259-1036.

Jesse Cook with Marc Huberman, The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield; 203-438-5795.

Ovlov with Yes Please, Big East, Heirloom Arts Theatre, 155 Main St., Danbury: 203-796-0000.

Johnny Winter with Remember September, Cobalt Rhythm Kings, Toad's Place, 300 York St., New Haven, 203-624-8623.

Manic Productions and The Arc Agency Present: My Heart To Joy with Transit, Pianos Become The Teeth, The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die, Fugue, In Lilly's Pad, Toad's Place, 300 York St., New Haven, 203-624-8623.

Stay with A Sunset Tragedy (CD Release), Stateside, Call Me Anything, Young Hollywood, The Sophmore Beat, Webster Theater Underground, 31 Webster St., Hartford; 860-246-8001.

Happy hour (early), Cafe Nine, 250 State St., New Haven; 203-789-8281.

Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social with The Black Noise Scam, Christian Marrone (late), Cafe Nine.

Battle Of The Bands - Preliminary Round featuring Do Not Engage with Lakshmi, Speak In Verse, At Long Last, 3Under Par, The Space, 295 Treadwell St., Building H, Hamden, 203-288-6400.

Mon Monarch, The Outer Space, 295 Treadwell St., Building H, Hamden, 203-288-6400.

Robert Cray, Wolf Den, Mohegan Sun casino, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, 1-800-745-3000.

Unzipped (cover band), Daniel Street, 21 Daniel St., Milford; 203-877-4446.

Chewy & The Grateful Friends, Georgetown Saloon, 8 Main St., Georgetown, 203-544-8003.

Jeff Fuller & Friends, Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar, 100 S. Water St., New Haven; 203-787-3466.

Benjy Michaels, C.J. Sparrow Pub & Eatery, 908 S. Main St., (Route 10) Cheshire; 203-272-8204.

The Jam Stampede, Acoustic Cafe, 2926 Fairfield Ave. (Route 130), Bridgeport, 203-335-3655.

Solistic with String Theorie, Two Boots, 281 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport; 203-331-1377.

Denovo, J. Roo's Restaurant, 249 State St., North Haven, 203-281-5411.

River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs Mardi Gras Party, Infinity Hall, Route 44, 20 Greenwoods Road, Norfolk, 866-666-6306.

Chewy & The Grateful Friends, Olde School Saloon and Bistro, 418 State St., New Haven; 203-772-0544.

George Schuller Trio, Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center, 605 Main St., Middletown; 860-347-4957.

Airborne Jazz Band, Cafe Goodfellas, 758 State St., New Haven; 203-785-8722.

Stand Up Comedy Night, The Funky Monkey Cafe & Gallery, 130 Elm St., Watch Factory Shoppes, Cheshire; 203-439-9161.

JJ Diamond, New Deal Steakplace, 704 Boston Post Road, Westbrook; 860-399-01015.

UltraRadio.com Happy Hour with Steve Gregory, Anna Liffey's, 17 Whitney Ave., New Haven; 203-773-1776.

CT Folk presents Tim Grimm with Michael Smith, First Presbyterian Church, 704 Whitney Ave., New Haven; 203-562-5664.

SATURDAY

Freestyle Extravaganza VI, Mohegan Sun Arena.