Gettysburg, S.D. - Another Civil War battle lost by racists

[laughing dog]

For those who think racism is mostly dead in the USA.

Gettysburg, South Dakota is a small town (about 1,200 residents) founded 137 years ago by 180 former Union soldiers and one former Confederate Soldier In 2009, its then police chief put the Confederate flag on the insignia of the police force of Gettysburg in a unilateral action. George Floyd's father - Selwyn Jones moved to Gettysburg in 2014. He did not notice the Confederate flag on the insignia until a reported asked him about it after his son's death at the hands of the Minneapolis police. Mr. Floyd asked the city about it and the current police chief took the Confederate flag off the insignia. (The complete story is found at
https://www.startribune.com/south-dakota-town-lashes-back-at-george-floyd-his-uncle-after-confederate-flag-debate/572703391/)

Naturally, a ministorm arose from some people. Reported comments include such gems as

“If you’re offended by a piece of cloth, but think dealing drugs to kids is alright, you might be this moron,” said one post with Jones’ picture.

This man lives in Gettysburg … and we have reason to BELIEVE was planted there to cause problems and demand the Confederate Flag patch to be removed …” one woman wrote under the picture of Jones. “… How does ONE guy influence a whole town to get rid of Americas [sic] history …”

“60 days sober today!!!!! Congrats George Floyd!!!!!” said a post Bruce Kessler shared two months after Floyd’s death.

Two days later, his brother, Scott Flad, shared a post: “Does anyone buy this BLM Black oppression [expletive]?”

The Flad brothers defended the Facebook group during an interview in mid-September.

“Everybody’s got the right to their own opinion,” said Edward Flad, 56, who lives just outside Gettysburg. “If [Jones] would apologize for causing such a ruckus, I wouldn’t have a problem.”

“If anybody knew us, whether we threw that rally down in the park with the Confederate flag … we are the least racist people,” said Scott Flad, 53, who lives in town.

I do not share Mr. Flad's opinion of himself or his brother, because a least racist person would not be upset about eliminating the Confederate flag from an 11 year old insignia.

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

Why are Republicans so hateful?

 

[James Brown]

The culture of victimhood

In America, resentment always seems to flow backwards. The powerful resent the powerless. The haves resent the have-nots. Whites resent blacks. Men resent women. The healthy resent the sick. The majority resents the minority. The privileged resent the marginalized.

It’s not easy to make resentment flow backwards. It takes work. It takes design, intent, choice and effort.