Once again Rev. Al Sharpton is asking someone for an apology. This time it's none other than Vice President Dick Cheney who's the subject of his discontent.
According to the Daily News, a confederate flag was found hanging inside the garage of a Clove Valley Gun and Rod Club located in upstate New York, which the VP just so happened to be pheasant hunting at.
Cheney, who is no stranger to hunting and bad press, having accidentally shot his friend in the face last year, claimed he was unaware of the entire incident.
According to the vice president's spokesperson, Leanne McBride, neither the vice president, nor anyone on his staff noticed the flag.
Whether you agree with him or not, Sharpton has a point. The confederate flag just has too much negative connotation for it not to be considered a racist symbol by many African Americans.
In this time when there are so many strong negative symbols being put out there, the confederate flag might as well be a swastika or a noose.
In a release through his publicist Sharpton had this to say: "In this age of Jena and hangmen nooses all over the country, for the Vice President to relax under the flag of the hangmen nooses is an unpardonable insult to all Americans, particularly Blacks."
When a reporter requested an official comment from the club, he was threatened with arrest by the club officials. "It's appalling for the VP to be at a private club displaying the flag of lynching, hate and murder," said Sharpton. "It's the epitome of an insult."
Comments: (99)
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By: jonathan on 5/31/2008 5:01AM
What about the black community in the south with ancestors that fought proudly for the south? The civil war was not about slavery to the south!!!25% of free blacks fought for the south.15% of slaves fought for the south. And they will forever be a big part of our southern heritage. If it were not for black influence, america would really suck.The south shows love to everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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By: fall flags on 8/09/2008 3:00AM
Thanks for the useful information
Thanks
fall flags
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By: kyle green on 9/13/2008 12:59AM
hey yall all are stupid im white and native american and i dont play well with people puttin down my heritage blacks think theyve had it bad sayin there stupid ancestors went through slavery when in reality yall look over almost every race has gone through slavery at one point in time and yall dont need no black history month thats a boatload of crap we whites dont have one if we did yall would probably call us racist and rev al sharpton is very stupid i wouldnt say sorry to him or any of yall i have a lot of good black friends and aint racist but puttin down my flag makes me wanna be and also for all u blacks who think they know about slavery the civil war wasnt over it it was over land and blacks help fight in the confederate army so next time think about it before u put down my heritage my ancestors died for that flag and so did yours!!!!!
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By: JC on 11/01/2007 6:07PM
Thanks To Rev. Al Sharpton For Speaking Out Against This And The Many Other Publicly Displayed Symbols Of Racial Hatred. Somebody Needs To Do It! "Without Action; There Will Never Be Change"!
Instantly Turn your Computer into a Super TV!
http://www.television-on-internet.com/
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By: Cecil Jones on 11/01/2007 9:41PM
Without the right action there will never be change. I don't mind action, but action without thought supports the status quo with our stupidity. If a jester keeps dancing, that doesn't mean we are moving closer to freedom and respect. In this story about the flag, only Sharpton gets publicity. There is no accountability because you can't prove they knew. Do you see Sharpton defending the Dog? Our rights to privacy have been violated and they used the race card to distract us. Imus was in a position to be more sensitive to Blacks. Taking him off the air, took the story out of the headlines and took a spot from someone more sensitive. This is what I'm talking about. We need to start thinking by bringing "Fresh Blood" to the table.
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By: Teach Tolerance on 11/01/2007 11:38PM
http://www.tolerance.org/
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By: scqueen1 on 11/02/2007 2:33PM
I am all for standing up in the name of injustice, but at the same time you must pick and choose your battles. For Al Sharpton to pounce on any and every little thing only serves to discredit him and the racial struggle. We all know the story of the boy who cried wolf right?Sooner or later people are going to stop listening and when there is a real issue that needs to be addressed, no one will want to hear about it.
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By: Nessa on 11/02/2007 3:04PM
This same story was on the AOL main page the other day. If the readers on this side could go back and see some of the comments people made,..Racism is still alive. People defended the confederate flag, disclosed Al needs a job, called people n!@s because of their comments and everything. People need to get their minds right. I understand why I received an email saying how ignorant we are and that people of other races don't respect us. Who would? Its all a joke to some people. It's like saying, I'm not worried about that, I gotta do what is best for me and mine. We need to read and become united.
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By: ShonShon on 11/02/2007 5:25PM
This is a real issue. Remember the saying..."If you don't stand for something, You will fall for anything." Black people please stand up. We really need to stop taking social injustices so lightly. I commend Sharpton for battling as many issues as he can.
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By: Edwin H. on 11/02/2007 6:02PM
This is why we cannot forget about slavery. When White People still want to wave a Confederate flag and celebrate their ancestors, who if had their way, blacks would still be slaves. I wonder if Germans feel they should be allowed to wave their ancestors flags.
White people have pushed their will on most of the globe and if anything upsets the balance of their happiness, it should be stopped immediately or pushed under a rug and forgotten about.
While most blacks know Sharpton has his own adgenda, he and Jesse Jackson keep the pressure on White Supremist (wherever they may hide).
White Americans forget that Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Alexander Stephens are the equivalent to Adolph Hitler, Joseph Goebbels and Rudolf Hess (to any non-white human)...
The day when White People (Americans) state that the Confederates were wrong and denounce their actions, is the day African-Americans can start the healing and let go of slavery!!!
Which I know will not happen in my life time.
White Americans only apply a forgive & forget already tactic to African-Americans, as they (whites)paid for their actions with the Japanese imprisonments during WWII (even though blacks & whites fought against Japan)...easy to forget when reconcillation occurs...
They understood and agreed to the creation of an Isreali state based on the actions of Hitler (even though Jews were discriminated against in the U.S.)
They just recently allowed Native Americans to operate Casinos (?) on alleged tribal soil (?). Nothing was ever done to enhance blacks after slavery (or for the abominations during the Civil Rights Movement).
Somebody please watch the history channel on what happened to slaves after the civil war, after the great depression, after the civil rights movement and the numerous killings of blacks based on the color of their skin and nothing else, including children (we need a black history channel for the hold truth, but it gives you an idea).
To the people who feel we should get over it...get rid of the KKK in your back yard and then lets begin negotiations on reparations for unlawful civil rights acts during the 1960's (easier to track the victims families from the 60's then slavery due to lost stock/insurance records before 1865). I have let go of it, but am reminded daily due to social injustice.
The loser of a War against the United States should be banned from showing any pride. You lost...get over it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
White people have Rush Limbaugh, KKK, Skinheads, City & State police (speaking to just the corrupt cops) and we have Sharpton & Jackson (and now Baisden)...thank god somebody voices their opposition to stupidity.
Don't get me wrong...there are a lot of White humans fighting the good fight for REAL justice in America, but the Old Confederates (Nazis) and their ideas are tough to get rid of, because they are scare of losing
something they completely and globally have...POWER.
P.S.
Crime scares all races, but if only shown one race as the primary suspects (due to big city shock value in the media) then it will only perpectuate the stereotypes already existing. There is no need to fear blacks as a culture based on the News (it's an Urban thing caused by poverty...all races are affected within the ZONE)...so White people should not use all blacks are criminals or uneducated as a fear tactic...
Happy Trails for now!
Edwin L. Houser
I will probably be black listed for my views, so be it!
Ciao
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