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[mr jones]

Twin Cities News Story

West St. Paul City Council member Ed Hansen has a Confederate battle flag hanging off the back deck of his house and says "it's cool."

Others, including the city's mayor, have a different opinion of the flag, which is visible off busy Butler Avenue and to visitors at nearby Thompson Park. Written on the flag is the word "redneck."

"I don't like it," Mayor John Zanmiller said. "Do I wish the flag wasn't there? Yes."

Hansen, a first-term council member elected in 2010, said he put the flag out last summer and has heard no complaints.

"It's my house," said Hansen, 41. "What's the problem?

"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he continued. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."

Hansen said he is not concerned that the Confederate battle flag has historically been known as a controversial symbol of racism.

"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."

Jay Brunn, a developer who is building a house next door to Hansen's, said the flag caused one prospective buyer to shy away Thursday after touring the property in the 1100 block of Felix Street.

"He said he was going through the house and saw the flag and that he was no longer interested in buying in West St. Paul," Brunn said.

Brunn is building the house on a former city-owned lot he bought from the city's Economic Development Authority. He believes the flag will make thehouse a harder sell.

"I'm very concerned about that," he said. "The flag has negative connotations for certain ethnic groups and brings back a lot of bad memories.

"I just would like to know what message he is trying to send."

When told the flag made one potential buyer turn away, Hansen said: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."

Y'know, I honestly don't care if he wants to hang a flag like that on his property. Free speech and all that. However, I do think his stance is rather disingenuous, since I'm pretty sure that it wasn't hanging when he was running for office, and he's probably going to have a harder time getting re-elected with the type of publicity this article is going to give him.

 

[MThanded]

"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he continued. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."

Oh ok. What?

When told the flag made one potential buyer turn away, Hansen said: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."

 

[The Technomancer]

"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty,"

Can someone explain this to me?

 

[dave is ok]

Was Minnesota even part of the confederacy?

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Dude, you're in Minnesota!

 

[SouthernDragon]

No, it doesn't.

I could say the communist symbols represent hard work and gardening to me, but that's not what they stand for to the larger public.

 

[mre]

Let's just Bugs Bunny all of the south.

 

[ComputerMKII]

When I was in second year of English studies at the university I had to comment on this picture as an exam for my American Civilization course. I don't remember what I wrote but it was a very interesting subject. You Americans have are a fascinating people with a fascinating history.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Can someone explain this to me?

the confederacy was aobut protesting big gubment getting in the way, telling the states and the individuals what to do.

It was about preserving STATES' RIGHTS

Spoiler

to let individuals enslave other individuals

 

[The Technomancer]

Let's just Bugs Bunny all of the south.

Its Minnesota! Our reputation is supposed to be for that kind of generic midwest niceness.

 

[dabig2]

Can someone explain this to me?

It's all true, but it's missing an asterisk *only applies to white protestant males*

 

[Goro Majima]

Dude, you're in Minnesota!

And we're done here!

 

[empty vessel]

"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."

That's racist.

Can someone explain this to me?

It means he declares his allegiance to a sovereign other than the U.S.

 

[levious]

"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."

You could say the same about people who fly confederate flags.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Was Minnesota even part of the confederacy?

Nope.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Can someone explain this to me?

Slavery is a state issue, and the Federal Government should get out of our business.

Also, slavery should expand to the recently gained territories from the Mexican-American War.

 

[joseph1594]

You know, I have yet to come across a person who wasn't racist and liked what the Confederate flag stood for. It never fails that when someone says "I am not racist! I just like what the Confederate flag stands for! says a racial slur or some sort later. Seriously though, Minnesota? Minnesota was not even close to the borders of the Confederacy!

 

[Cyan]

The swastika represents hard work and creativity!

 

[GitarooMan]

When told the flag made one potential buyer turn away, Hansen said: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."

This is fucking rich. I lost it at "They should study history," lol.

 

[ToxicAdam]

What kind of shitty design is that deck? It's like he was going to build an addition and gave up halfway and turned it into a deck.

 

[Mindlog]

Why not fly the Gadsden Flag instead?

Goddamn, Tea Party.

 

[morningbus]

Was Minnesota even part of the confederacy?

It's unfortunately no longer contained to idiots in the South. What's great is you'll even see people with Confederate flags on their trucks in New England.

You know, New England, the fucking epitome of "the North."

 

[mr jones]

Dude, you're in Minnesota!

I thought y'all would like that.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

The swastika represents hard work and creativity!

I don't wear the SS Uniform because I support the holocaust, I wear it because its damn stylish.

 

[BobLoblaw]

In some way, I can understand why a person could "admire" what happened in the south during the civil war for historical purposes, but the bottom line is that the confederacy boiled down to racist traitors more concerned with their own person gains (in the guise of "states rights") than those of the people they enslaved.

 

[A27_StarWolf]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a confederate flag!

It's not racist.

It's not Un-American.

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a confederate flag!

It's not racist.

It's not Un-American.

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

It is un-American because they were traitors.

It is racist because black people were hung underneath that flag for white pride and they were bound as slaves underneath that flag.

Find a new symbol.

 

[ToxicAdam]

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

jacknicholsonnodding.jpg


Here we go..

 

[Perspicacity]

I don't wear the SS Uniform because I support the holocaust, I wear it because its damn stylish.

Well that's not a fair comparison to make.

The SS Uniform is waaaaaay cooler looking than the confederate flag.

 

[Count Dookkake]

I like the confederate flag. It's a good way to identify losers.

 

[MThanded]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a confederate flag!

It's not racist.

It's not Un-American.

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

 

[ezrarh]

You know, I have yet to come across a person who wasn't racist and liked what the Confederate flag stood for. It never fails that when someone says "I am not racist! I just like what the Confederate flag stands for! says a racial slur or some sort later. Seriously though, Minnesota? Minnesota was not even close to the borders of the Confederacy!

I've seen a Confederate flag hang on a barn in the boonies of upstate New York. Makes no sense.

 

[A27_StarWolf]

It is un-American because they were traitors.

It is racist because black people were hung underneath that flag for white pride and they were bound as slaves underneath that flag.

Find a new symbol.

Traitors my Ass.

I would be willing to be good money more American Flags are flown down South than up here as well.

 

[Shiv47]

I don't wear the SS Uniform because I support the holocaust, I wear it because its damn stylish.

I have a black friend who really digs Nazi design. He even wears a WW2-style German overcoat in winter. It's...weird.

 

[RobotMafia]

I'm surprised he didn't try to say he has a black friend!

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Traitors my Ass.

I would be willing to be good money more American Flags are flown down South than up here as well.

Great, they were still traitors to the democratic process and pissy about losing an election.

Also, slavery.

 

[levious]

Traitors my Ass.

right

 

[Dude Abides]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a confederate flag!

It's not racist.

It's not Un-American.

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

Treason in defense of slavery is nothing to have pride in.

 

[MThanded]

Traitors my Ass.

I would be willing to be good money more American Flags are flown down South than up here as well.

What does that have to do with anything? This is not about people in the south just a discussion about the confederate flag. To top it all off this flag is not even being flown in the south in this specific example.

 

[Wilsongt]

I honestly thought this would be South Carolina... Because, y'know... confederate flag on the state house grounds and all...

 

[Orayn]

Goddamn, I hate my state's creepy underbelly. The excuses people use to fly the confederate flag are truly bizarre.

 

[Cyan]

Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

No, he does it because he's old and doesn't know any better.

If you want to be proud of the South, find a new symbol that doesn't also stand for slavery, hatred, and rebellion.

 

[Dresden]

Traitors my Ass.

I would be willing to be good money more American Flags are flown down South than up here as well.

More flags = more American

 

[Funky Papa]

"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he continued. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."

Somebody explain that to me as if had a learning disability. Slowly and with simple words.

 

[Perspicacity]

Traitors my Ass.

I would be willing to be good money more American Flags are flown down South than up here as well.

So what? It doesn't really mean anything if they don't understand what that flag means.

This goes both ways of course. Your grandfather may not be racist, but he's certainly marking himself with a racist symbol

 

[Cyan]

Somebody explain that to me as if had a learning disability. Slowly and with simple words.

Here you go:

He is dumb.

 

[Rapstah]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with flying a confederate flag!

It's not racist.

It's not Un-American.

It's pride in the south, there isn't anything wrong with that. Does my grandfather fly a confederate flag below his American Flag because he hates black people? No.

There's nothing wrong with pride itself, but people choose all the fucking wrong things to be proud about for all the wrong fucking misinterpreted reasons all the time.

 

[MetatronM]

Somebody explain that to me as if had a learning disability. Slowly and with simple words.

Just add "for white people" at the end of the sentence and it's perfectly correct.

 

[morningbus]

Somebody explain that to me as if had a learning disability. Slowly and with simple words.

The democratically elected Government was trying to take away Southern peoples' individual rights to take away black people's individual rights and liberties.

 

[mre]

I honestly thought this would be South Carolina... Because, y'know... confederate flag on the state house grounds and all...

It is. The conservative press has mislabled it as occurring in Minnesota to try and deflect some of the histrionics from people who don't "get" the Flag.