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Noem Votes to Ban Confederate Flag from National Cemeteries

In a sign of patriotic good sense, Rep. Kristi Noem voted yesterday for an amendment to the Veterans Affairs and military construction bill that would ban flying the traitor Confederate flag over national cemeteries. Rep. Noem was among 84 Republicans and 181 Democrats who supported the amendment from Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California.

In South Dakota, the amendment would prohibit display of the Confederate flag at the Hot Springs, Fort Meade, and Black Hills national cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration.

According to Huffman’s office, the amendment does not apply to cemeteries operated by the Army, the Interior Department, or the states. It also does not prohibit families from placing small traitor banners on individual graves.

Rep. Noem weighed in against official displays of the Confederate flag three years ago, when she said traitor flags displayed at the Hot Springs VA hospital could “jeopardize” the VA’s ability to offer patients a comforting and welcoming health care environment. The flags in question were removed in May 2013.

83 Comments

  1. Robin Friday 2016-05-20 11:03

    Thank you, Cory. What’s gotten into her? Fear of being on the wrong side of history? No, couldn’t be.

  2. Good Sense 2016-05-20 11:10

    So anyone who disagrees with government regulations/actions is now a traitor?

  3. mike from iowa 2016-05-20 12:27

    Found a job for you, Non Sense. Drumpf and wingnuts need topically challenged breeders to continue their lines of future wingnut voters. No anything required.

  4. Madman 2016-05-20 12:29

    @Good Sense anyone who openly forms an army to defy a feared law is a traitor. Bone up on your 1850-62 politics.

  5. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-05-20 12:40

    What Madman said, GS. The Confederates were traitors. They staged armed rebellion against the United States Constitution. They shot and killed American soldiers. There’s no wiggle room on that historical fact… and that historical fact is my entire claim in my use of the word “traitor” to describe the Confederate flag.

  6. Nick Nemec 2016-05-20 13:12

    Is “Good Sense” one of the right wing hand wringers who laments American youth not knowing history? Pot meet kettle.

  7. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-20 14:28

    Senseless,

    That flag represents secession, if you want secession move to Texas where you will be welcomed.

  8. bearcreekbat 2016-05-20 16:09

    Roger, I can’t find it now but a while back someone posted a picture the of back of a pickup truck in Texas. It had several stickers on the tailgate and back window including one urging that we honor the US Constitution and another one urging Texas to secede from the Union.

  9. mike from iowa 2016-05-20 16:37

    Texans also voted not to put a secession plank in their wingnut platform this year.

  10. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-20 17:58

    Bear,

    I’ve seen similar bumper stickers, but not on the same vehicle.
    I’d that fellow that owns the truck doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going.

  11. Mjl 2016-05-20 22:36

    I am surprised you didn’t bring up her no vote on an amendment to protect rights of persons who are LGBTQ that created a stir.

  12. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-05-21 07:29

    And then there’s that, MJL!

  13. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 10:02

    My great-grand father fought against the Southern Democrats fight to keep blacks enslaved. He was a POW in Andersonville and a proud member of South Dakotas Grand Army of the Republic.

    While the cause those Democrats fought for was wrong, they were right about states rights.

    What those ugly little flags represent are freedom of speech, and United States history. Those who fought the war understood the importance of both, and in their infinite wisdom, THEY did not outlaw those flags after the war…

    Despite losses of many Americans in various conflicts to numerous enemies, we have not banned their flags on US soil; however, we now have politicians who seek to ban the burial flag of our fellow Americans who lost the Civil War 150+ years ago?

    As many reasons as my family has to hate that flag, it represents tragic mistakes in the founding and early efforts at Liberty of our country. It also represents an important part of Americana to a minority of Americans that I don’t really agree with.

    Banning their flag makes them martyrs and incites them to a defeated cause. It also violates the 1st Amendment.

  14. mike from iowa 2016-05-22 10:19

    They are already incited to a defeated cause-the Black guy in their White House. The racist bastards don’t need any extra incentives to hate.

  15. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-05-22 10:51

    Stace, some Americans supported the Nazi cause. Some Americans currently celebrate the Aryan race. Do their swastikas primarily represent freedom of speech and history, or do they primarily represent hate and white supremacy?

    The amendment Noem supported does not ban the Confederate flag. The amendment says the United States government will not fly the flag of traitors over the graves of U.S. military veterans. I see no problem with the federal government refusing to fly the flag of those who rebelled against it, and I see no problem with noting that those who fly that flag are inescapably celebrating treason to America’s real flag and Constitution.

  16. JonD 2016-05-22 10:58

    Specious reasoning, Mr. Nelson. No one is seeking to ban the Confederate flag; in accordance with the First Amendment, any American citizen may fly it over their own property or display it on their clothing or vehicle, just as they may display a swastika, a Union Jack, or the North Vietnamese yellow star. But the flags of our enemies have no place on publicly owned property and it is disrespectful in the extreme to fly any such insignia on government grounds alongside our own national flag.

  17. bearcreekbat 2016-05-22 11:00

    Stace seems a bit confused about what the 1st Amendment prohibits and protects. It provides no protection for the government’s official speech. It does not protect a right of government officials to speak in their official capacities. Instead, it purports to prohibit government officials from passing laws restricting the speech of private citizens. The VA is not a private citizen. All VA programs are actions of a government institution that is not protected by the 1st Amendment.

    If Noem supported a bill preventing private citizens from flying the Confederate flag, that would raise a 1st Amendment issue. A bill preventing a government agency officials from engaging in particular speech simply does not implicate the 1st Amendment.

  18. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 12:33

    I confess, I got a great chuckle out of some of the responses.

    Liberals lecturing me on the banning of their former causes battle flag, the Democrats fought to keep in their state flags while Republicans thought to remove it, is hilarious!

    My comments were explicitly in regards to the literal statements of Banning The presence of the Confederate battle flag at the gravesite of Confederate soldiers.

    I specifically oppose the US government flying that flag however, I support the rights of those southern Democrats descendants to place that flag on the graves of their ancestors who fought and died for the Confederacy.

    As amusing as it is to see all the liberals gnadhing their teeth about my supporting the freedom of speech of those people, my question is ” where is your out rage at the Democrats who fought for decades to keep that battle flag as part of state flags throughout the Democratic South?”

  19. owen reitzel 2016-05-22 12:36

    So you have no problem with someone burning the American Flag Stace?

  20. Bill Dithmer 2016-05-22 13:18

    Great post Stace

    The Blindman

  21. Jenny 2016-05-22 13:22

    Yesterday’s Southern Democrats are today Southern racist Republicans. It’s true, racist democrats such as Strom Thurmond left the democrat party, formed the dixiecrats, then turned republican.
    Both parties have had plenty of dirty rotten bastards in them.

  22. bearcreekbat 2016-05-22 13:29

    Stace, your comment is incomprehensible, and appears to be completely non-responsive to my 1st Amendment point. Perhaps there are typos?

  23. owen reitzel 2016-05-22 13:39

    @Stace. I have a problem as well but it’s is a matter of freedom of speech.

    Jenny nails it. Time to live in the present and not the past.

  24. Dana P 2016-05-22 14:01

    Jenny and Owen…perfectly stated.

    Mr Nelson does keep living in the past (and not on this issue alone) Have you ever thought, just for one second, what a black person would think about that flag? And what message it sends to them? I don’t chuckle at any of Mr Nelson’s responses. Ever.

  25. mike from iowa 2016-05-22 14:43

    My comments were explicitly in regards to the literal statements of Banning The presence of the Confederate battle flag at the gravesite of Confederate soldiers.

    Pity you didn’t say as much.

  26. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 16:34

    @CAH Sorry, glossed over while we were filling up and missed the hard point.

    @Jenny it’s ludicrous to claim the party of racism and slavery has morphed into the anti-slavery antiracism party. While it is true that several of your racist Democrats changed parties, it is asinine to assert that the GOP magically switched places into the 200 year racist Democratic Party.

    I agree with your last statement 100%

    @BCB My posts very well be mortally laced with typos. Using IPhone dictation. Didn’t see it assess your post

    @Owen I don’t subscribe to SCOTUS’ idiotic ruling. Their offenses against the US Constituion, and Liberty, are numerous.

    @Dana You’re over compensating.

    @Iowa Mike no pity, I did say it. Albeit secondarily.

  27. owen reitzel 2016-05-22 17:44

    Stace your argument is a distraction from the fact tat the Republican party has become the party of hate. You has the KKK endorsed. Sure hasn’t been Hillary or Bernie. The Southern Democrats have morphed into the Republican party.

    As Far as the SCOTUS rulings you can’t pick and choose which ones to like and which ones to ignore. Sure there are some you might not like but these are the legal rulings.

  28. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-05-22 17:50

    Stace, make sure you back up and note what I said in the original post about the scope of the amendment. It restricts only government speech, which, as Bearcreekbat aptly notes, enjoys no First Amendment protection. The amendment does not stop individuals from planting traitor flags next to individual gravesites. Loathsome as that practice may be, individual declarations of fondness, nostalgia, or whatever for treason are protected by the First Amendment.

  29. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 18:18

    @Owen Asinine to make such sweeping, ignorant, comments about millions of people you don’t know. I challenge you to show all of us where the GOP has adopted anything within its platform that substantiates such a comment. It is a pipe dream, dillusional, and absurd to claim the GOP, the party founded to oppose slavery, has traded places with the Democratic Party.

    Not sure what you were trying to say about the militant arm of the Southern Democrats, the KKK. It appears you were overcome with nostalgia at the fact they endorsed their fellow Democrat http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-03-14/ku-klux-klan-grand-dragon-will-quigg-endorses-hillary-clinton-for-president

    In regards to SCOTUS, they are not omniscient or omnipotent. The executive and the legislative branch of our government are the checks on SCOTUS and they are obligated to reign SCOTUS in when they get it wrong. SCOTUS has been legislating from the bench which is not permitted under the US Constitution.

    @CAH Read the original post wrongly, over a tiny iPhone. I agree with what you say.

  30. Jenny 2016-05-22 19:15

    Stace calm down, your temper always gets the best of you. Man, you get riled up easily when people disagree with you.
    The Democrat party of today welcomes people of all races, religions, and sexual orientation.
    I think you know that there are plenty of anti-LGBT and anti-muslim people in your party. Also, it was Barry Goldwater that was against the Civil Rights bill and LBJ that made it history.
    It IS true, many Southern racists did leave the Democrat party when it did a complete reversal in the 50s and 60s and started supporting racial equality. It’s all history: then came Bobby Kennedy, George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Paul Wellstone, Bernie Sanders – all democrats that have fiercely supported human rights and racial equality. Who are the republican civil rights heros of today – Donald Trump, Dick Cheney?

  31. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 22:15

    @Owen So? 180+ years of Democratic institutional racism highlighted by a Civil War to fight Democrsic pushed enslavement of blacks is “yawn, old news” But idiotic comments claiming all Republicans are racists by a man who has no friends of color, is an intelligent diacussion? Only with someone who is projecting to distract from reality.

    @Jenny A politically correct Leftist would whine about the sexism of your ad hominem attack. But we all know that my male white privledge means that such sexist ad hominem attacks are okay.

    One of us is registered with the party that freed the slaves and passed the 19th Amendment, the other one is registered with the Party of institutional racism and sexism for 180+ years.

  32. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-22 22:24

    Stace,
    Why are the majority of Blacks registered Democrats? Is it because we Democrats enslaved them?
    Have you even bothered to listen to your leader, Donald Trump, opinions about women and minorities?

  33. Stace Nelson 2016-05-22 23:47

    @Roger Why did the Germans vote for the man that ruined their nation and was responsible for the deaths of millions? Why did people select Barabbas to pardon over Christ? History is replete with examples of people making terrible decisions en masse.

    I follow my principles and my faith.

  34. leslie 2016-05-23 02:01

    stace: 1. “ludicrous to claim the party of racism and slavery (1850s Dems?) has morphed into the anti-slavery antiracism party (present Democratic Party or present GOP?).

    2. (Do you disagree that the present Democratic Party stands for anti-slavery/anti-racism?)

    …While it is true that several of your racist Democrats changed parties, it is asinine to assert that the GOP magically switched places into the 200 year racist Democratic Party.” (my emphasis added)

    3. 200 year racist Dem Party? Is this really true, stace?

    4. are YOU re-writing history, stace?

    Owen: “the Republican party has become the party of hate. You has the KKK endorsed (Trump seems to accept KKK’s endorsement. Now I understand KKK endorse Hillary but she directly deflected any such alliance, of course. it is just silly, really. a ploy by KKK for whatever reason). Sure hasn’t been Hillary or Bernie. The Southern Democrats have morphed into the Republican party.”

    5. Stace, you do agree they have morphed into the GOP, do you not?

    On top of all your strained parsing of the truth and history, you are wearing blinders with respect to the stars & bars. And as u well know, SD municipality Gettysburg LEOs are wearing it on their uniforms.

    You said: “ugly little flags represent … freedom of speech, and United States history. Those who fought the war understood the importance of both, and in their infinite wisdom, THEY did not outlaw those flags after the war…”

    6. Of course, but that was right after the civil war for some decades, right?

    and, you asked:

    “where is your out rage at the Democrats who fought for decades to keep that battle flag as part of state flags throughout the Democratic South?”

    And, finally, it is:

    “absurd to claim the GOP, the party founded to oppose slavery, has traded places with the Democratic Party.”

    7. Was that why the GOP was founded?

    8. Do you disagree that the GOP is widely, correctly seen as Owen describes?

    9. We are outraged, but you seem to want to label this outrage mere PC-ism, correct?

    10. Haven’t the stars & bars taken on more than the former battle flag status, today?

    11. Isn’t it widely and correctly considered a racist symbol of hate?

    Instead stace, you seem to wish to incite animosity here laughing that “Liberals [are] lecturing me on the banning of their former cause[‘]s battle flag, the Democrats fought to keep in their state flags while Republicans [f]ought to remove it….”

    12. Did the GOP fight to remove the stars & bars?

    And you said:

    “the militant arm of the Southern Democrats, [is] the KKK. It appears you were overcome with nostalgia at the fact they endorsed their fellow Democrat….”

    13. You really are asserting the liberals of today have anything in common with the values of Civil War Southern Democrats?

    14. You really believe anyone of us on this side is nostalgic about KKK hate?

    I think stace, just as a wild guess, that you are suffering from PTSD or similar adrenalin disorder because of your wild suppositions that seem typical when you get ready to blow reading this blog in disagreement.

    I hold you and the millions or other republicans directly responsible for the obstruction your party caused, intentionally, bringing this country to a near standstill of progress, as you attempt to spin this extremely negative behavior into blaming Democrats for it.

    I am sorry if I “lay-misdiagnose” your apparent approach. I recognize clear communication is not always easy in blog format. personal communication is always better. I numbered questions raised for ease of response if you are interested.

  35. leslie 2016-05-23 02:28

    16. who and what does this mean: “claiming all Republicans are racists by a man who has no friends of color”?

    17. You disagree with the phenomenon of “my male white privledge”?

    18. Why do you add sexism to white privilege?

    19. How is it that you are “registered with the party that freed the slaves and passed the 19th Amendment, the other one is registered with the Party of institutional racism and sexism for 180+ years”? Isn’t this a fundamental misunderstanding of the history of evolution of the two parties?

    20. I learned very early, by my own awareness, in the 1st year of my career many decades ago that I could either play with the truth in my writing, or write ethically.

    Why after all your years of professionalism and experience, do you insist on misstating easily provable historical fact?

  36. leslie 2016-05-23 02:39

    15. Who and what are you talking about: “claiming all Republicans are racists by a man who has no friends of color”

    16. as mentioned above, isn’t this belittling as PC, the following: “my male white privledge”?

    17. You do acknowledge, do you not, the phenomanum of white privilege, don’t you.

    18. Why is it necessary for you to add sexism to white privilege?

  37. leslie 2016-05-23 02:50

    here is an example, from Owen’s posted cite, of GOP negative wordsmithing.

    About Trump: “Although he’s not going to get it, Donald Trump demanded $5 million from CNN … to appear in the network’s next debate.***I haven’t served. And frankly I had deferments because of college….Trump added that a “foot thing” and high draft number also prevented him from serving.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilycanal/2015/12/03/donald-trump-veterans/#21fa816a6c9e

    A high draft number did not “prevent… him from serving”.

    He of course could have enlisted. I knew several with high numbers enlist anyway.

    The “foot thing” could have “prevented him from serving”, though.

  38. owen 2016-05-23 08:25

    your making stuff up Stace. I never said all Republicans are racist.
    To claim that either the Republican or Democratic parties haven’t changed over the years is idiotic and simply not true

    But I bet almost all racist are Republican.

  39. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 08:51

    “I see no problem with noting that those who fly that flag are inescapably celebrating treason to America’s real flag and Constitution.”

    Cory, you don’t have to fly a flag to do that. The 14th Amendment destroyed the original Bill of Rights. What the Democrats in the south represented was state rights as defined in the Bill of Rights. Your argument that citizens have a First Amendment right, but the government does not, does not hold water. I say that because you will no doubt take a breath and start writing a post that says Christians don’t have a right to point out sin. Owen Rietzel and the rest of you totalitarian self-righteous bigots and white haters calls that hate and will persecute a mass of citizens just because they are Republicans.

  40. mike from iowa 2016-05-23 08:56

    Sibby- you’re a nut.

  41. Stace Nelson 2016-05-23 09:35

    @Leslie Should I now engage in the same ignorant pseudo phycology and diagnose you first and save all the pretense of a civilized debate? What type of serious person claims to diagnose another with a mental affliction, in a casual blog exchange, because they disagree with another politically? Doctor, heal thy self. If you wish a serious discussion or response? Don’t offer asinine ad hominem attacks.

    As uncomfortable as it may be for all you “tolerant” Democrats out there, shedding 2-3 of your racist congressmen to the Republican Party in the late 60’s does not all of a sudden change US history or the Democratic Party’s noted history of being the party that started the Civil War to fight to keep blacks enslaved and deprived of rights for about 180 years, and the party that fought against womens’ suffrage. Launch as many ad hominem attacks as you want, it does not change history.

    The Nazis were of relevance for about 15 years. They can never reform what they represented. The Democratic Party that subverted the rights of blacks and women? Was of relevance for
    over a century and a half.

    Less than 6 years ago, this is what one of your presidential candidates said about one of your long time racist Democratic congressman: http://dailycaller.com/2016/02/29/flashback-hillary-clinton-praised-former-kkk-member-sen-robert-byrd-video/

    @Owen Do you even read what you post? No one is making anything up. This is what YOU posted above: “Stace your argument is a distraction from the fact tat the Republican party has become the party of hate.”

  42. Jenny 2016-05-23 09:45

    Stace, which party is against LGBT rights, raising minimum wage, unions? You may not think those are important issues but millions of Americans do.

  43. Jenny 2016-05-23 10:00

    You can’t ignore the stats Stace, the South is a strong republican hold and they have the most hate groups. So you’re going to tell me their members all are pro-LGBT and pro-racial equality?

  44. owen 2016-05-23 10:07

    Stace you can preach hate without being a racist.
    Jenny lists some great examples

  45. Jenny 2016-05-23 10:08

    https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map

    Just look at the vast number of hate groups in the South. You can’t try telling us that these groups are represented by democrat values today.
    You mentioned the democrat party historically being anti-woman. Well, today look who mouths off derogatory comments about women all the time – your GOP candidate Trump.

  46. Stace Nelson 2016-05-23 10:16

    @Owen & Jenny So let me make sure I have this straight? It is okay for you two to preach that 1-2 knuckleheads spouting bigoted comments makes it okay for you two to label every Republican hateful and racist? But it is wrong to point out that the entire Democratic Party was an instrument of institutional racism and sexism for about 180 years?

    And Owen, for heavens sake! Pick lane! Either stick with your original statement that you claim all Republicans are racists or apologize for claiming I “made it up.” You may have to explain to my beautiful brown wife, and most of her friends, how they are racists, and you who have no friends of color and who belongs to the historic party of racism, are not.

  47. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 10:19

    “Jenny lists some great examples”

    You mean anybody who disagrees with her is automatically fueled by hate? Sorry, but disagreement does not mean hate. The tone of how you disagree determines whether or not your intentions are hate. mike from iowa just gave an example of a tone that is hateful.

  48. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 10:22

    Jenny, do those who will vote for Hillary because she is a woman hate men?

  49. Jenny 2016-05-23 10:26

    Donald Trump is the leader of your party today, Stace. Millions of Americans are supporting his anti-muslim and anti-woman sexist statements. The numbers speak for themselves.

    The GOP needs to admit they have a problem with minorities, women and young people today and to do something about it.

  50. owen 2016-05-23 10:31

    never said that Stace. don’t twist my words

  51. Jenny 2016-05-23 10:35

    Sibby, I don’t plan on voting for Hillary b/c she’s part of the establishment problem. I will probably write Bernie Sanders on my ballot since he is the most decent of them all.

  52. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 10:59

    ” Millions of Americans are supporting his anti-muslim and anti-woman sexist statements. The numbers speak for themselves.”

    And a bunch of anti-Americans have bought off on the cultural Neo-Marxist propaganda that uses the emotion of hate to promote their anti-white, anti-male, and anti-Christian agenda in order to convert America into a federation of the global communist one-world system. Are you one of them Jenny?

  53. Stace Nelson 2016-05-23 11:01

    @Jenny So, Hillary is the leader of your party. According to your logic, all Democrats still support the KKK and racism because she admired Byrd and looked to him as her mentor? http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-03-14/ku-klux-klan-grand-dragon-will-quigg-endorses-hillary-clinton-for-president

    I have made it clear that I’m not a sheeple. I follow my principles and my faith.

    @Owen no one is putting any words in your mouth, especially you. It’s an open forum, explain your ignorant stereo typing comment.

  54. Jenny 2016-05-23 11:44

    Stace,
    You like to mention the Nazis all the time, how come your faith, the Catholic church, stood by and lets the atrocities of the holocaust happen and the Pope stood by doing nothing. You say democrats were racist for 180 yrs (you lowered it from 200 years), well then I can say that the Catholics were anti-jew during the Nazi years and anti-Muslim during the crusades- which lasted decades.

    See how silly it gets when you pick out parts of history and compare it to the democrats of today?

  55. Jenny 2016-05-23 11:49

    Don’t forget the hundreds of years that the Native Americans were enslaved by the Catholic church in this country. The Catholics can’t deny this. Today, they are still anti-LGBT, anti-woman (they’re not good enough to be priests) and anti-birth control (just idiotic, gotta keep having unplanned for babies I guess).

  56. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-23 11:53

    Owen and his wife are my friends, I’m a very brown people.

  57. Jenny 2016-05-23 11:57

    You’re really misguided about your so-called neo-Marxism agenda, Sib.
    I personally wouldn’t mind a bit more socialism myself though. It would be nice if my taxes went to a universal healthcare system instead of more wars. I’ll take your socialist social security check if you’re against socialism so much. Don’t ever call 911 either since it’s a very socialist tool used for the common good.

  58. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-23 12:05

    Stace’s response to my comment about most Blacks being Democrats is classic.

    He tells me Blacks are Democrats as some sort of act of forgiveness for the 180 years of atrocities committed against them by South Democrats.

    I should be shocked that a South Dakota politician would have such a distorted sense of American political history, but I am not.

    For the past 50 plus years I have listened to republicans attempt to justify their current treatment of today’s blacks and minorities by abusing Abraham Lincoln’s courageous act to free the slave.

    Even heroes have a dark side, Lincoln was one of them. While he was fighting to free the slaves and preservomg the union, he was at the same time launching the massive genocide and land grab of Native American land and in the process destroying Mike Rounds buffalo.

  59. mike from iowa 2016-05-23 12:21

    Roger C, are we talking one or two different Owens? I see two different names as posters.

  60. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-23 12:25

    mike from iowa,
    Owen Ritzel.

  61. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 13:02

    Jenny, it is not my neo-Marxist agenda. It is what guides your agenda.

  62. Madman 2016-05-23 13:25

    Most people forget that Lincoln issued proclamation 113 (Kentucky) and also illegally suspended laws in Maryland to keep them from seceding. Those are debates for different days in a different setting.

    Also comparing 1800 Democrats to today’s democrats is like comparing 1860 Republicans to today’s republicans. Different issues that were important at the time. While an 1840 Democrat wouldn’t recognize today’s democrats, a 1860’s republican wouldn’t recognize today’s republicans. Things change over time.

    Simply put, look at voting statistics for the last 20 years and see who is voting for who. Personally I vote based on the person, but not everyone does that.

  63. Jenny 2016-05-23 13:27

    So what is your ideal agenda Sibs? Fill me in…

  64. Steve Sibson 2016-05-23 13:40

    Jenny exposing false propaganda like cultural Neo-Marxism.

    “Do their swastikas primarily represent freedom of speech and history, or do they primarily represent hate and white supremacy?”

    Cory, it is a religious symbol:

    an ancient religious symbol that generally takes the form of an equilateral cross, with its four legs bent at 90 degrees.[1][2] It is considered to be a sacred and auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and dates back to before the 2nd century B.C.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

    So you want to ban that too?

  65. Jenny 2016-05-23 13:49

    Sibby, you never answer the questions. You must have some thoughts and beliefs of your own for what kind of country and system of govt you would like? ( I won’t harass you if it’s not something to my liking.

  66. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-23 14:01

    Jenny,
    It took me awhile but I finally figured Sibson out.
    He is the South Dakota version of a really bad Glenn Beck.

  67. Dana P 2016-05-23 14:48

    Roger….standing ovation to your response to Stace. Exactly. People like Stace, who will not or refuse to be part of the solution – continue to be part of the problem.

    And as far as his response to me as “overcompensating”. Why is it, Stace, that much of your writing inserts language that reminds me of being yelled at by a range master during quarterly qualifications? Hyperfocused on certain things…..very very very odd.

  68. Good Sense 2016-05-23 14:54

    Wrong-o Jenny-o

    :::::You can’t ignore the stats Stace, the South is a strong republican hold and they have the most hate groups.::::

    The biggest hate groups are liberal college professors and students.

    AKA Melissa Click and comrades.

  69. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-05-23 15:00

    I politely and generously note that a Republican Congresswoman shows another glimmer of good sense on the traitor flag, and this thread is what I get? Some days….

  70. Stace Nelson 2016-05-23 15:08

    @Jenny Please stop while you are behind. I had numerous relatives fight in WWII against your fellow eugenic supporters. My family Aare Americans of German and Danish heritage, we are traditionally devout Lutherans.

    You glibly ignore Hillary’s connections to the KKK, the militant racist arm of the Democratic Party.

    @Roger In what clouded perception of reality did you ever see me post anything remotely akin to this fanciful male bovine excrement statement you attribute to me: “He tells me Blacks are Democrats as some sort of act of forgiveness for the 180 years of atrocities committed against them by South Democrats.”

    Liberals on here are so frantic to get back to their cut and paste nonsense about race narratives they dictate to cover history, that they are really pulling the stops out on trying to distract from reality. The reality is the US Democratic Party was a racist and sexist institution from the 1700’s until Robert Byrd’s death in 2010. The Confederate flag was the battle flag of Democrats and now they wish to rewrite history.

    The asinine narrative that Republicans “hate” and are ‘racists,” that is being pushed by Democrats, is intellectually moronic and flies in the face of history and reality.

    Lets get back to the discussion of the Confederate Flag and the history of Democrats instituting that within state flags over the last century. Lets discuss the history of Democrats and the KKK, of Democrats pushing slavery and of opposing civil liberties of blacks and women. That is recent history as of the 60’s and 70’s, regardless of the frantic distractive statements from those historic FACTS.

    Lets examine how the Democrats have frontally embraced Islam and how that political ideology supports the subjugation of women and persecution/murder of people that are LGBT.

    Lets discuss how the Democratic Party has lost vast expanses of voters because of its war on God and Christianity.

    Lets discuss how the Democratic Party now frontally embraces socialism and communism, two more political ideologies that are inimical to the US Constitution and the liberties of every American.

    But, please.. save the dime store dramatic efforts to distract from US history.

  71. Jenny 2016-05-23 15:15

    Stace, you’re the one that is looking like a fool now by going off the deep end. I still like you though even though you’re rile easily!

  72. Jenny 2016-05-23 15:16

    By the way, Stace, I am not a Hillary fan. In the 90s I admired her, now I despise her since she turned into a War Corporatist.

  73. Roger Cornelius 2016-05-23 15:41

    Stace,
    I repeat my question since you didn’t adequately answer it and instead gave me sermonette.
    Why are more Blacks, women, minorities registered Democrats?
    Is it because we believe all your hyperbole republicans have to say about Democrats, or is it because Democrats for the last several decades picked up their causes where republicans have abandoned them? (i.e. civil rights, voting rights, LGBT, etc.).

  74. Stace Nelson 2016-05-23 16:49

    @Jenny Its the old boxer in me. People confuse my enjoying a good rowdy fisticuffs, with perplexities.

    @Roger I will take your comment as an acceptance of my rebuke sans the appropriate apology for your faux pas.

    There are numerous reasons for their beguilement. Not the least of which are the Alinsky lies that Republicans have abandoned the corner stone of the GOP, civil rights.

    I pointed out that it is not the first time in the history of man in which people voted against their own self interests.

    Quantifying and indexing every nuance that has caused these most recent phenomenons in the US, would take someone with vastly more patience than I to tabulate. In the end, the reason matters naught other than idle speculations as to the problem within the ever widening culture chasms occurring in the US.

  75. owen reitzel 2016-05-23 19:08

    Roger and Mike. I use my full name and my first name when I post. It depends on what computer I’m on.
    @Roger. Thanks for the support. Proud to call you a friend.

    @Stace. Tired of going over the same arguments. But as far as the confederate flag goes. There is a person who lives a couple blocks from me (You know where I live I believe) and he displays the confederate flag. If you know who it is I’d like you to convince me that he’s a liberal democrat.

  76. mike from iowa 2016-05-23 19:24

    Thanks, for the clarification Mr Reitzel. Thanks to you, as well, Roger C.

  77. owen reitzel 2016-05-23 19:59

    Please Mike. Call me Owen :)

  78. Jenny 2016-05-24 09:12

    Stace, democrats have tolerated the Muslim religion, not embraced it. If you believe all Muslims are hate-filled extremists you are mistaken.
    Good Sense, the majority of ‘liberal’ college professors and college students are Bernie supporters. Bernie has not preached hate, just the opposite.

    The vast majority of hate groups are in the South and like Owen says above, you are not going to try to tell me that they are liberal democrats that support LGBT rights, support gun control and are staunch Obama supporters.

  79. bearcreekbat 2016-05-24 17:59

    Jenny, here’s the deal. Bernie has wonderful policy ideas and fully deserves your support. I like Hillary, but would support Bernie in a second if he is the nominee, rather than cast any vote that might help Trump.

    If Hillary is the Democrat nominee and Trump is the Republican nominee, however, you then have two meaningful choices – either Hillary or the Donald. If you decline to support Hillary and instead make a write in vote for Bernie, or simply refuse to vote at all, then that is one less vote against Trump. If you are comfortable with that, then do a write in vote for Bernie or don’t participate at all.

    But if you really don’t want Trump to be our next president, you might want to consider whether a write in vote for Bernie is your best weapon to stop him. While it might be satisfying to do a write in vote for president, we both know that means this write-in voter hasn’t used the only meaningful tool she has – the vote – to try to stop Trump from being elected as our next president.

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