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This is what Germany does to Nazis. They ban symbols and rhetoric in public. US should do the same with confederate flags/monuments and nazi flags. Germany doesn't celebrate its dark past or its culture, it makes sure children know that their dark past is seen as Dark

There is a great difference between the Nazi Germany and the Confederation. Nazi Germany was founded on hate, and killing whatever that did not fit in. That was not the case in the South. The main reason was "State's Rights". The Confederation wanted to be free. The SJW focus on slavery only, even that was a minor reason for the war.
 
Obviously hate, racism and bigotry is not what we should condone.

I do however have a problem with people wanting to change history if it doesn't fit their views/agenda.

Why overnight is it necessary to remove many statues which have been untouched for umpteen years?

And, where does it stop? Already I have read that the carvings at Stone Mountain will not be erased.
(Looking forward for some extremist bombing shot at the rocks)

Not a proud part of the US history, but then the times were what they were then. Are people really that insecure that they can't get over things when bad stuff happened in history?

Who is actually benefitting from the removal of a statue?

Maybe an addition plaque on a monument as a disclaimer with some educational info would have sufficed?

Maybe some nitwits reading the info even get it?

No one is trying to change history. The new generation is attempting to rightfully atone for it, 'cause their ancestors didn't even try.

Any monument in memory of those who fought and died for (among other things) keeping other human beings in chains sits squarely in the "Our-idiot-ancestors-should-never-have-built-this-so-tear-it-down" camp.

Having a display in the Smithsonian for educational purposes, for example, is another matter entirely.

There's a reason white supremacist groups carry and proudly display both the Confederate flag AND the Nazi flag. The message they both represent are one and the same. You can't pick and choose what it means. It's all or nothing with these things.

These symbols just keep wounds open and teach new generations to hate and be divided.

Even Germany outlawed the public display of such symbols outside of historical purposes (let's not delve into semantics about historical purposes, either).

In the US military, it is illegal to display such symbols on the base. It is not illegal, for example, to have them in your home. They know it's divisive. Everyone does.

In the US, the equivalent Confederate symbol is even part of the STATE FLAG in many states.

It's no wonder that after over 150 years after the Civil War ended this symbolism and ideology is strong enough to keep this ridiculous mentality alive.
 
I can agree with you on banning these things going forward, however history should remain unchanged. Good or bad.

Nobody is ripping down the coliseum in Rome, because of what happened in it.
The Germans are not demolishing Dachau and other Nazi sites.
The church isn't denying their religious "witch burning" history or sexual priest conducts.
There was and is still an outcry when Japan removed important history of it's doing, claiming: We are all friends now.

The lists go on and on.

Monuments, buildings and negative things that happened are part of life. They are there to help educate people and maybe NOT to repeat those kind of things. The dumb folks just don't get it.

If we want to be holier than thou, we might as well pull all the documentaries about bad things happening all over the world. The "Hitler" channel (as some call it) aka the History channel shows Hitler documentaries which are some of their highest rated programs.

Roots was a successful TV show. Bad stuff doesn't go away by ignoring it.

Again, ban all that is unpleasant?

Humans are in general unpleasant and whatever atrocities you can dream up, they pale in comparison to what people have already done and do in the name of an ideology or personal afflictions.
We don't ban all that is unpleasant. But these statues are celebrating people FOR being traitors. At the least, they should be changed to reflect the reality of their history.

Dachau is now a memorial to the atrocities that occurred there. It doesn't celebrate Hitler and the Nazis who supported it.

I think every place that a statue is removed, there should be a monument to the fact that the statue was there and an explanation for why it should not have been erected in the first place.
 
Obviously hate, racism and bigotry is not what we should condone.

I do however have a problem with people wanting to change history if it doesn't fit their views/agenda.

Why overnight is it necessary to remove many statues which have been untouched for umpteen years?

And, where does it stop? Already I have read that the carvings at Stone Mountain will not be erased.
(Looking forward for some extremist bombing shot at the rocks)

Not a proud part of the US history, but then the times were what they were then. Are people really that insecure that they can't get over things when bad stuff happened in history?

Who is actually benefitting from the removal of a statue?

Maybe an addition plaque on a monument as a disclaimer with some educational info would have sufficed?

Maybe some nitwits reading the info even get it?

From what I've read, most of the Confederate monuments went up during Jim Crow and again during the Civil Rights era and their purpose wasn't so much to mark history or commemorate the Confederacy but to intimidate minorities to stay in a place of subjugation. Considering the placement of these monuments prominently in front of courthouses, public parks and plazas seems to support that argument. Living in the North, Confederate monuments weren't even on my radar but I never realized there were so many of them.

That being said, I do think that the categorization of people into hate groups has expanded beyond what is reasonable at times. Also, media coverage of all things political has become very suspect lately.
 
The main reason was "State's Rights". The Confederation wanted to be free. The SJW focus on slavery only, even that was a minor reason for the war.
http://jjmccullough.com/CSA.htm


We can get a good glimpse into the founding principles of the Confederacy by taking an in-depth look at the Confederate Constitution, which was approved, and came into use by the rebel states on March 11, 1861. The document is largely a word-for-word copy of the United States Constitution of 1789, but with several key changes. The changes offer the clearest window of insight into how precisely the CSA intended to be different from the USA, and why.


...

Overall, the CSA constitution does not radically alter the federal system that was established by the United States constitution. It is therefore very debatable as to whether the CSA was a significantly more pro-"states' rights" country (as supporters claim) in any meaningful sense. At least three states rights are explicitly taken away — the freedom of states to grant voting rights to non-citizens, the freedom of states to trade freely with each other, and, of course, the freedom of states to outlaw slavery within their borders.

States only gain four minor rights under the Confederate system — the power to enter into treaties with other states to regulate waterways, the power to tax foreign and domestic ships that use their waterways, the power to impeach (some) federally-appointed officials, and the power to distribute "bills of credit."


...

As far as slave-owning rights go, however, the document is much more effective. Four different clauses entrench the legality of slavery in a number of different ways, and together they virtually guarantee that any sort of anti-slave law or policy would be unconstitutional. People can claim the Civil War was "not about slavery" as much as they want, but the fact remains that anyone who fought for the Confederacy was fighting for a country in which a universal right to own slaves was one of the most entrenched laws of the land.
 
My guess at the timeline of Tim Cook reaction:

1. SPLC has recently been in the spotlight regarding gay discrimination issues
2. Tim Cook is familiar with this
3. SPLC is mentioned regarding Charlottesville because they've been posting about Jason Kessler (the alt-right guy protesting the statue removal measure by alt-left guy, Wes Bellamy, Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville)
4. Tim Cook watches TV
5. Tim Cook is triggered without thinking and throws money at lawyers close to a unrelated cause he is personally close to

Here's a big problem: The SPLC has an extensive write up about Kessler here: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/jason-kessler

This whole event is in the context of a larger ongoing grudge match between this clown and this other clown Bellamy. However Bellamy is also a documented hate-filled, stupid bigot for some incredibly vile stuff he's posted to Twitter. The SPLC mentions this briefly in their Kessler write-up, (but only dead links to claims on Kessler's personal site).

To be clear, 8 months ago, Wes Bellamy resigned from the Virginia Board of Education in disgrace over this (why he didn't resign as vice-mayor as well, nobody seems to question). https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...vulgar-tweets-surface/?utm_term=.e0356ff8139b
But the SPLC who is jumping all over Kessler, couldn't be bothered to cover Bellamy's directly related bigotry, nor his long associations and membership in alt-left groups, one of the main ones involved in the riots in Charlottesville.

At the very least, the SPLC is selectively lazy in their focus, at worst they are picking sides among hate groups for shallow political affiliation reasons. Whatever the angle, its inexcusable.

Apple looks foolish and incredibly shallow, for directly supporting a group thats practicing willful ignorance over hate. Tim Cook screwed up royal here rushing to be white knight, these are not the good guys. He needs to quickly write a retraction, rescind Apple's donation, and redirect Apple's 'generosity' to a more appropriate entity, before this completely explodes in his face.

Or... Maybe Tim Cook just hates nazis and white supremacists. Just a guess...

How do you feel about them?
 
I read Tim Cook's open letter. And agree with its contents in totality.

Regardless of my support, it saddens me deeply when reading the avalanche of comments herein. It almost looks like some of you are foaming at your collective mouths. And come ready to spew one-sided, recalcitrant views that perpetuate hate and division among us.

The symbols that you support are being used to claim white superiority. There are no good nazis, no good KKK, no good supremacists. They belong all on a heap of discarded history.

White supremacist thinking is rooted in ignorance, a feeling of powerlessness, and an overall lack of self-esteem. And it is being exploited by a power elite.

It is surprising to see this on an Apple-oriented site, which should be used to support enlightenment not retrograde feelings.

Just to make it clear, I do not belong to any of the groups that are subject to this hate. But nevertheless support their right to live unafraid, and prosper, among us.

This is what America, to me, is all about.
 
That is exactly where this is going. The Lincoln Memorial where Trump marched to the evening of his inauguration will have to go as Lincoln is a certified and outspoken white supremacist. There is no debate to have on that issue. Lincoln stated this unequivocally and held many meetings in the White House with black leaders encouraging them to emigrate out to an area of Central America known as Nicaragua today and also to Liberia, Africa.

Leftist leaders earlier this week in response to Trump have indeed called for the taking down of statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as well as their removal from Mt Rushmore.
k
Wake up and Google it.
I am not a leftist, but I support the removal of statues celebrating the Confederacy. When it comes to statues of Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington, they are not being celebrated for their white supremacy or their slaveholding. They are celebrated for the positive things they have done.

When "leftists" call for their removal, I will be standing in opposition. Possibly that means I will be standing with you, unless you want to remove them for spite or payback for removing the Confederate statues. Trump and others have been asking "where does it end?" The answer is that it ends when support for keeping a particular statue is strong enough to keep it in place. The "slippery slope" doesn't go all the way to where you think it does. There's always an equilibrium.
 
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I assume SPLC is against all the mask wearing dressed in black thugs in Charlottesville who showed up for violence? That group that has been showing up all over America doing violence? IF so I am happy to donate. Black clad- fascists in masks are a blight on all America stands for. Maybe they will go after BLM which has inspired murder down in Dallas?

Oh wait - they are going on about those few weirdos who assembled with that other group who are all about the white stuff? That tiny marginalized few people? Thats not worth a donation. Let me know when they go after ALL the haters, not just the people standing up for a statue.
 
I never really understand why so many people get uptight when Apple promotes something they believe in, unless of course, said people disagree with whatever stand Apple is taking. I think it's great that Apple realizes how far of a reach they have due to their unparalleled popularity, and utilizes it to take help with some of the worst things in the world: natural and manmade disasters, social justice and equality, the environment, and so on. I honestly for the life of me don't see what the big deal is...

Tim is right, equality should be apolitical, and a matter of human decency. Unfortunately, Trump continues to divide us with his leniency towards hate groups and the far right.
 



As planned, Apple is now accepting donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based non-profit organization, through iTunes. The donation prompt was spotted by Twitter user setteBIT.

SPLC_Logo-800x246.jpg

iTunes users in the United States can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 with a credit card tied to their account. Apple will transfer 100 percent of the proceeds to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which says it is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, protecting civil rights, and seeking justice.

Following a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white nationalists and supremacists clashed with counter-protestors over the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, Apple said it will be making contributions of $1 million each to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

Apple said it will also match two-for-one its employees' donations to those and several other human rights groups, between now and September 30.

Apple has also disabled Apple Pay support on websites selling white nationalist and hate group apparel and accessories. Apple's guidelines prevent Apple Pay from being used on sites promoting hate, intolerance, and violence based on race, age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.

Apple CEO Tim Cook's full letter to employees was obtained by MacRumors:Southern Poverty Law Center operates offices in four U.S. states, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Apple says iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation. The fine print also says donations may not qualify for a tax deduction.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Now Accepting Donations to Southern Poverty Law Center Following Charlottesville Protests
I was born and raised in Charlottesville and the surrounding area. A huge contingent of my family is still there. I've been to the parks where the protesters were. I've walked on the streets where Heather was killed. What's so wrong with just being decent to the fellow human beside you no matter what skin they live in?

As far as the statues are concerned I don't care if they stay or go. I would have a problem if they were a place where KKK, Neo-Nazi's and other bigots were having REGULAR meetings or demonstrations. Those statues may hold painful memories for some and I understand that, but in MY life they were an absolute nonfactor.

If Apple wants to provide a convenient link from their app to the SPLC it's fine. If someone doesn't want to donate they don't have to. It's just there if you want to donate. If you don't want to donate you could also use the link to explore what SPLC is actually all about and make up your own mind. If you want to donate you still just do it directly via the SPLC site. Apple is trying to be a good corporate citizen and I won't fault them for that.

Also let's remember that the products that we love and buy are based on the vision of the son of a Syrian immigrant. An immigrant that would not be welcome in this country under the current administration.

Just my thoughts and opinion.
 
We don't ban all that is unpleasant. But these statues are celebrating people FOR being traitors. At the least, they should be changed to reflect the reality of their history.

Dachau is now a memorial to the atrocities that occurred there. It doesn't celebrate Hitler and the Nazis who supported it.

I think every place that a statue is removed, there should be a monument to the fact that the statue was there and an explanation for why it should not have been erected in the first place.


Those people werent traitors. Many fought in other wars and distinguished themselves on behalf of the US.

Robert E Lee was in the US Army for over 30 years. Fought in the Spanish American war and was a hero for it.

He decided to defend his state from an oppressive centralized government that wanted to take away many of their rights to make choices for themselves. Yes, as bad as it was, slavery was one of those choices.

But individuals standing up for their rights to choosing and govern themselves is why we dont fly the British flag here in the USA. Do you call those who fought against the British traitors???? Because that is exactly what they were in the eyes of the British.



I also dont see blacks in this country trying to disavow their African roots. Which if they paid attention to who actually put their people into slavery many times, it was competing tribes of black Africans who sold them to others of many races. Slavery isnt isolated to white Americans. Dark skinned Egyptians enslaved the light skinned men from Israel. Yet the only thing people today can talk about is something that ended 160+ years ago here in this country as if that is the only occurrence of it ever.
 
No one is trying to change history. The new generation is attempting to rightfully atone for it, 'cause their ancestors didn't even try.


Why should we
atone for something we didn't do, was 100+ years before us and generally is of no concern to us? The Civil War is over, and yes, slavery of all types of people was what you did back then. It's not been that way for over 100 years. None of us or our direct family owned another human being. Calling for reparations, promoting one race over another, violence, etc. is equally wrong, no matter who does it.

It would be far better for all sides to treat everyone as equals and the way you would like to be treated. Until that person proves they are not worthy of that respect.
 
Those people werent traitors. Many fought in other wars and distinguished themselves on behalf of the US.

Robert E Lee was in the US Army for over 30 years. Fought in the Spanish American war and was a hero for it.

He decided to defend his state from an oppressive centralized government that wanted to take away many of their rights to make choices for themselves. Yes, as bad as it was, slavery was one of those choices.

But individuals standing up for their rights to choosing and govern themselves is why we dont fly the British flag here in the USA. Do you call those who fought against the British traitors???? Because that is exactly what they were in the eyes of the British.



I also dont see blacks in this country trying to disavow their African roots. Which if they paid attention to who actually put their people into slavery many times, it was competing tribes of black Africans who sold them to others of many races. Slavery isnt isolated to white Americans. Dark skinned Egyptians enslaved the light skinned men from Israel. Yet the only thing people today can talk about is something that ended 160+ years ago here in this country as if that is the only occurrence of it ever.
No one is born a traitor. It's conscious decision that they make. The founding fathers knew they would hang for treason if they lost to the British. The moment Robert E Lee chose to fight in the Confederate Army be became a traitor and enemy to the flag and the anthem. He was lucky that Grant allowed him and his men to leave Appomattox with their lives and rations.
 
I assume SPLC is against all the mask wearing dressed in black thugs in Charlottesville who showed up for violence? That group that has been showing up all over America doing violence? IF so I am happy to donate. Black clad- fascists in masks are a blight on all America stands for. Maybe they will go after BLM which has inspired murder down in Dallas?

Oh wait - they are going on about those few weirdos who assembled with that other group who are all about the white stuff? That tiny marginalized few people? Thats not worth a donation. Let me know when they go after ALL the haters, not just the people standing up for a statue.
That’s very interesting. You’d donate if they were against groups fighting the fascists, but not when they’re against just the fascists.
 
No one is trying to change history. The new generation is attempting to rightfully atone for it, 'cause their ancestors didn't even try.

Any monument in memory of those who fought and died for (among other things) keeping other human beings in chains sits squarely in the "Our-idiot-ancestors-should-never-have-built-this-so-tear-it-down" camp.

Having a display in the Smithsonian for educational purposes, for example, is another matter entirely.

There's a reason white supremacist groups carry and proudly display both the Confederate flag AND the Nazi flag. The message they both represent are one and the same. You can't pick and choose what it means. It's all or nothing with these things.

These symbols just keep wounds open and teach new generations to hate and be divided.

Even Germany outlawed the public display of such symbols outside of historical purposes (let's not delve into semantics about historical purposes, either).

In the US military, it is illegal to display such symbols on the base. It is not illegal, for example, to have them in your home. They know it's divisive. Everyone does.

In the US, the equivalent Confederate symbol is even part of the STATE FLAG in many states.

It's no wonder that after over 150 years after the Civil War ended this symbolism and ideology is strong enough to keep this ridiculous mentality alive.

We should tear it all down to atone and then we can finally have Year Zero! Its long over due, right?
 
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I was born and raised in Charlottesville and the surrounding area. A huge contingent of my family is still there. I've been to the parks where the protesters were. I've walked on the streets where Heather was killed. What's so wrong with just being decent to the fellow human beside you no matter what skin they live in?

As far as the statues are concerned I don't care if they stay or go. I would have a problem if they were a place where KKK, Neo-Nazi's and other bigots were having REGULAR meetings or demonstrations. Those statues may hold painful memories for some and I understand that, but in MY life they were an absolute nonfactor.

If Apple wants to provide a convenient link from their app to the SPLC it's fine. If someone doesn't want to donate they don't have to. It's just there if you want to donate. If you don't want to donate you could also use the link to explore what SPLC is actually all about and make up your own mind. If you want to donate you still just do it directly via the SPLC site. Apple is trying to be a good corporate citizen and I won't fault them for that.

Also let's remember that the products that we love and buy are based on the vision of the son of a Syrian immigrant. An immigrant that would not be welcome in this country under the current administration.

Just my thoughts and opinion.


You were making some sense till the last couple sentences. Then you went off into the tripe that so many on the left spew about the current white house being anti immigrant. He married an immigrant after all. And I think a 90 hold on immigration from SOME countries that happen to be majority muslim does not equate to anti immigrant. The operative word(or number) in that sentence would be 90 days. Only 90 days to reevaluate the current system..... Not permanent.

Steve jobs dad was Syrian and a muslim but his mom was a white catholic from the US. I think he would have had no issues whatsoever under the current administration.
 
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That’s very interesting. You’d donate if they were against groups fighting the fascists, but not when they’re against just the fascists.

No, its consistent. Both groups are fascists/totalitarians. I see two groups of idiots parading around and when someone only attacks one of them, I know that person is comfortable replacing speech with violence. I'm not.
 
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