Confederate Flag - Heritage NOT Hate!

IS THE AMERICAN FLAG A SYMBOL OF HATE? The first American flag was designed in 1776 to represent the original 13 states in their struggle for independence against Great Britain. The Confederate Flag was a flag designed to represent the Confederate States in their struggle for independence against the "Union." Of course, the ignorant, think the Civil War was fought to preserve slavery. The Civil War was fought over states rights and economics, though most history books emphasize the slavery aspect of the war.
South Carolina adopted an ordinance declaring its secession from the Union shortly after Lincoln was elected president in 1860, by February 1861, six more Southern states had adopted ordinances of secession. All federal forts in these southern states (with the exception of four) had been seized by the state in which it was located. Ft. Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was one of those 4 forts. At 3:20 a.m., April 12, 1861, the Confederates informed Anderson (who was in charge of the federal troops at Ft. Sumter) that they would open fire in one hour. At 4:30 a.m., a single mortar round fired from Fort Johnson exploded over Fort Sumter, making the start of the bombardment from 43 guns and mortars at Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson. The official "first flag" of the Confederacy had a single palmetto leaf - which represented the state of South Carolina. It can still be seen encased in the musuem at Ft. Moultrie. Since the palmetto leaf is a South Carolina symbol, once the other states had unified against the "Union" - once President Lincoln declared war on the South (yep, it wasn't the SOUTH that declared war - it was the NORTH), the confederate flag as we know it was designed to represent all the Confederate States. Lincoln issued the first Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, which declared the freedom of all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America that did not return to Union control by January 1, 1863. So if the "slaves were not freed" until 17 months AFTER LINCOLN DECLARED WAR ON THE SOUTHERN STATES - how the hell do people think the South was fighting over the slaves being freed? YES - the Civil Was was fought over economics - hell - the North was buying the raw materials (cotton, tobacco, etc.) for pennies - taking the raw materials to Northern manufacturing plants to make finished goods - which they then sold BACK to the south for a hefty profit. France wanted to buy the raw materials and pay 10 times what the northern states were paying - BUT the federal government passed legislation which prohibited the South from exporting these raw materials without paying a VERY HIGH TARIFF (taxes) - which meant they would end up with less money than the North was willing to pay for the goods (ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME ON THIS?). The only way to prevent this was to withdraw from the Union. The Federal Government told the South they could not do that. Well - any TRUE SOUTHERNER knows - it's not a good idea to tell us that we are forbidden to do something which is in our best interest.
OK - now YES - most Southern Plantations owned slaves - but hey, guess what - they didn't own slave ships - those belonged to the NORTH! Who went to various places, bought Africans who were sold into slavery by their own people, transported them to the United States, and then sold them (and yes, many in the South owned slaves - but so did MANY people in the North. Now, don't get me wrong, SLAVERY IS WRONG - in any way shape form or fashion. BUT HELL - MY PEOPLE - THE CELTS - WERE ENSLAVED LONG BEFORE ANYONE KNEW WHERE THE HELL AFRICA WAS!!! So, I'm sorry - I am not telling the Queen of England or the chicken sh#t French that they OWE ME something because my ancestors were once sold into slavery or that they have to change their flag.
The Confederate Flag is a sign of PRIDE IN HERITAGE - NOT HATE. If you think it's hate - you a product of revisionist history - and you need to get educated. My motto is 'AMERICAN BY BIRTH - SOUTHERN BY THE GRACE OF GOD!" And those raised in the SOUTH - know exactly what it means - the South is the greatest place on this Earth. But you Northerners just stay where you are...lol. We like our South just like it is!