More Examples:

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I see this everywhere. Hidden or transparent monochrome American black flags on large trucks or 4-Runners. Usually speeding or driving aggressively on the highway.

I found this:

The black and white American flag originated during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865. It was created as an opposing symbol to the white flag, which symbolizes surrender. Confederate army soldiers flew the black flag to demonstrate they would not give in or surrender to the enemy. It showed that they would rather be killed than taken in as prisoner.

And this:

Sometimes soldiers show respect for their country by using the black version on their vehicles

My question is for the people doing this. What message are you trying to send? Are you openly telling your coworkers and neighbors that you are still supporting the South in a war that ended long ago? Are you low key showing your support for Trump? Are you ex military showing support for your country? I ask because at least for me, the message is unclear.

  • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
    104·
    1 year ago

    you really think the Deputy Director of the FL ACLU is full of it and doesn’t know what he’s talking about?

    • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
      46·
      1 year ago

      I think she’s probably seen it used by loud, shitty people and the article’s use of the monochrome flag without the “No Quarter” text (or “No .25”, etc.) is making an association that doesn’t exist. It’s the difference between what’s shown below on the left and right:

      (Image description: The right side has a black and white symbol where a mid-step human shape is circled and has a diagonal slash going across to indicate “don’t walk”. The left side shows the same symbol on a picket sign with the text “No Black People!” underneath as an example made for this post.)

      If this sign had been real and was used by certain tiki-torch-carrying shitheads, it would not make the “don’t walk” symbol itself into a racist message.

      • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
        92·
        1 year ago

        there are a surprising amount of racist/racism apologists here.

        also, re: your example:

        nice false equivalence.

        edit: also, nobody is arguing what that the no crossing sign is racist. that’s a

        • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          37·
          1 year ago

          That image is a useful counter to what’s being shown in the article you posted earlier, glad you found it. Good to know we agree on something.

          [Edit: The image was changed]

          Your later edit is missing the point as well. I have not said that the no crossing sign is racist. The example shows that a symbol plus an additional message conveys a meaning that the symbol alone does not.

          • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
            82·
            1 year ago

            except you can’t explain how without making a false equivalence, which is why your argument makes no sense at all.

            • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
              26·
              1 year ago

              I guess I don’t see what you see in my words then. If you look up “No Quarter flag”, you’ll find image results showing the black and gray one linking to the article as well as some more pirate-themed ones. There are also images showing the monochrome flag in various forms. It’s worth noting that these include the text “No Quarter” (or equivalent representation of that phrase). I won’t hold that up as a particularly rigorous way of examining the meaning of a symbol but you can find the US Army guide to wearing flag patches here PDF in section 21-19, paragraph a on page marked 234 (though it’s 251 of 367 in the PDF). It mentions a green and black flag specifically though other color schemes (including gray and black) are commonly available.

              I think painting all who wear or display a subdued flag as racists / racist apologists / etc. would be using too broad of a brush. Some are legitimately shitheads for one reason or another (including racism) but a monochrome flag alone isn’t a strong enough indicator and you risk finding enemies that don’t exist.

              • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
                81·
                1 year ago

                I guess I don’t see what you see in my words then

                probably because I’m not trying to twist myself into knots to defend racism and racist symbology with a long list of logical fallacies ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

                also, nice cherry-picking

                • betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  37·
                  1 year ago

                  You’ve found a nice listicle or something with those images (call me out for ad hominem next) but I think we’re not going to see eye to eye on this. I haven’t had to “twist myself into knots” and am certainly not defending racists and their symbols. You’re rejecting explanations for common and benign use of a monochrome flag that doesn’t support the outrage you feel.

                  • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
                    82·
                    1 year ago

                    were not going to see eye to eye because I’m not defending racists and racist symbolism using a bunch of logical fallacies. I reject your explanations for the reasons I explained: they’re logically fallacious and not based on fact.

                    and your stubborn insistence and denials don’t change that.

        • Throwaway@lemm.ee
          49·
          1 year ago

          Because he thinks he can read minds and that everyone is as obsessed with race wars as he is?

          • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
            94·
            1 year ago

            because he can read a history book and see racists waving the flag. it doesn’t take a genius to put 2 and 2 together, even if it’s beyond your abilities. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

            • Throwaway@lemm.ee
              17·
              1 year ago

              And those who buy them don’t bother learning the history of the symbol.

              • adroit balloon@lemmy.mlEnglish
                8·
                1 year ago

                so, your argument is they’re not racist, they’re just stupid?

                lmao

                sorry, internet rando who keeps defending racist traitors has a lot less credibility than the deputy director of the FL ACLU.

                • Throwaway@lemm.ee
                  17·
                  1 year ago

                  More like there’s better things to worry about than the psuedo-history of a cool symbol. Can’t spend your life worrying about what randoms might think, because there will always be someone upset.

                  Also I did some googling. Nothing came up for the American monochrome “no quarter” flag. What did come up was old pirate flags. I honestly think he just made it up for the article.

                  Edit: heres the wikipedia article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_quarter

                  Super side track, what do you think of Tampa Bay Buccaneer fans? Pittsburg Pirates fans? The Pirate Bay torrent site? Disney, who produced the Pirates of the Carribean?

        • kmkz_ninja@lemmy.world
          38·
          1 year ago

          I think he’s making a stretch. He might as well just as confidently claim that the OK symbol is actually a white power symbol and that everyone who uses it is looking for a white ethnostate.