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Comment of the Day

Dec 23, 2004 12:42 PM
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Yeah, this Hit and Run comment by (a different) "joe" on a woman suing because she wasn't allowed to wear a confederate flag dress to her prom nicely sums up my feelings on the obnoxious embracing of that symbol.

Hammer and sickle dress — celebrating your Russian heritage

Khmer Rouge flag dress — celebrating your Cambodian heritage

It's a really, really bad idea to conflate your cultural history with a political movement.

And we know the third one, which he left out — probably to sidestep Godwin's Law.


Comments: Comment of the Day

It's all relative...

Wearing an American flag dress here would be fine, but in somewhere like Vietnam, it might not be taken so well. An Israeli flag dress would be an accepted display of culture here, but it would infurate Palestinians in a refugee camp.

Really, they treaded on that girl's rights. We speak of freedom in this country, but we really have a freedom that is dictated by a select few. People cry that others should be tolerant of others when they themselves are not.

Posted by: O'dell on December 23, 2004 3:31 PM | permalink

The girl should be allowed to wear the dress, but she's fucking stupid.

Posted by: ChuckJerry on December 23, 2004 5:06 PM | permalink

I don't agree. If someone came to my (public) high school prom wearing a tux that said "white power" on it, I'd want their ass booted.

Posted by: Joe Grossberg on December 23, 2004 5:22 PM | permalink

You'd want that (as would I), but that doesn't mean that person's rights are being protected.

Posted by: ChuckJerry on December 23, 2004 10:14 PM | permalink

Yes, you'd want them booted, as would many, but what about their rights? What if you wore something that they found offensive? Who gets the final say in what is ok and why?

We need to watch out for the rights of others, even if they are stupid, even if we don't agree. After their rights fade away, ours will be next.

Posted by: O'dell on December 24, 2004 12:35 AM | permalink

I thought it was about heritage not hate? ;-)

Seriously, who cares? I think the stars and bars are offensive but others don't. They might find rainbow flags offensive.

If the kid wearing the pro-gay t-shirt to school can have his rights protected from an overzealous administration, than so should this stupid (I can't improve on Jerry's line) girl.

Peer ridicule (or acceptance) should be what keeps these types of behaviors in check, not some whiney JR Delaney wannabe!

Posted by: DannyG on December 28, 2004 10:58 PM | permalink

No more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.