I think “idiocy” is a good reason to rescind acceptance and if these kids were going to a private school I was running, I’d have no issue with saying, “go sprinkle your personality elsewhere, thank you.” I understand public schools may not have this option, as much as they’d like to.
FWIW, I doubt these kids haven’t been told what waving the confederate flag means to the vast majority of people, many southerners included. I think they did it on purpose, and then bragged about it online. It’s vile behavior that should be condemned. Sadly, I do think these girls may be too idiotic to even begin understanding why it’s so upsetting to some of us.
Even if they “didn’t know” which I believe is pure BS, you don’t say you’re buying a slave without knowing what THAT means and how deeply painful that would be to many. And honestly, if a kid is bright enough an old enough to complete HS and get into college, they darn well know Confederate flag is a racist symbol to many, even if they don’t quite know why.
According to the article linked in the first post, the poster of the picture captioned it “South will rise”, but the “slave” comment was added by someone else.
While it may surprise many here, 48% of people polled in 2011 believe that states’ rights, as opposed to slavery, was the main cause of the Civil War – see http://www.people-press.org/2011/04/08/civil-war-at-150-still-relevant-still-divisive/ . This is despite the declarations by seceding states that explicitly called out slavery as the main state’s right that they were trying to protect – see http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/declarationofcauses.html . Those who see the origins of the Civil War in states’ rights generally, as opposed to slavery specifically, may not be too aware that many consider the CSA flag to be a symbol tied to the attempted defense of slavery.
Where do people think they got these flags? They sell them in stores all over the south and at any Civil War battle town. These were southern kids, traveling to a northern battle field. Why wouldn’t they want to wave the southern flag? Although these kids posted their picture, I’d bet many of the kids on the trip bought souvenirs with some kind of southern theme - soldiers in gray uniforms, maps, Stonewall Jackson items.
When/where I was growing up, a confederate flag was a symbol of rebellion against authority, like getting a tattoo (at that time). The “South’s gonna rise again” sentiment was also a message of independence and frontier spirit, not at all attached to any of the issues of the Civil War (or “War of Northern Aggression,” I’ve heard it both ways). There was no thought whatsoever of any racial or slave-owning connotation for either of these (flag or slogan). I did hear that meaning attached later, in New England.
It is hardly a uniform symbol across the country. Here is an interesting article about the massive (30’ x 22’) confederate flag that flies by I-95 in Virginia today:
I’ve yet to see anything about their acceptances (?) being revoked.
I do think it’s interesting though that the OP made an account just for this, made (what appears to be) an unsubstantiated claim, and has yet to return…
Despite the fact that the CSA flag represents the attempted defense of slavery (based on the actual declarations of causes of secession by the seceding states), it is not clear that “most people” associate it with such.
9 / 30 / 58 overall
8 / 29 / 61 white
10 / 41 / 45 black
22 / 13 / 64 southern white
4 / 35 / 59 non-southern white
Note that neither positive nor negative reactions were at least the plurality in all of the above, although negative outweighed positive for all except southern white.
Over 51,000 U.S. citizens died at Gettysburg. War mongering the site of such tragedy is beyond stupid. It may not be grounds for rescinding college admissions, but it puts into question their basic humanity.
My concern is that social media is turning stupidity or opinion or a mistake into a something that while legal will have ramifications that will never be litigated and lives can be ruined. I am one that is quite glad that I didn’t grow up in the age of social media. I was never an evil or bad person but I am sure that sometime in my past I did stupid, ignorant things that I might be ashamed of but really didn’t reflect my beliefs or my values. I don’t condone the acts or frankly the opinions of the Oklahoma students or the aforementioned students or a plethora of other young men and women who have made mistakes and have come under the scrutiny of the public thought police. But I also don’t think that ones opinion at the age of 20 while in the midst of drunken peers should mark a person for life.
My father, who would be 82 this summer, was a deeply prejudiced man who grew up in the south. But he knew enough to keep that side of his personality hidden except when he was with immediate family and intimate friends. Publicly, he treated everyone the same. It wasn’t that he was hiding anything, really. He simply knew how to behave in public.
Compared to my father, and many others of his generation, these girls benefit from decades of racial progress. Yet they still do not know how to behave in public. Posting this photo online shows incredibly poor judgment – as does the poster’s unapologetic public apology.
If (hypothetically) a private school chose to rescind their offer of admission to the girl who posted this photo, I would support that decision. Not because of what she may or may not believe – I also support freedom of thought – but because she went out of her way, twice, to align herself publicly with an offensive point of view. In short: uninvite her because she’s a doofus.
Perhaps college might be the perfect place for these two young women to get exposure to other points of view and maybe realize that their behavior was not only bigoted but stupid as well. I don’t disagree that whatever private university they matriculated to would have the authority to rescind their acceptances. I think the desire many have to punish them would be on the whole counterproductive. If you choose to punish hate and bigotry what will happen when others see your views as hateful and bigoted. A better way would be to help them see their hatred and bigotry for what it is.
Did the school applications ask anyone if they dislike or hate any groups? If they belong to the KKK or young communists? If they’ve ever used non PC language? No, at most schools questions about the belief of the applicant are not considered (at BYU or Liberty or Oral Roberts, maybe). Individuals can still belong to the Young Republicans and go to college, even if others at the college don’t like it.
Would the said college do the same for its employees? I think this is where I see the disconnect. A college would rescind the students acceptance but claim freedom of speech if it was a professor.
a set of rules for one group but and a different set for others. Denver Public School District announced a new policy years ago that all students involved in a fight would be suspended. Two weeks later, a couple of teachers came to blows and they weren’t placed on leave.
Once a student is enrolled at school they are part of the group. If the school has a chance to prevent that from happening, they will. Same with a Prof.
You all are giving these kids a whole lotta credit. Have you ever seen Jimmy Kimmel’s bit where he asks people on the street some pretty basic questions about events or people in history? I mean really simple stuff…the ignorance of some folks is truly and shockingly surprising. So, maybe these girls are just kinda dumb. The outright racist comments don’t get a free pass from me.