Tom Petty Calls His Use of the Confederate Flag Downright Stupid

So many people don't get what the flag debate is all about. A enemy flag flying at a State building is what this is all about. This symbol of rebellion being displayed on grounds funded by American taxpayers. Not about TV Land making a decision to pull Dukes Of Hazzard. Which is the first place I look for racial diversification. When I need info on racial sensitivity, I turn to Cooter.

Tom Petty, who is a southern boy from Florida, told Rolling Stone he regretted his use of the controversial flag 30 years ago during the Southern Accents tour. Click here to read more of the story.

To me, this just shows how ass backwards our country is. A guy from the south says he regrets it and two guys from Michigan waving it. One of these guys began his career in RAP music and is now proudly displaying the flag at his concerts. He is losing sponsors and alienating fans but that doesn't seem to bother him. I wonder how the black music makers feel about him sampling their music now?

I am very much against censorship. I do believe a State building waving anything other than a State or American flag borders on treason. POW MIA, Wounded Warrior and other military symbols are the exception.

I also have embraced my Michigan heritage. Michigan is home of the Republican party. You know, the party that ended slavery. Michigan was also a huge hub for the Underground Railroad. My buddy's parents live in a house that was used to help slaves find freedom in Canada. The Detroit Tigers baseball name has many legends but according to an author, the "Tigers" were a Detroit Light Guard Unit who battled in Louisiana during the Civil War. In 1900, Detroit asked them for permission to use the Tigers nickname and the rest is history. Click here to read more about that.

So, when you talk about your heritage, this is the heritage I am most proud of. Being on the RIGHT side of history. It's really all about education though. In this Facebook share the story without reading the article world, education is the most pressing need.

In Ken Burns "Civil War" a Union soldier asks a Confederate soldier, "Why are you guys fighting so hard?" The southern soldier replied "Cuz ya'll are down here." Some of the soldiers had no idea there was even slavery. Some had no idea why they were fighting.

Tom Petty is now a bigger hero of mine than ever before. It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. Being from the south, it could have been excused.

"Again, people just need to think about how it looks to a black person. It's just awful. It's like how a swastika looks to a Jewish person. It just shouldn't be on flagpoles.

Beyond the flag issue, we're living in a time that I never thought we'd see. The way we're losing black men and citizens in general is horrific. What's going on in society is unforgivable. As a country, we should be more concerned with why the police are getting away with targeting black men and killing them for no reason. That's a bigger issue than the flag. Years from now, people will look back on today and say, "You mean we privatized the prisons so there's no profit unless the prison is full?" You'd think someone in kindergarten could figure out how stupid that is. We're creating so many of our own problems."

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