You drive a Hummer? Oh Dude, I truly feel sorry for you.

Seriously, "political correctness" can sometimes get very out-of-hand. If we're so culturally homogenized that we no longer offend each other at all, then where is our intellectual diversity headed? Must we all become totally think-alike lemmings marching over the same evolutionary cliff?

Heck, there's enough people in my area that think the Stars and Stripes represents hate and racism. I still fly it.

I must admit, there are sections of the county that I would feel a bit safer wearing this jersey. Anyway, I like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

We agree again. That is, if you mean the original Skynrd, the real Skynyrd. Before the crash that killed Ronnie Van Zandt. Back when they were a Southern Rock band. Not so much the later versions when they became basically a pop country band.

I am a native Californian who grew up in New Jersey. I am married to a Kentuckian. I am white, with ancestors who came to Pennsylvania when it was a colony. The Confederate Battle flag was a mostly forgotten symbol until segregationist started waving it during the infancy of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. That is why it is seen as a racist symbol.

drmweaver2, if you fly the Stars and Bars, I suspect most people think it is a weird texas flag, or something. If you fly the Confederate Battle flag, which is what most people think of as the Confederate Flag, then yes, many people will make assumptions based on the symbol you choose to show. Just as people make assumptions about me when I wear a tshirt with this photo that I picked up on my recent tour in KY, Southern IL, MO and Tn. (I tried to post the picture, but it didn't work. The picture is a picture of President Obama standing in front of a giant Superman statue) Does it bother me when people make assumptions? Nope. I would choose to wear solid color clothing only if it did. BTW, the tshirt version of this photo says "President Obama and I visited Metropolis, IL" It has started several conversations already :-)

BTW, I also picked up a shirt from the Dorena-Hickman Ferry. It has only started one short conversation with a semi-literate person who said "There's no ferry in Riverside" I responded with something about how the shirt was from the Mississippi River, and he said "It says Riverside". He apparently read the first part of riverboat and assumed the shirt was about the inland Southern California city of Riverside that is about 50 miles away from where I was at the time :-)

So, then, you do/say/wear/display what you please while others are obligated to either like it or dummy up? Not in the USA. If you are proud of a flag and what it represents then fly it.

I may even agree. Or not.

If I agree, I may say something positive. Or not.

If I disagree I may stay silent. Or not.

I agree with everything you just said.

I think.

Or not.

I think that's it.

Double ditto to the two comments above.

Wow, this thread has certainly gotten off topic! (And perhaps moved to a topic that is more significant in an absolute sense.)
I'm a transplanted Virginian. I came to understand long ago what The Weak Link is saying. Whether it offends everyone who is black isn't the point. The fact is, it does or even just may offend some. I am proud of parts of my heritage and embarrassed by other parts (note, this is Bike Forums, not History Forums). But I do not wish to engage in offensive behavior. What may seem trivial and harmless to me isn't necessarily so to others.

Now, speaking of respect, what about that extra respect shown by drivers? Could it be that, much like during Olympic Games On TV season, they are all aware that the TDF has started???

Wearing an American flag as apparel? As part of an athletic uniform? Bad form and disrespectful. (See §8d, §8j).

I'd respectfully suggest it is better than burning it.

X

Maybe they're aware if they watch Versus or see the Lance Armstrong ads for Michelob Ultra in their grocery stores. When it comes to pro cycling, the majority of U.S. citizens are sadly clueless.

Agreed. ^

I ride a bike quite a bit, and I'm only aware the TDF is going on because people have mentioned it on the forum. Other than that, I wouldn't know and still don't care.

[QUOTE=billydonn;11070792]Not buying that for a minute, sorry. [QUOTE]


I wasn't trying to SELL it .

On the 4th, I wore my "Brooklyn" jersey, with what looks like an American flag design, in Los Angeles. The irony, as some here may know, is that the popular jersey was created to advertise Brooklyn chewing gum, manufactured by an Italian company (I purchased the jersey to celebrate a trip to Brooklyn, where my daughter now lives). Still, it seemed like a great jersey for the day.

I saw no more respect, or lack of it, than usual from drivers with my jersey. However, as I rode up the steep road leading to the top of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, on a road which a lot of hikers also like to use, I received a reception far nicer than usual from many people, who smiled, gave me the thumbs up, etc. I'm going to make wearing that jersey a yearly tradition.

Supporters of the Third Reich generally don't wear their stuff in public. Nor do Tories or others defeated by the USA. Confederate supporters shouldn't, either. As for blacks fighting for the South, there were very few doing it willingly. I'm a white guy and I've lived in the north and south. I've never knows anyone wearing that stuff who wasn't, to some degree. a racist. The War Between the States is over; the South lost.

feel better now?

I've reread my original post several times. I can't find anything in it that suggested or mentioned any flags or symbols other than our Star and Stripes. Nowhere do I hint at racism, the South versus the North--- not to mention the Third Reich for goodness sake!!!! Attention deficit is much more prevalent than I ever imagined with 50+.......... must have been something in the in the Gerber baby food we were all given as kids. I respect everyone's rights to express their opinions, but if you desire to express an opinion that is so off topic from the original post, I'd appreciate it if it was done elsewhere.

Blame it on the alcohol.