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Old 04-04-2006, 01:59 PM   #25
revrew
Team Chaplain
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Just outside Des Moines, IA
By the time the Rebels returned to Birmingham 4 weeks later, Davis' comments had been played and replayed, studied in school, editorialized about in everything from the New York Times to Jet. Many in the media were hoping for a quick solution to racial tension, a panacea that would issue in an interracial utopia. Many of those had (perhaps too quickly) latched on to Davis' words as the miracle cure. I considered it snake oil, but perhaps that was only because of my opinion of the snake that was selling it.

Regardless, when the 2-4 Rebels (yeah, we were getting stomped on the road) returned to Birmingham, they were met by fans purposely waving the flag...as a sign of brotherhood? There were black men in the stands that looked on the flags...and nodded in approval?

I confess, I felt like like the nation got on the carousel and left me standing on the side. What was going on? Graves propaganda campaign had been in full swing for only 5 weeks, and already the people of the U.S. were widely convinced that the Confederate flag was a sign of unity and maturity. The tide of popular opinion had shifted: "If you can't get over somebody waving a flag representing their own unique expression of history, what kind of judgmental bigot are you? Anyone with any social maturity KNOWS we're past that chapter, when a few stars and stripes could divide whole races of people. Anyone with any social conscience is above such smallmindedess."

There was even a campaign among young black men to "have the balls" to wear the flag, to show they have enough pride in themselves to not allow such a symbol to hold them in oppression anymore.

Behold the power of football. The era of Rebel pride had begun.
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Winner of 6 FOFC Scribe Awards, including 3 Gold Scribes
Founder of the ZFL, 2004 Golden Scribe Dynasty of the Year
Now bringing The Des Moines Dragons back to life, and the joke's on YOU, NFL!
I came to the Crossroad. I took it. And that has made all the difference.
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