One of the controversies being bandied about by the African-American community with regards to Brad Paisley song: “Accidental Racist”, is that for him the Confederate Flag is a symbol of his “Southern Pride”.
“To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand
When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I’m a Skynyrd fan
The red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the south
And I just walked him right in the room
Just a proud rebel son with an ‘ol can of worms
Lookin’ like I got a lot to learn but from my point of view”
African-Americans are passionate in their opinion that this Rebel Flag is a symbol of white power and racism. Rightly so, for it is. Under it’s banner, oppression, exploitation, violence and death were visited upon the African-American community. I wonder though if these same African-Americans are cognizant that as they reject the Rebel Flag and wrap themselves with Old Glory, that for the majority of Black, Brown, Yellow and Red peoples of the world, the American Flag is the symbol of white supremacy and military imperialism. Under it’s banner, oppression, exploitation, violence and death are visited daily upon us.
This is not a condemnation of all African-Americans or Americans in general. There are those who understand… and more importantly are vocal about the evils of American imperialism. They take no pride in the exploitation and oppression that Old Glory symbolizes for the rest of the world… the non-white world especially. There are those who are also aware of the fact that they have suffered longer and more insidious oppression, exploitation, violence and death within their shores, under the white supremacist banner of Old Glory, than they ever did under the Confederate Flag.
I am however condemning those who preach about “American Pride” based on the concept of “American Exceptionalism”, which is in reality just an excuse, as well as a justification for the crimes of “American Imperialism”… today and yesterday. They are as much an “Accidental Imperialist” as Brad Paisley is an “Accidental Racist”. AND just as they condemn LLCoolJ (someone referred to him as “LLCoonJuice”), I condemn those within the African-American community who align themselves with these “Accidental Imperialist”. These are the ones quick to self-righteously point out the “speck” in his eye but fail to acknowledge the “log” in their own. They proudly don the American flag of the Democratic and Republican Party to symbolize their “Black Pride”. They proudly wave their American Flag while they march overseas with the propagators of white supremacy… intellectually, politically and militarily… to spread the disease which is American Imperialism, upon the rest of the non-white world.
I am currently reading “The Untold History of the United States”. I am learning about America’s exceptional history in it’s attitudes and relations towards non-Americans and specifically non-whites. American imperialism is no accident. The symbolism of the American Flag is no different than that of the Confederate Flag. Anyone in the African-American community who sing along with the “Accidental Imperialist” with their hand over their heart, the imperial anthems of the Republic to express their “American Pride”, are just as guilty of being a traitorous house negro, as they have sentenced LLCoolJ to be.
