Clintons: Confederate Star On The Arkansas Flag, Celebrating Arkansas Confederate Flag Day

[merrily]

The Confederate Star on the Arkansas flag had been added in 1928 to express regret over the demise of the Confederacy . http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/06/23/bill-clinton-signed-law-affirming-arkansas-state-flag-includes-star-for-confederacy/

In 1987, Clinton signed a bill reaffirming the star on the flag and, as Governor and First Lady, he and Hillary led the state in celebrating Confederate Flag Day.

The state's General Assembly reaffirmed the parameters of the flag in a 1987 act that Clinton signed. Among other provisions detailing the flag's features, such as its colors and shapes, there was a line that read, “The blue star above the word 'ARKANSAS' is to commemorate the Confederate States of America.” The act met no significant opposition at the time. In the same legislative session, the assembly also settled on an official state song.

Arkansas observes a Confederate Flag Day, which is celebrated together with Arkansas Confederate History and Heritage Month and Confederate Memorial Day. Per state code, it is observed on the Saturday immediately preceding Easter Sunday. In annual gatherings outside the Arkansas Statehouse, participants can "attend and bring examples of the variety of flags used by Arkansas units and of the Confederate government and its army during the War," according to the Log Cabin Democrat, an Arkansas newspaper.

The holiday is still being observed......

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/22/bill-clinton-arkansas-confederate_n_7638542.html


In 1992, however, while running for President, Bill Clinton did object to Georgia's putting a Confederate symbol on its flag. id.

As far as I know, Hillary did not object to the Arkansas flag or the celebration of Confederate Flag Day or suggest they be abolished. As Governor and First Lady of Arkansas, both Bill and Hillary participated in commemorating Confederate Flag Day. However, in 2007, while she was running for President, the AP interviewed her and the topic of South Carolina's flag arose. Hillary said she thought we should all have one flag that we honor and "and “I personally would like to see it removed from the Statehouse grounds.”

Of course, as to the nation's flag, Hillary sponsored two "flag burning" bills, after the SCOTUS had declared that burning the flag was political speech protected by the First Amendment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/07/opinion/senator-clinton-in-pander-mode.html

These bills are typically originated by Republicans.

Supposedly this was to avoid a Constitutional Amendment to override the SCOTUS decision. However, her bills would have become law with only a majority of both houses, then controlled by Republicans, and Bush's signature. A Constitutional amendment would have required a 2/3 majority of both houses plus ratification by a 2/3 majority of the states. No amendment to the US Constitution that is controversial has been ratified since the Eisenhower Administration.

In somewhat related news, Terry McAuliffe, a prominent figure in Hillary's 2008 primary campaign and Governor of Virginia, is today expected to call for removal of the confederate flag from Virginia license plates.

http://www.newsweek.com/virginia-governor-terry-mcauliffe-expected-order-removal-confederate-flag-345927

[TexasProgresive]

1. This is what I detest about us dems

My Dad, may he rest in peace, was the epitome of this exact fault. No matter what good a Democratic elected official did there he always found something to fault him/her. I personally saw good things happen during Clinton's presidency. For one it was the 1st time after 12 years of Raygun/bush that GTE/Verizon started hiring technicians again. That was nice. Another, the debt was actually being paid down. Then there was the throttling down of the M.I.C.. There's more but regardless of what I say some will wish to tear down the good that was done with "facts".

[merrily]

2. This is not GD or LBN or either of the Clinton Groups. This is the Populist Reform Group. Please do

not disrupt the discussion. Please post about the thread topic and not about me. This is a host request. Thanks. Also, every word in the OP is verifiable at the linked sources.IMO, Democrats should have no problem with facts or put "facts" in quotation marks inappropriately.

[TexasProgresive]

5. OK, as you wish.

[LonePirate]

3. Is this merely a lesson in historical relevance or context?

Is there a reason a bill signed by Gov. Bill Clinton is pertinent now? Granted, he should not have signed it; but his view on this issue and others have likely changed (publicly) in roughly three decades. AR and other southern states should definitely change their flags, though.

[merrily]

4. Historical and Hillary is currently running for President. Please see Reply 2 and consider it

addressed to you as well as to the poster of Reply 1. Thanks.

[LonePirate]

12. I know the lines are blurred for some but Hillary and Bill can have separate opinions.

She did not sign the bill. He is not running for office. Bans on burning the U.S. flag are not part of current day political discourse. The entire post seems far removed from (modern day) populist reform.

[merrily]

13. The OP discusses his actions and words regarding the flag and Confederate Flag Day AND hers.

Sorry, you are disrupting and you were already asked once not to. If you want to be blocked from this group, I can oblige. If you don't want to be blocked, your next comment needs to be about substance and not about why you think the post should never have been made. Thanks.

[merrily]

15. Sorry, you don't get to do by pming me that which you were twice asked not to do on the board and

then some. My next move will be to block.

ETA: Sorry you saw TWO polite requests, which were fair notice, as threats. Perhaps you would have preferred being summarily blocked after your first reply, as happens in other groups, but I try to avoid that.

[Cheese Sandwich]

6. This is fair criticism. Unlike people seeking apologies for these Clinton confederate flag pins

Nobody seems to know if these were actually made by campaign staff or just some enthusiastic Clinton supporter.

I'm sure if it was a Bernie Sanders confederate flag pin nobody would criticize it, so I would not start demanding apologies for these.

But it is good to know things have changed. This was ages ago and times were so different.

[merrily]

7. Actually, the OP is mostly straight reportage. Not much editorial comment by me.

It's not as though I took it into my head to post about the confederate flag today. Flag issues have been all over the news since the mass killings.

True, the OP is not only half the story, only the flattering bits, but I didn't add a bunch of my opinions or characterizations.

[Cheese Sandwich]

8. Oh that's true, you just posted straight up reporting pretty much...

I'm just posting all these confederate flag pins because it relates to flags.

For example these are on ebay just now... Any enthusiastic supporter can make a pin. It doesn't mean the candidate condones it. Only that some supporter did.

I'm trying to imagine what the reaction would be on DU if there was a Bernie Sanders pin like this for sale on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xclinton+confederate+flag.TRS0&_nkw=clinton+confederate+flag&_sacat=0

[merrily]

9. Okay. I was responding to your comment that my OP was fair criticism. However,

the OP was reportage That's all I meant.

As for the pins, we really do not know who made them. It could very easily have been some state Democratic Party or other.

[Cheese Sandwich]

10. You can buy this collectible matchbook right now for $13.99 on eBay

This would a hot investment right now. I might just snatch this one up.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/1992-Democratic-Bill-Clinton-Al-Gore-for-President-5-piece-set-Dixie-matches-too-/381305162878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58c78f0c7e

[merrily]

11. Again, we don't know who made or distributed any of that campaign stuff. Let's stick to verifiable

stuff, please. Thanks.

[Cheese Sandwich]

14. You are right

My best guess is that these were created by enthusiastic Clinton supporters, possibly at small field office.

I would still like to hear more about these pins because if Bernie Sanders had something like this it would be a scandal, even on TV probably. Mrs. Clinton gets a pass for some reason.

[appalachiablue]

16. On the subject of history, it's 2015 yet Mrs. Clinton's supporters haven't had reservations about

OPs and posts in the last month claiming "It'll be like 1972 again!" the sky is falling unless people support her rather than Sanders. Given this merchandise dates from the 1990s, that's pretty pale time wise. Although I still have lapel pins of Clinton's saxophone and Carter's peanut, if I had seen or known about this Clinton-Gore Dixie memorabilia which I have no reason to believe is unauthentic, it would have been troubling as it is now. The same for the black members of my family, one who almost worked in the Clinton administration.

There's growing mention now how blacks and minorities are longtime, steadfast supporters of the Clintons for their work on global poverty issues and other efforts. When president, drug penalties increased, incarceration rates grew and privatized, corporate for profit prisons expanded under Clinton which is an important matter. Michelle Alexander's substantial work published in 2010, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" is a stunning revelation about a catastrophic situation in the US, the dramatic rise in the number of people of color incarcerated in the last 20 years, a new study that has been widely viewed.

[merrily]

17. The campaign memoriabilia exists, there is no doubt whatever of that.

Whether the Clinton Gore campaign produced and distributed it is a separate issue, though. I don't know. And, if it was done covertly, we may never know.

However, the substance of OP is easy to verify. It's true. Obviously, I could not disagree more with those who attempt at suppression--which attempts usually one-sided, if I may point out that which requires no pointing out.

And, no, it's not because negative things have not been said about Sanders. Thread after thread coming just short of accusing Sanders of sexism and racism, of being anti-immigrant, of being unelectable, etc.--- even focusing on a student essay that is almost a half century old--are remarkably free of pleas not to damage a potential nominee, not to risk suppressing the Democratic vote in the general.

Factual information about the two frontrunners in Democratic primary is reasonable to post anywhere on a Democratic political board, and certainly in a protected group. And the Hillary Group is remarkably freer of interlopers, or at least, repeat interlopers, than the Sanders Group or this Group. The double standards on this board--or lack of standards-- could not be more obvious.

If Skinner changes the rules of the board or of safe haven groups, he and he alone, has the right to do that. Meanwhile, I will post relevant facts about any politician. Anyone who doesn't like it, put me on ignore or learn to cope.