
You might have heard that the Confederate flag is merely an acknowledgment of family and heritage, or of states rights. But these claims amount to a gross simplification of the horrors that were commited in the South during the era of human slavery.
Thanks to educational efforts, many people are aware of the flag's legacy and what it means for the descendants of the formerly enslaved population.
But there are still others who fly it and defend it. The flag was prominently displayed a year ago, during the storming of the United States Capitol amid a nationwide discussion about racial justice and reconciliation.
Naturally, the flag inspires many opinions.
People were keen to share their thoughts and experiences surrounding the flag after Redditor itsdatanotdata111 asked the online community:
"To the Americans of Reddit, what does the Confederate Flag mean to you?"
"For Black people..."
"For Black people it brings up the same feeling as in a Nazi salute."
HistoricalNewt1799
Understandably.
The flag is a symbol that tells Black people that those who fly it do not consider them human beings.
"It's a symbol..."
"It’s a symbol of treachery and oppression. Many of the generals who fought under that flag betrayed their paths to support the Union, and the flag symbolizes a nation founded to continue the oppression of slaves. I live in the north and still see that flag far too often."
LumpyQuanity8151
That it even exists in the northern states is wild.
Take a drive through Pennsylvania sometime.
"It’s honestly the same as the Nazi flag to me. A flag that has no place in society. They lost the war for Jebus’ sake!!"
phillysleuther
Don't tell them that—they'll refuse to listen.
Or maybe do tell them.
Tell them all the time.
"The Confederacy is a stain..."
"Southerner here. The Confederacy is a stain on America. People will say it’s about many things and refuse to listen to those who point out what it really was: a horrible racist group of traitors and terrorists. I’m ashamed to live in a place even associated with it."
rynbowsherbet
I can only imagine what it must feel like to live in the South and hate to see it, knowing what it represents.
"It's a symbol of how easy it is..."
"Tennessean here. It's a symbol of how easy it is to twist history and how vulnerable our educational system is, as well as how rotten the people in power are to make both of those things happen."
yambiyaiba
Indeed, many people who fly the flag would benefit from a proper education.
Public education continues to face cuts nationwide.
"The eternal..."
"The eternal Lost Cause for Southern morons who miss when they could legally own people that they could rape and work to death."
blankmind4000
Tell us how you really feel, why don't you?
"Hatred."
"Hatred. Pure, unbridled hatred."
kellysassafrass
Short and sweet. What else is there to say?
"When I was younger..."
"When I was younger, I didn't understand all too much, but now, it just seems sad... like real sad. Like it ain't even the real flag, and it celebrates so much evil."
DarkHound05
The moment you realize what it represents is a gamechanger.
You can't help but feel revulsion any other time you see it.
"It is a historical document..."
"It is a historical document and nothing more to my mind. It is used as a symbol of a past that some people wish was still the present, but it has no meaning other than a reminder of a history that we should have moved on from by now."
AdamTS09
To say it's merely a "historical document" is simplifying it, no?
Certainly it is, but its effect on politics to this day is significant.
"Treason plain and simple."
"Treason plain and simple. Whether it be over slavery or some other dumb reason (as they like to claim) doesn’t matter. Should be treated like the swastika in Germany."
TilKindly762
Perhaps one day the country will get there, but who knows?
"As a man from the South..."
"As a man form the South, it just helps me know who the uneducated, ignorant and stupid are. It was already pretty heavily frowned upon."
BentTheMan22
It's a pretty good indicator.
You know who not to hang around or invite to your next dinner party.
"It's not even the actual flag..."
"It stands for racism. It's not even the actual flag flown by the Confederacy during the Civil War, it only became popular after the formation of the KKK as a symbol of white supremacists in southern states."
stinkypitz
This is a very good point.
The KKK amplified it, breathed life into it, and now we're living and dealing with the results.
Believe it or not, the Confederate flag was only removed from the South Carolina capitol grounds in 2015, just seven years ago.
There is still so much work to be done.
Have some opinions of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!
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No one can deny that the first year or so of the global pandemic was a difficult time for everyone.
In addition to the fact that people had to remain home, and limit all communication with friends and family through phone and video chat, people had to adjust to working or studying from home, and be on their guard when out and about in public.
But now, just over two years later and as things seem to be easing back to normal, one can now look back on these difficult years and realize the many lessons we as a society have learned.
Some might fill our hearts with hope and optimism and others which might infuriate us for the rest of our lives.
Redditor Affectionate-Ad1060 was curious to hear all the lessons, the good and the bad, people otherwise might not have learned were it not for the pandemic, leading them to ask:
"What is the most important lesson learnt from Covid-19?"
Healthcare needs fixing.
"Healthcare needs an overhaul."- Toxic_Politician
We could have been better prepared
"When the sh*t really hits the fan, we're f*cked."- idkijustlikememesetc
We overestimated people's concepts of basic decency.
"That it wouldn’t take much for civilized people to turn on each other."- hindmaja
"Most grown adults are nasty and have to be reminded to wash their hands."- shantyirish13
"People are sh*ttier than I expected."- WhitePhatAss
Cherish every moment
"You should take the time to spend with those you love."- idontworktomorrow
Nothing wrong with a little alone time every now and then.
"How comfortable I seriously am with just myself."- equidistant_life
Nothing.
"Bold of you to assume we’ve learned anything."- Airsoft07
Don't give in to vices.
"Alcohol doesn’t improve my life."
" t just feels good for a moment."
"9 months sober!"- bugaboo2013·
Major differences between city life and country life.
"The biggest take away I can come up with is how under serviced rural areas are."
"The local grocery store can’t offer curb side pick up, door dash doesn’t exist here, all the answers for what we should do in a pandemic aren’t feasible where there’s only 500 people."- medicff
It's necessary now and then to stop and reflect, something we all had plenty of time to do in the early months of the pandemic.
And though some major problems became more apparent, which we still need to continue working on, one can also appreciate that maybe the pandemic was the great big reset button the world needed to improve the many things which were otherwise being overlooked.
Here's hoping we remain proactive in continuing to make the world a better place.
OnlyFans was a groundbreaking step in content creation, allowing content creators to earn funds and tips directly from their subscribers.
And though not created expressly with this intention, it has proven hugely popular among both professional and amateur sex workers and porn performers.
So much so, that a threat to ban all adult entertainment from OnlyFans in August of 2021 was immediately squashed six days later.
Not having to be a professional has resulted in countless people creating and OnlyFans page as a side hustle, no doubt also taking it as an opportunity to explore a part of themselves they otherwise might not be brave enough to.
Others, however, are far too intimidated to even think about creating an OnlyFans page.
Curious to hear what might be stopping them, Redditor Sense_Conscious took the opportunity to find out by taking to Reddit to ask:
"What’s stopping you from having an OnlyFans?"
One of the hardest things to do in life is to stick to a budget. No matter how well you plan and how determined you are, you always seem to overspend a little.
Usually, this is a result of certain items being overpriced. Between run-of-the-mill inflation and shortage of goods, and the addition of pandemic-related inflation and shortage of goods, several items have been marked up.
In addition to goods, events and services are costing more as well.
The worst part is a lot of the stuff that is overpriced are actually items that people can't stop buying. People can't stop overspending if they aren't able to stop buying.
Curious about what overpriced items people keep buying, Redditor Sxzym asked:
"What's something that's way too overpriced, but people still keep buying?"
An Awful Business That's Always Needed
"Funerals"
– sparklingshanaya
"Just throw me in the trash."
– snyder005
"I’m thinking about starting a business as a funeral planner. I know it sounds like a stand up bit, but I’m serious."
"It’s not like the average person understands the business, the rules and regulations, and the prices."
"So essentially, you’re making thousands of dollars worth of decisions while you’re an emotional wreck. Plus everyone is trying to squeeze extra money out of you by gaslighting you into thinking you’re a cheapskate that doesn’t care about your dead loved one."
"I go in not knowing the family nor the deceased and I certainly don’t give two sh*ts if a funeral director thinks I’m being cheap."
"The only thing that sucks is I would have to get paid too, so that would kind of ruin the whole point. So part of me just wants to volunteer my efforts."
"I just really hate when people get bent over and put in debt after losing someone. It’s so disgusting."
– Deleted User
Addicting Goods
"Cigarettes"
– Poopikenz
"This one hits home. Everytime my mother buys a pack of ciggies and bitches about the rising costs but absolutely refuses to try the MUCH cheaper alternative which is vaping, the same device she seen me quit cigs on lol."
– ItsAnAvocadooThanks
"I feel this lol"
"I’ve had issues with other addictions in the past and managed to kick the bad ones but haven’t been able to quit smoking."
"At 2 packs a day with the price being between 6-8$, that we will call 7 is about 5k a year and I’m about a decade into this so I’ve depend around 50k on cigarettes in my life."
– GenericUsername19892
Fast Food
"Fast food. Gone are the days of the dollar menu"
– Bending_toast
"F*ckin fast food man, McD’s is expensive as sh*t now a days."
– iaintlyon
"Fast food. I see lines of cars in just about every joint I drive past. Spending who knows how much money on one meal that has no nutrients. I spend the same amount on food that will provide me three meals, with nutrients that will help me through my week."
– HeartPalpitations46
Medical Supplies
"Insulin. It's like they need it to live or something. Lol."
– uwumcuwu
"Inhalers too. So ridiculous it's not like I'm choosing to not breathe"
– adnoh1799
Apple Products
"Not to start a phone war, but i myself think that Apple products in general are way too expensive."
– Lo0tzz
"I might be wrong on this but it seems like every time they come out with a new iPhone all they add is a bit more battery life and a few better camera features when they’ve already had an excellent camera since iPhone X and 11 because that was the whole gimmick of those devices but they keep adding more camera stuff and then slap on a hundred more to the price."
– zRudy_Jimmy
The Essentials Of Eating
"Grubhub/Uber eats/door dash, etc"
– MonkeyDDeclan
"And when you have small children at home, thus making you unable or unwilling (depending on the circumstance) to just run out and pick up the food yourself, you wind up using then FAR more often than you should."
– dkonigs
The Completely Necessary
"Health care."
– dangoins
"Insurance I mean, it's necessary, but still..."
– asianchopsticks__
"Women's hygiene products."
"It should be dirt cheap, if not free."
– Marmite_Badger
Hydration
"Water. Should never have to pay for it."
– mattekus
"Bottled water - obviously only where safe, clean drinking water is available from the tap."
– McStabbityStabStab
"Our tap water at our apartment tastes like dirt so we usually get a 24 pack and go through it in about 2 weeks. We always get the store brand, though. Never name brand."
– captainbuckybarnes
Fulfilling The Food Groups
"pre-sliced fruits and veggies at the store. The markup is insane on those things lol"
– -MACHO-MAN-
"In Tennessee a whole watermelon is $4.99. Also, 1/4 of a watermelon is $4.99."
– usedTP
"I hate myself a little every time I buy pre chopped veggies but damn it if they aren't worth it when my arthritis flares."
– thatspookybitch
Learn A Lot
"College education after associates."
– Cozycouchandtv
"University or college education"
– ThirdSpectator
Sadness
"The American Dream."
– Thundersiege_Tank
"happy endings"
– revpar35
Ouch. That's a harsh reality!
There are so many life lessons we learn way too late.
One of the biggest is that life itself is not as difficult as we chose to make it.
Humans always seem to take the long road.
Maybe that's just life.
Maybe it's meant to be arduous until we learn to think smarter not harder.
Redditor rectangularbearwanted to have a chat about the aspects of life we all wish we could've experienced a little easier.
"What's a life lesson you learned the hard way?"
I have nothing to add. I only know how to make anything and everything hard.
Slow Down
"Don't fall too fast for someone."
liftoffsavage
"That's why it's called falling."
ShoppingOutrageous87
Too Much
"High expectations are prone to leading to disappointment. This applies to all things, but personally, I find that it applies to people the most."
Artistic_Bug630
"I messed up with this big time. Talked me ex fiancé up like she was an angel straight for heaven. Turned out to be the Devil wearing Prada. Had to walk into church by myself looking straight busted when everyone found out my 'angel' dumped me."
RealTalk1250
The Smile
"Go to the dentist. Teeth don't heal, they only get worse."
Present-Skill-4114
"I know a guy who can’t understand why he can’t get a girlfriend. All of his teeth are rotted and discolored except one. Idk about anyone else, but to me that’s worse than just having no teeth at all. Idk if he realizes how much worse bad teeth can make you look."
Shadowweavers
Bad Blood
"Just because someone is family doesn't mean they will not screw you over."
Great-Panic-9504
"I too am among some of the many who have learned this the hard way. Foolish me experienced this time and time again before I finally realized that I have friends who have made better family than any of the blood related members of my life."
Mystrrrscat2901
"I really hate the 'Family is everything' mentality some people espouse, as if the accident of blood relation excuses or entitles someone to abusive, manipulative behavior."
Dahhhkness
Single is Happy
"Don’t settle, and if you get the vibe someone is settling for you, end it. Loneliness isn’t half as bad when compared to heartbreak."
TheStinkBoy
"Regretting that single Tinder swipe after dating a paranoid for 11 months now, scared as hell for what could go wrong if I dump her."
bright-son
Love is one of the most difficult things ever. Why so?
Seriously?!
"That when my Uncle says 'I won't bail you out of jail' what he actually means is 'I won't bail you out of jail.' Who'd have thought."
blaze980
You got You!
"Nobody is gonna watch out for you, like you."
1980pzx
"I saw something the other day written by another foster parent that said 'I became the kind of person I wish would've saved me when I was a kid.' Punched me right in the feels because it's absolutely true, for me anyway."
MissSassifras1977
The Heat
"Don't set yourself on fire to keep other people warm."
realistic_b**tard
"Woah. This is all I've needed. I will never be the same. I will never think the same. I swear my life will only get better from here on. Such a simple sentence. Didn't think a reddit comment had the capacity to change my life so much. Obviously you haven't invented the phrase, but thank you for your comment."
fairycxt
Keep Trying
"Don't give up on something without even trying. Even if you are convinced you will fail. In life, no one will do it for you, you have to do it yourself."
Automatic-Cat-7777
"Yes. And don’t gauge your potential on your self-confidence. Even if you feel there’s no way you can do something, and even if you fail miserably on your first try, keep trying. You’d be amazed at how many people who got good at something but started out as the worst at it."
vanityislobotomy
Say Bye
"Trust your gut when friends do bad things. It’s ok to leave relationships."
Myrtle_The_Tortoise
Life doesn't have to be so hard. Why do we make it so?