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Comment by rrss1122 | Hacker News Reader

Why is everyone trying to erase history all of a sudden? Because somebody felt bad?

Please don't hyperbolize. Removing the Confederate flags from public places like government buildings and refusing to sell merchandise with the flag is not erasing history.

And I'd call the regular terrorizing and murder of black people under this flag far more than "someone felt bad".

Apple simply took a way-to-heavy-handed approach here.

Talk about hyperbole.

I'm not from the US and thus have no skin in this game, but even I can see that while this movement (to remove the Confederate flag) started out with good motivations (e.g. removing them from public buildings) now it has been taken too far (stopped sales, harassing the manufacturers, banned from places, removed from app store, etc). It really does seem like people are trying to erase it from existence (alright, a little hyperbolic, but still).

I totally understand the negative connotation and why that exists. And the fact that public institutions still fly it is "disturbing." But people against it should stop while they're ahead, they'll only see a massive backlash if this keeps up.

PS - I wonder how hard it will be for educators, civil war re-creationists, and similar to get a Confederate flag?

> Removing the Confederate flags from public places like government buildings and refusing to sell merchandise with the flag is not erasing history.

Maybe I'm wrong but I kinda got the impression rrss1122 was referring to Apple wanting games removed which were based on historical events where the confederate flag was used. Perhaps OP also meant it for the current events for removing it from government buildings, etc but I assumed not.

>Removing the Confederate flags from public places like government buildings and refusing to sell merchandise with the flag is not erasing history.

It is however a token effort that effectively signals "I care" while actually achieving nothing but the censorship of historically accurate games. Banning violence in comics didn't reduce crime. Banning symbols in art isn't going to reduce this wildly rare form of shooting.

It's the flag that is terrorizing people, or people doing it? Will the terrorizing be better if it happens under a different flag? I have a hard time believing the flag is at fault and not the people, or that removing a flag will stop people from doing the same acts.

The flag, flying on a statehouse, sends a message that racial hatred is acceptable to society. It doesn't make someone kill (and there are many more problems with racism than murders or that one incident), but it creates an environment where hate appears to be acceptable.

If egregious trampling of rights, terrorist actions and murder are the prerequisites, then ALL of the US flags should be removed.

Regardless of what you think about the current reactions, they are not solely the result of someone feeling bad. They are the reactions to the murder of 9 innocent people by a white supremacist professing a genocidal desire. Now, whether this justifies this action or not is a different matter.

Yes, and he killed them with a gun, not a flag. Perhaps we should ban apps with guns?

You must also think we need to ban all symbols of Islam because to the Sept 11th attacks.

Not sure how you got that from my comment.

>Regardless of what you think about the current reactions, they are not solely the result of someone feeling bad. They are the reactions to the murder of [3000] innocent people by a [group of Islamists] professing [the need to eradicate nonbelievers]. Now, whether this justifies this action or not is a different matter.

Yep, which is why this hypothetical comment would also be an appropriate retort to someone referring to the Sept 11th attacks as "somebody felt bad." As I'd hoped I made clear, I wasn't suggesting Apple's reaction was appropriate or inappropriate, just that isn't simply about feelings.

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