Photo via Miranda Pederson, @redditships/Twitter
March 16, 2021, 1:44 pm*
An anonymous individual pitched a topical problem in Reddit’s “Relationship Advice” forum, saying that he was “concerned” to find a Confederate flag in his girlfriend’s closet.
Featured Video
Hide
They have been dating for a month and a half, and on his first visit to her apartment, user “HistoryOrRacist” discovered the item hanging up and wasn’t sure what to think.
Advertisement
Hide
“It seemed a perfectly normal apartment and all, but when we went into her room her closet door was open and she has a Confederate flag hanging in her closet.”
Advertisement
Hide
According to the asker, his girlfriend is a history major and “the civil war is her main topic.” The question therefore becomes whether she is really just so fascinated by the Civil War that this flag, widely associated with racism and the institution of slavery that the Confederacy fought to maintain, is a normal thing for her to have or is she just racist?
“Now, she’s never given me any reason to think she’s a racist or bigoted or anything like that but I suppose she also hasn’t given me any particular reason to think that she isn’t.”
Advertisement
Hide
According to this boyfriend’s responses to questions by other users, his girlfriend found the flag “really cheap” at a garage sale and bought it because “it reminded her of that time period.” He also says that she owns other flags, but they’re all tucked away neatly while the only one hung up as a display is the Confederate one.
Other history buffs have also chimed in to express that they would not purchase or display a Confederate flag, even though they might be very interested in the American Civil War.
Advertisement
Hide
“I’m really, really into History. I’ve visited most Civil War battlefields. Read scores of books. Minored in American history in college,” wrote one commenter. “There is no legitimate reason to both own and hang a confederate flag. It is not a ‘history buff’ thing.”
Another shared a story of their “history buff” boyfriend with a Confederate flag who turned out to be racist.
“I dated a ‘history buff’ for a couple of years and he had a confederate flag hanging in his dorm room,” they wrote. “Now being a couple years removed from the situation, I realize he really is a deeply racist a–hole. I thought I was overreacting so I suppressed the feeling.”
Though some have defended the woman in question, the prevailing opinion among the top comments seems to be that if you feel the need to hang that flag up, it indicates something more than an interest in the Civil War.
Advertisement
Hide
“That is a big red flag,” said user GrilledStuffedDragon. “And also a big red, white, and blue flag.”
*First Published: March 16, 2021, 1:43 pm
0 Comments