Looking through the displays of models at Wal-Mart I picked up the general Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard. The pictures of the model were very clearly missing some, as were the obviously photo-shopped promotional pic from the TV show.
They have removed the Confederate flag from the roof of the car. Not really sure how I feel about that.
I understand the reasoning behind removing it, yet it feels odd for it to not be there.
As a child when the show was on I never understood what the flag was. It meant nothing to me, just a design. I don't remember the show beign racist, at least not directly as I do not remember there being any black characters in the show ever. Of course the show aired when I was too young to understand racism, so if it was there or now I would not have noticed at that point. I doubt they ever dealt with racism one way or the other, as that was just not a theme you dealt with back then.
It seemed that Americans for the most part back then didn't think much of the Confederate flag. It didn't elicit a response back then.
So here we are thirty years later and there has been a good deal of debate over the controversy that is the Confederate flag and the undeniable racial issues that will always be connected to it.
That still leaves any images of the General Lee looking off without the Confederate flag on top of it. Just calling the car The General Lee is celebration of Confederate ideas and could be viewed as being of the same manner of offense as the flag itself, yet there was no effort made in changing the name of the car.
Not really sure if taking the flag of the car really makes a difference one way or the other. It just ends up being one of those things that gets you thinking.
I saw that same model, and it's jarring. it makes me sad to think we have to edit out things that might possibly offend someone. if we pint over the past, we can never grow from it.
ReplyDeleteso here we go- the general should have his flag
han still shot first, and should have