I should have enjoyed the show a lot. I did. Well, I enjoyed it, but like a dirt clod on the Mona Lisa, there was one scene that not only threw me out of the show, I couldn’t think of anything else the rest of the show.
The show was The Librarians, a TV series about a group of super powerful, super smart librarians. I know, you’re thinking maybe super smart, but super powerful librarians? Yeah, it works. I don’t normally watch TV. I don’t have TV at home. Well, I have TVs, I just don’t have cable.
Anyway, I’ve seen the promos for The Librarians and it looked fun. I can’t say I understand the back story, but the librarians are tasked with keeping history in sync, or something like that.
In the episode I watched, they ended up in a town that straddled the line between the area controlled by the Union and the Confederacy during the American Civil War. In fact, the town was literally on the line. In fact, there was a big line that ran right through town separating the North and the South. The line ran right up to the museum and split the building into two halves. On the left hung the 1860 version of the flag of the United States of America. On the right hung. . .it was the wrong flag.
This is not the Confederate flag.
I don’t care who says they think it is. It’s not. And those super smart librarians should have known that.
The Confederate States of America had three official flags. This was the first one.
However, as you can see, it looked a lot like that “other” flag. You know, the one for the real United States. So, they changed it to this one.
The problem with this one was wind. Seriously, if the there was no wind, the flag just hung there and looked like a totally white flag. Not a great look when you are trying to rebel against your country. They finally decided on this one.
Yeah, the red line was a good touch. The point was that the Confederate flag was well known. And should be well known. I’ve spent the week in Richmond, Virginia. It was the capital of the Confederancy. Those three flags flew over this city.
This flag did not.
Who cares, right? One flag or another what’s the difference? The difference is that saying that flag represents “Southern Pride” is wrong. It’s ignorant. Someone could decide, I suppose that for them this flag does represent southern pride. Okay, saying that your Volkswagon Jetta for you reprents an S-series, doesn’t turn it into a German luxury car. It just makes you ignorant.
That flag actually was a Civil War era flag. In fact, it was the battle flag for the Army of Northern Virgina. That was Robert E. Lee’s army. Unlike General Grant, who led all Union armies, Lee was not general of all the Confederate armies. He was commander of one army. So, I suppose if someone’s ancestor was a soldier serving under Robert E. Lee, his battle flag could represent some sort of historical heritage. But, the battle flag for a single army doesn’t represent much of anything today.
If it doesn’t represent Souther Pride, what does it represent? You’d have to ask the ignorant people waving it. Just don’t ask the Librarians. They totally failed this one.
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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