NAACP Wants To Honor Kid Rock, Faces Boycott

[sherryrazor]

Wow - the NAACP has come a long way since the days when it raised money for important things like funding Thurgood Marshall's decades-long legal fight to desegregate schools.

WTF were they thinking... honoring anyone who displays the confederate flag as his backdrop? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irpAL80Fkjs

[eno]

On the one hand, I can understand those members who want to boycott the award presentation to Kid Rock for having the Confederate flag in such a bold display behind his stage performance. To those whose folks were the victims of that flag and what it represents, there is no compromise nor understanding of what it might mean to someone else.

On the other hand, would these same members boycott an award given to the author and composer of the folk hymn, Amazing Grace, because he was involved in the slave trade.

[Hypestyles]

I wonder how this drama will unfold at the next NAACP meetings.. and eventually the Freedom Fund weekend...

[DetroitPole]

Wow - the NAACP has come a long way since the days when it raised money for important things like funding Thurgood Marshall's decades-long legal fight to desegregate schools.

WTF were they thinking... honoring anyone who displays the confederate flag as his backdrop? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irpAL80Fkjs

Why is the self-proclaimed "Detroiter" himself singing anything with a Confederate flag behind him? Michigan lost nearly 15,000 soldiers fighting to keep the Union together, fighting against that very banner that he is jumping around and yelling in front of.

I don't condone the usage of that flag anywhere in the United States of America but it just makes no sense for anyone from a Union state to fly it. Do you really hate your state that much? At least the southerners can make some vague arguements on the basis of history.

And he's not a Detroiter and his clothes aren't made in Detroit. He has no class and he has no talent either. He's from Romeo and he moved his clothing operations from Detroit to Clarkston. And the NAACP certainly should not honor him.

[Detroitnerd]

Gosh, who is the NAACP going to honor next? Skrewdriver? Sheesh ...

[SWMAP]

When you want to sell a lot of tickets you got to make some ethical sacrifices!

[gnome]

This is what happens when you sell your awards. Wendell needed some deep pockets to bail out his branch as he had not paid the fees to the National. I believe Wendell was pass due for over three years and had it's charter revoked last year.

Word has it that KR ponied up a chunk if dough in exchange for a little award.

[EastsideQT]

Over the years attendance to the Freedom Fund Dinner has gone down...I supposed the NAACP decided to create a "buzz" to get people to attend this year.

[bailey]

Why is the self-proclaimed "Detroiter" himself singing anything with a Confederate flag behind him? Michigan lost nearly 15,000 soldiers fighting to keep the Union together, fighting against that very banner that he is jumping around and yelling in front of.

I don't condone the usage of that flag anywhere in the United States of America but it just makes no sense for anyone from a Union state to fly it. Do you really hate your state that much? At least the southerners can make some vague arguements on the basis of history.

And he's not a Detroiter and his clothes aren't made in Detroit. He has no class and he has no talent either. He's from Romeo and he moved his clothing operations from Detroit to Clarkston. And the NAACP certainly should not honor him.

Is rebel flag really a north/south thing anymore or has it become a "country" thing?

And yeah, agree on the Romeo stuff. Not begrudging his enthusiasm for Detroit, but, like the channel 7 20/20 detroit thing.... a good start would be moving into the city you are claiming be a staunch supporter of....and no...pretending to open a t-shirt shop on the warren side of 8 mile doesn't count. No matter how you slice it, Romeo is 30 miles from Detroit. isn't that outside of what can reasonably be considered metropolitan detroit? when does "booster" become "poseur" ?

[R8RBOB]

Is rebel flag really a north/south thing anymore or has it become a "country" thing?

I got your answer right here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_831128.html

[GUSHI]

Its his right, if he wants to sing infront of the conferate flag. I f the heads of the local branch of the NAACP don't have a problem with Kid Rock, why should I. I enjoy country music if the artist has a confederate flag in their video thats not going to upset me, I also enjoy rap, if I see a black fist on that artist video its not gonna bother me. Times have changed,

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, but Black Power doesn't mean oppressing white people. It's just a statement of pride in the face of white supremacy and chauvinism. To equate a black fist with the stars and bars is disingenuous.

I know exactly what this sordid affair means. It means that I can be as racist as I want, and, as long as I have money, I can just give it to the struggling Detroit NAACP and they'll give me the equivalent of an "indulgence."

[GUSHI]

Ok how bout a black panther, I still don't find it offensive.

[Detroitnerd]

Ok how bout a black panther, I still don't find it offensive.

Try to imagine a symbol that celebrated somebody capturing your ancestors, enslaving them for hundreds of years and then oppressing them as second-class citizens for another 150 years. You might then approach just what a loathsome and offensive symbol this is. If you have a smidge of Jewish in you, imagine a rockstar who parties in front of the broken cross for fun.

[GUSHI]

To you Black power may not mean oppressing white folks but to some it might. When I think of he confederate flag. I think so the South, nascar, rednecks, counrty music. 50 years ago it might of meant racism to some, not to all. Its a FREE COUNTRY, freedom of expression.

[GUSHI]

The country of mt ancestor was invade and under rule of islam for 500 years, alot of them were unfairly trated for being christian,so using your logic I should hate/be offended by the half moon and cresent.

[Detroitnerd]

The country of mt ancestor was invade and under rule of islam for 500 years, alot of them were unfairly trated for being christian,so using your logic I should hate/be offended by the half moon and cresent.

Um ... the symbol of Muslim rule in Spain was the Granadian banner, not the moon and star... By the way, what's a half-moon and "cresent" look like?

[GUSHI]

Its not the KKK honoring Kid Rock its the NAACP. The flag is part of the United States history, i'm gonna assume that every white person from the south during that time period was not a racist or was in favor of slavery. Just my assumption, like i'm gonna assume that every muslim doesn't hate the USA and that every Jew doesn't hate every German. There were Germans that risked there live to save Jews and i'm guessing that there were white southeners that helped save African Americans.

[Detroitnerd]

I understand. Yeah, it's cool. On the off-chance that some German dude was helping some Jewish dude survive the nationwide pogrom, I guess it's OK to fly a Nazi flag. You know, 'cause, someone, somewhere, probably disagreed with the government the flag stood for, it's cool. I'll let one ripple in the breeze on Flag Day and share your reasoning with my neighbors ...

[GUSHI]

In the 12th century the crescent and star were adopted by the Turks and since then the crescent, often accompanied by a Star and mentioned in the 53rd surah [[chapter) of the Qur'an, has been a symbol of Islam.[dubious – discuss][citation needed] It is, in fact, a historical symbol of the Turks, associated especially with the Ottoman Empire, but also pre-Islamic Turkic nations such as the Göktürks used the crescent and star figure on their coins.[citation needed

[GUSHI]

If you drive a Ford does that make you pro Nazi.

[Detroitnerd]

So, which of the nine phases of Islamic rule in the Iberian peninsula had a crescent. Can you please show us an image? Because the later Granadian banner just had some writing in Arabic. No "cresent".

Anyway, like I said, I agree with you. I think we should all just fly Nazi flags and stuff because they look cool and, like you said, somebody, somewhere, didn't likely totally agree with the government that flag stood for. We're all good, Gushi...

[GUSHI]

I'm talking about the Ottoman Empire, present day Turkey. The cresent and star in a symbol of Islam.

[GUSHI]

"Anyway, like I said, I agree with you. I think we should all just fly Nazi flags and stuff because they look cool and, like you said, somebody, somewhere, didn't likely totally agree with the government that flag stood for. We're all good, Gushi... " I never agreed w nazi flags, don't put words in my mouth. Were in the United States and people are free to do almost anything they want, with out breaking the law. When you see a symbol/flag its gonna have a different meaning then to me, u, someone else.

[Detroitnerd]

I'm talking about the Ottoman Empire, present day Turkey. The cresent and star in a symbol of Islam.

The Ottoman Empire sprawled over the Middle East, a much larger area than Turkey.

The moon shape is a "crescent" not a "cresent".

Whatever the symbolism on Turkey's flag, Turkey is a secular democracy, not a Muslim confessional state.

Gushi, you strike me as somebody who probably isn't offended by very much. Unfortunately, it's likely because you don't understand anything very well at all.