I ran across this on another forum. hadn't heard anything about this. What is the world coming too. Can't we just take things in stride? here is the copy/paste.

NASCAR Bans General Lee over Confederate Flag Concerns

Ben Jones, one of the stars of the hit television show “The Dukes of Hazzard,” is waging a war of words with NASCAR after they banned the General Lee from Phoenix International Raceway because the car’s rooftop Confederate flag.

“It’s political correctness run amuck and I’m outraged,” Jones told Fox News. “It’s an insult to the heartland of America. (NASCAR) did this to please some board member who had some pressure put on him by some political group somewhere.”

Jones, who played Cooter the mechanic in the popular series, is a former congressman from Georgia, who calls himself a progressive Southern Democrat. He owns “Cooters Place” and the “Dukes of Hazzard” museum. He also founded “Dukesfest,” an annual gathering of “Dukes of Hazzard” fans.

Jones accused NASCAR of “making knee-jerk corporate decisions based on political correctness.”

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s getting worse – this political correctness,” he said. “It’s just gone nuts.”

The controversy started last month when NASCAR cancelled plans to have pro-golfer Bubba Watson drive the General Lee at Phoenix International Speedway. Watson bought the 1969 Dodge Charger for $110,000 at a car auction. He had intended to drive the car on a parade lap before the start of last weekend’s spring Cup series race.

But NASCAR pulled the plug on the appearance after concerns were raised about the Confederate Flag painted on the car’s rooftop.

“The image of the Confederate flag is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said in a statement released to the Associated Press.

That explanation enraged Jones who said NASCAR “forgot where they came from.”

“So why would they exclude us – all the people who helped them get to where they are,” he demanded to know. “That sport is already in trouble. It’s losing money and it’s in part because they have gone big time. They’ve gotten above their raising as we say down South.”

NASCAR did not return telephone calls seeking comment, but their decision does have supporters – like AOL columnist David Whitley.

“NASCAR is just taking care of business,” Whitley wrote in a column that appeared on Sporting News. “Let’s face it, alienating the majority of American consumers is no way to make money. The fact it’s also the right thing to do is beside today’s point.”

Watson told the Associated Press the only reason the flag is on the car is because that’s the way it looked in the television show.

“Obviously, I don’t stand for the Confederate flag,” he told the AP. “The Confederate flag was not used (in the show) for what people see it as today, so that’s sad. But NASCAR was built on moonshining, so the show was built on moonshining. I thought it was fun. I didn’t buy the car to get publicity; I bought it because I love it.”

And that’s why Jones is so riled up. He said the flag has nothing to do with racism.

“I’m outraged and a lot of other people are,” he said. “We’ve got to put a stop to this kind of thinking. People know better. “I think saying that any display of this flag is an insult to all black folks is an insult to all black folks.”

A USA Today online poll showed that 85 percent opposed NASCAR banning the General Lee.

“We can’t help it if a handful of pinheaded idiots disgrace and desecrate that flag by using it for racial purposes,” Jones said. “They dress up in bed sheets, too, but we still sleep on them – even though they give bed sheets a bad name.”

Jones said that he’s “always fought for Civil Rights and equal rights and was involved in the Civil Rights Movement.”

“I try to judge people by the content of their character,” he said.

But the Confederate flag issue has sparked a fire in his belly.

“We’re all fighting it,” he said. “That’s what we do. We’re truculent people. We like to fight. We’re from the South and when you offend our family, we’re going to stand up. We’re going to say what we think.”

 

This country is so screwed up it doesnt suprise me that this happend

 

Hey, off topic, but I wonder if you should get Brent to overlay a "2x" or something on that "Subway Fresh Fit 500" winner decal since you won it back to back years, a great accomplishment for you there by the way.


I read this in the paper in my local hometown, but I didn't think a lto of it and didn't think to post it.

1) It isn't even a confederate flag. A common misconception not supported by facts. The flag on the roof of the general lee is the "naval jack." The true "flag" looks like this.




But that looked too much like the American flag.

So then they had this







But if the wind wasn't blowing, it looked like a surrender flag.



So then they came up with this....








Now aren't you glad you posted that thread so you could learn that today?

Or as I ask my students, "Aren't you glad you came to school today to learn that?" (usual answer is no)



I don't really knwo what to think of it. Why aren't they trying to run the General Lee in Atlanta on Labor Day, Darlington in a couple of months, Charlotte, even Bristol or Martinsville... somewhere that was actually, you know, a Confederate state?

Truck the damn thing out here and run it where people 1) Know the TV Show and 2) Know that flag and don't give a rip.

 

Because the guy that owns it was the "Grand Marshall", or something, of the Phoenix race, not one of the southern races.

 

I have to admit I only clicked on this because I saw something abotu the General Lee...not NASCAR lol

 

IMO, it's something that's pretty stupid to have such a big deal made about it. Obviously a nascar fan would appreciate the car as a whole, and the ability to actually see a general lee going around the track, and not just see a flag. I'm with Cooter, this is getting too much about politics and less about entertainment. I can't honestly say that i'm too surprised, but it is discouraging to say the least.

 

To be honest with you, I kinda forgot the confederate flag was on the roof. When I see pictures of the General Lee, you don't see much of the roof. You know the flag is on there, but it's not directly in your face, so you tend to just skip over the fact it's there. But on a racetrack, everyone will be seeing the car from a bird's eye view. And the flag will be blatantly obvious.

I'm a fan of the Dukes of Hazard. Watched the show as a kid. As a car guy, I'd love to see the General Lee do a lap around the track. But I can see Nascar's dilemma. The flag wasn't interpretted the same way during the tv show's era, as it is now.

It's unfortunate, but sometimes symbols and words get new meanings over time.

 

I agree with cowboy6622,run the General at another track!!!