Our New Priests: Interpreters Of Symbols

This is a response to a friend's post on Facebook, a friend who doesn't understand that Facebook and politics are like alcohol and vehicles. Mixing them is a dangerous thing.

The dude posted a long-winded entry opposing all Confederate monuments, quoting Robert E. Lee extensively. Lee being Lee, he didn't want any monuments at all. His reasoning was sound, but the monuments weren't for him, nor should they have been subject to his veto. The monuments, for the most part, were erected by families who survived the war as a way of paying tribute to their sons, husbands and fathers who died fighting for the South. They are monuments of grief mixed with pride. They aren't about the cause of slavery, they're a permanent marker of woe for the bereaved.

Insert an excerpt of a white supremacist example of a statue here. I'm sure there are some and they are easy to find. While you go off and Google them to insert them in the comments, I'll continue. Have a good time.

I'm a crazy Catholic. I'm trying to be as orthodox as I can, that's how nuts I am. If I wanted you to describe me to someone else, I'd ask that characteristic be given first.

For over a decade, homosexual priests in the Church raped and abused little boys. The Church covered it up and allowed thousands of little boys to be hideously scarred. I can hardly think of anything worse.

Who gets to define the meaning of my symbols? What does the Vatican flag that I sometimes fly mean? If I get to say, it means 2000 years of love and thought and striving to be like Christ. If an embittered victim of a gay priest gets to say, it means powerful people allowing priests to rape little boys. If it's the latter, I have to take down my Vatican flag. I can never fly it again for the horror of it all.

Whose symbol is it? Is it mine? Are you obligated to learn what I mean when I fly it? Is it yours and you don't need to hear from me at all? Am I your vassal, subject to your judgment, regardless of your understanding or ignorance? How and when did you enter the Priest Caste and gain your interpretive powers? Can I join, too?

If symbols are to be interpreted by others and not their owners, I'd suggest we take them all down to prevent justifiable violence. After all, I can see by that sticker on your car that you stand for the slaughter of Bearded Tamarin Monkeys. Sickening. Please remove it.

Why do you hate them? You're a hater and you're full of hate. I'm calling ANTIFA now. They'll sort you out properly.