I have one ancestor on my father's side who fought for the Confederacy, and it for damned sure wasn't about slavery for him. No one in my family ever owned a slave or benefited from slavery, working men all down the line, so it was either state pride and state's rights, or a paycheck better than whatever jobs he was working at the time. The Battle Flag has come to be the most recognized symbol of the Confederacy, despite it not being officially designated as the national flag, and as such it has come to represent all aspects of the Confederacy as seen by both sides. To me, it represents pride in my ancestry, because "Great, great, great-grandfather Claus" manned up and took a stand, either out of patriotic pride in his state, or out of determination to make his way and provide for his family, either way being despite the risks. It represents that particular Southern stubbornness that won't let us back down or be pushed around, that sees us keep getting back up to keep trying if knocked down. It brings to mind the collective pride we have in our way of life, having nothing to do with the institution of slavery but everything to do with determination that those ways of life be self-determined and not forced on us by those that don't understand us. It represents the deep truth that ultimately, slavery and economics aside, we Southern states were within our rights to "pick up our toys and go home," so to speak, and that the North were the ones truly doing disservice to the Declaration of Independence.
I believe that it does no good to erase or eradicate things we do not like or find offensive. If a white supremacist harms a black person, jail him, but you can't jail a flag or symbol, no more than you can jail or kill an idea.
I believe that it does no good to erase or eradicate things we do not like or find offensive. If a white supremacist harms a black person, jail him, but you can't jail a flag or symbol, no more than you can jail or kill an idea.