The irony of the people opposed those whom have clung to the rebel flag while simultaneously never getting over the specter of slavery isn't beyond me. Neither concept holds any value to me as it was someone else's problem that was resolved two-hundred years before any of us were an apple in our daddy's eye, so to speak. But, I think in both cases it's just an unhealthy amount of ancestor worship and while I feel it's useless I also think you have the right to do it.
When I was growing up, some people might have viewed the Confederate flag simply as a "flag of rebellion" at a time when the Federal government wasn't particularly popular. Regardless of how it was perceived and used during the Civil War, its meaning changed - just as the meaning of the U.S. flag itself also changed over the generations.
The time of the Confederacy was relatively short, only about four years. They seceded because they wanted to preserve slavery (while disingenuously hiding behind the mantle of "states rights"). Whether or not they committed treason is a moot point, since they were pardoned and forgiven of that crime. Part of the reason for that was practical, since they needed to reunite the country as quickly as possible, and also because both the Union and Confederacy were largely guilty of the same atrocities and crimes against humanity overall. The Union fought to end slavery (at least on paper), but apart from that, they didn't have a very stellar record on human rights.
Overall, I think that it's a good thing that we can learn to reconcile the past and come to terms with our own history. I don't think it should involve laying any guilt trips on anyone or blaming the sins of the fathers on the sons, which is often how a lot of this is presented. I also don't think that cries of "treason" at the sight of a Confederate flag is very helpful or relevant at this juncture either. Some people seem to think that doing away with the Confederate flag might be some kind of "cleansing" or washing away of our national sins, but I think we're only fooling ourselves.
I honestly don't care if people want to ban the Confederate flag. I don't know if it would hold up Constitutionally, but either way, it's not something I have any personal stake in. I have no sentimental attachment to (or hatred of) the Confederate flag or any flag. Even my own Arizona flag avatar means nothing about how I feel about the Arizona state government (which sucks big time). I like the design and I always thought it was kind of a cool flag. I can appreciate flags for their design and artistic value, but as far as a national symbol or any statement of someone's politics, they're meaningless pieces of cloth to me.
