If you display the Confederate flag,Yes, You're a Racist -- And a Traitor Let's go one-by-one through some typical Lost Cause-tinged revisionist talking points:
The Civil War was about economics, not slavery!Yes, the Civil War was about the economics of slavery.
The Civil War was about states' rights, not slavery!Yes, the Civil War was about the states' right to maintain slavery.
That's not the Confederate flag!
True, it's the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, which actually makes your usage even worse. It's the banner under which men fought and died to enact secession.
Heritage not hate!
Funny story: The heritage is hate. This is my favorite talking point because it sets up a false dichotomy and then tries to pretend "heritage" is a signifier for some romantic, noble culture just waiting to be recaptured. When Lindsay Graham says things like, "The flag represents to some people a civil war, and that was the symbol of one side. To others it's a racist symbol, and it's been used by people, it's been used in a racist way," he makes a mockery of the history.
Yes, Senator, it does represent one side of the Civil War: the side that advocated slavery and secession. It's the flag of treason.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-e-pr ... 92&ref=yfp