Well, the issue of the flag is dicey but the fact is that for a large percentage of those states' populations (in particular african-american, but also Native American and sympathiserz) the flag has little or no value and in fact represents - from THEIR perspective mind you - an oppressive or unkind era in history. Don't forget that time did not stop for the South after the Civil War, the Confederacy was just as strong in sentiment if not in name in antebellum South and frankly, the South treated the newly liberated slaves HORRIBLY. I recommend looking at newspapers and periodicals and speeches from that time. This is not to say the North was some sort of freedman's heaven...but the south was particularly cruel. I feel that if Reconstruction had been kinder to slaves, Native Americans,and even caucasians who were not without a solid agricultural base (very much a source of animosity towards the 'others' - and the beginning of the oh so invisible and never on TV news for killing and stealing, (just us Knee-gros) WHITE TRASH...sorry, i admit i have some issues there : ( ), then I would feel more sympathetic to letting the flag stay, but people are not stupid (well...) and they know of all the connotations that have been attributed to that flag over time - Let us not forget that the flag rose to an unprecedented national pride and prominence after the release of the loathsome film "Birth of a Nation" ( I highly recommend people to rent it - to understand race in america AND its development - or lack thereof - with Technology and Innovation, see it!) along with the KLAN. This is not a 'minor' occurence. This is a moment of a particular group or culture re-identifying and recontructing its hisorical base while at the same time contemporizing it. This particular era is just as much a part of the flag now as the antebellum days, as the war, as the days before the war. It may be convenient to forget the cultural assignation, the meanings that have been prescribed to the flag - meanings that we are ALL aware of - but you have to admit, to Deal with the ENTIRE package/ the whole social baggage. THIS is EXACTLY wrong with American cultural politics and politics in general, be it issues of race, gender, class.
the significant percentage of those states' populatiuons therefore have a right to request its removal - i'm not saying that this justifies or says it HAS to be removed, but those people sure as hell have the RIGHT to have it removed.
That Linux post was funny