If the Southern Confederacy and Confederate flag DON'T represent racism and slavery...then what does it represent?

For as long as I can remember, the Confederate flag has been able to shed some of it's Civil war symbolisms and become, for many in the South, simply a symbol of Southern Pride (albeit with a dash of defiant attitude). It became accepted enough in this role, among other things, one could see this reflected in family friendly TV shows like The Dukes of Hazard, NASCAR events and as the backdrop for any number of Southern rock bands. NONE of which having anything to do with racism, and NONE of these venues have ever been associated with being traitorous as has also been alleged lately too. Can people, shows and events be benign one day and “found” to be racist and suborning treason the next?

Now, I understand that there are those who still see the flag as a symbol of oppression, even racism, perhaps even justifiable and understandable in their views. White supremacists, looking for a symbol in an attempt to give their agendas validity, have used the Confederate flag AND US flag, tarnishing them both in the process. Is the US flag racist too because of this? The valid symbolism comes from the original purpose of the Stars and Bars. I don't have a problem with the Confederate flag falling out of favor in an evolution of attitude, I do have a serious problem with it being the victim of the knee-jerk, politically-correct reaction that has happened over the last few weeks, all due to a SINGLE picture of Dyann Roof holding a Confederate flag. ANYTHING being this much of a victim of fickle political-correctness should make you worry. What other things could fall victim to rabid PC, even to something you hold dear?

Lincoln did not fight the war over slavery. He fought to preserve The Union of States. If he could do it without freeing one slave? He'd have done it. Half the slaves, he'd have done it. All slaves, which he did, he'd do it.

I wonder how Liberal democrat states today would handle things today? Were there as strenuous a national effort to abolish sanctuary cities, reset marriage back to original intent, Annex British Columbia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, New Foundland, as exclusively conservative. Constitutional Open Carry in every state. Balanced budgets in every state. Pull back from social experimentation in the military. Elect officials based on competence--instead of political connections. Nationwide the Wendy Davis's all begin to lose.

See, the North held slaves still also. The North had not the votes to erase slavery nationwide by Amendment. Pick your trigger issue today? What would Libs do now? They gleefully talk of Texas leaving. What would trigger California to leave or shatter into more states? Like the slave holdings states in 1860. They've not the power to stop losing elected seats each election. @700 seats each in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Hand writing is on the wall with each Pyric success Libs. What you gonna do when the pendulum swings like pendulums do.

You make it sound like such a trivial thing, like just slavery.

Far bigger than that. The South was rich in Agriculture, Slaves were a huge part of the economy. Imagine one day, someone passed a law, that made the majority of your wealth disappear. It's always been about money, power and wealth. Just like today. Look at todays Presidential race, a lot of big guns going for it, what could be so important today, that would make so many of the biggest guns in the country going all out for?

I think they know things we do not, and we are going to wake up one morning and find out the hard way.

What proof is there that the Confederate Flag represents racism and slavery?

History.

It represents losers. You don't see new Englanders waving the British flag do you?

I DO realize you are uninformed. It was indeed about States Rights, and unfortunately one of those rights was Slavery, But it was about The States belief that the Federal Government was encroaching on their sovereign powers. (However bad those states were acting). The North and Lincoln were not in the fight to abolish Slavery, they were in it to Preserve the Union.

Southerns were so adamant about States Rights that Georgia refused the CS Federal mandate for conscription, indicating that they were not trading one oppressive Federal Government for another .

What legislation? The Southern states seceded when Abraham Lincoln won the Presidential election.

It was the battle flag of the south during the civil war.

The southern states.