Our love of country
It is indeed sad to see the Confederate Battle Flag used as a symbol of racial hatred.
I certainly wasn’t raised as a racist even as the great-grandson of three Confederate veterans and growing up in the South. The flag was never displayed in my home or that of my grandparents or other extended family members. The war was over, and we were Americans. Our flag was again the Stars and Stripes and not the Stars and Bars.
This doesn’t imply a lack of love for our family members or others who fought in the war, but rather a love for our country and what it truly stands for. I often wondered how many Confederate veterans are in the family trees of those who now insist on displaying the Confederate battle flag outside of museums or old battle fields.
Percy Overman, Plantation
This story was originally published June 24, 2015 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Our love of country."