Confederate flag a symbol of treason
The several ordinances of the seceding Southern states all point to slavery as the reason for secession. All argue the right of the states to property (slaves). White supremacy was employed to gain the support of nonslave-owning whites. Slave owners alone could not supply sufficient manpower for a war. Read Cash’s “The Mind of the South” and McPherson’s “Battle Cry of Freedom.”
In the 1950s, in response to the civil rights movement, Southerners resurrected states’ rights and the battle flag in defiance of the federal government. Where was the “heritage” crowd then when it was being “stolen”? I think silent because they agreed with the thieves.
The history of the flag to defend states’ rights is not one to be lauded, unless you are pro-slavery, anti-union and against integration and the federal government.
As one whose many ancestors fought for the union, I see the flag as a symbol of treason, not heritage. It does not belong on federal or state buildings. Those who want it there need reminded that they lost the war. It is the USA not the CSA.