US people - is the confederate flag a symbol of racism?

[Spongebob]

I grew up in Mississippi (yeah, that state) and my family owned numerous items emblazoned with the stars and bars (SAB). I had a beach towel with that print on it and my motorcycle helmet had one as well. Lots of cars had a front tag with the SAB. At the University of Mississippi the SAB was waved at sporting events; it was a sea of read and blue. At the time I had no real idea what it represented except what older people said and they all seemed ok with it. All through school, I never had a single class that mentioned the SAB in any discussion regarding slavery or racism. In a way, the SAB just seemed to exist of its own accord, disconnected from any sort of bigotry, somehow representing a our culture. But my home town was deeply segregated. There was a "white" city pool and a "black" city pool and no one crossed that line. Every black family lived in one area and I can't remember ever seeing a black person shopping at, much less owning, one of the downtown businesses. Years later, after I had time to educate myself, I learned of all the history behind the SAB and realized that no matter what my family or any white person says the SAB represents, to black people it represents one thing and one thing only, oppression. Because of that, I believe the symbol should be banned from public display except in museums for historical context and I don't believe any white person should display it if they have any respect or compassion for black American citizens. Even if you feel it represents some distant, fanciful ideal of Southern culture, it's still immensely hurtful to the black community. So unless you enjoy hurting other people, don't use it. And that goes double for Christians if you actually profess love for your fellow humans. There's no excuse for displaying something that you know is hurtful to so many people when it does absolutely nothing for you. You want to celebrate southern pride? Do something to improve your community, donate your time to make it look better. Better yet, help someone who is down on their luck because if they prosper, your community will prosper. And there's nothing that screams pride like a strong community that nearby communities envy for your success.