Thanks Gregg. My original article was twice as long and went into detail about how the flag did not become controversial until modern times. There is no evidence the original Ku Klux Klan ever used it during Reconstruction and other Southerners rarely displayed it except maybe for memorial services. It saw a resurgence of popularity during WWII and Korea, but mostly by soldiers who put it on their vehicles and bunkers (it was the first flag raised by the U.S. Marines when they captured Okinawa's Shuri Castle). The battle flag really did not become controversial until after WWII when the Southern Dixiecrats and segregationists adopted it to show their opposition to integration. When that happened, even the UDC issued a statement condemning people misusing the flag for political purposes. I then gave what I thought was a fair and balanced account of how the flag is viewed today by African Americans and descendants of Confederate soldiers, but the NYT editor said all of this had been given enough coverage and they wanted to just go with the origins of the flag. I was a bit disappointed but still grateful they wanted to run the article. For a good history lesson go back to the beginning of the "Disunion" series and read all of the articles. Some good stories there.