Quote Originally Posted by English assassin
The issue is whether the Confederate flag irredemably has an offensive meaning. As an Englishman I don't know, although obviously I know of its use in the civil war I don't know how an American would react to it today. Also, its use will be context dependent. As a backdrop to a Lynyrd Skynyrd set it might not be offensive, being paraded through a black neighbourhood by a white gang it might well be.
So a symbol's context is more important than the symbol after all. I rest my case.