When I was younger the rebel battle flag was seen more as a statement of an independent and rural nature, rather than a guise for racism. I wore it or carried it in one form or another at times as a kid/teen (rarely). So to me, the flag still represents that rebellious independent statement of youth rather than anything else. Unfortunately, it is also used by racists. If the flag could be kept out of race politics arena, then I would have no problem with it. I don't get upset about the southern heritage aspects (except when folks try to justify slavery.) I think it is wrong to try to remove it...except in cases where it is being used for racial overtones. The pendulum has swung too far, but it will likely cool down and swing back.

Don't let the claims that the ACW was about "States Rights" fool you though. States Rights was protection of the "peculiar institituion." The war itself was primarily about slavery...for the southern states, not so much for the northern states though. The nation had become badly divided on this issue, and slave states were trying to do what they could to hang onto and advance the institution. The north was not rabidly anti-slavery on the whole, but they did want to preserve the union, and most were against the South's attempts to expand slavery into more territories.

I was raised in Missouri and Kansas, so I have somewhat mixed views about the whole war. Missouri is the only state that was represented in both the Union and Confederacy at the same time. The guerrilla war there was probably the bloodiest in the nation.

Lincoln didn't abolish slavery early on for political/military reasons. He had concerns about factions within the various northern states, and border states that did not support abolishing slavery. It was a very tricky balancing act, but Lincoln was a shrewd politician. It was hoped that some of the newly recovered regions would be less resistant if slavery was left unchanged for the time being.