I'm amazed yet again at how naïve I am and how unaware I must be of many of these issues. I go to many bluegrass festivals, and thoroughly enjoy the mindless escape into the music. It never really impinged on my consciousness at a festival that some people might be displaying symbols of objectionable and damaging convictions. My agenda at these events is to enjoy and participate in the music. Left behind me are the worries of the world for a few days. No TV, no bad news, no war, no prejudice, no danger. A place where I don't need to maintain a position on anything except the current jam.

In the process of producing an album with our bluegrass band, I have been working on the graphics for the CD cover. The music is "Songs of the Civil War Era" and my plan for the cover included an artful (in my opinion) border using both the US and the Confederate flags.

And then along came this thread. . .

I have no intention of offending anyone with whatever message they may read into this design, and had no intention of meaning anything other than my previously stated opinion: that the Confederate flag represents to me a symbol of pride in their homeplace flown by southerners. I see now that I can't avoid the controversy, despite attempting to put together a balanced mix of songs from both sides of this apparently never-ending war. I'll start working on a new design for the cover. However, as for diving into the issues that may be waving at bluegrass festivals, "even here in the North," I hope to continue to stay out of the arguments and stick to the music, at least for a weekend's escape.