This is just one of those issues that pushes emotional hot buttons for people. Sandy Paton once told me I was full of crap on this topic, and Sandy was about as easy going as they come. It's kind of like gun control, abortion, and harp seal harvesting...everyone who has an opinion has a very strong one.
I have ancestors who fought on both sides of the Civil war, and I'm sure they endured pain, hardship, and months and years away from their homes and families. They were mainly Kentucky farmers who held a little hard-scrabble property and no slaves. Some never went home. I suppose that when I see that flag, I don't just think of slavery, or the KKK, or Lester Maddox. I think of them, too.