I've been to Gettysburg and done all the touristy stuff! :D Daddy and I are suckers for that sort of thing. I was totally raised to be a geek. Totally. Also, in high school I had a friend who participated in reenactments and I went to a couple, one of which was in Gettysburg.

I can see, on some level, being proud of ancestors who fought for what they believed in. I know all about my ancestors who fought in the Civil War. I'm not exactly cheering about it -- because I think there are, were and will always be enough problems in the world without countries fighting with themselves -- but I can kinda see the logic behind the pride. Really. Especially when people really try to make it all about states' rights.

But the KKK and their association with the Confederate flag is really what wrecks it for me. It's kind of like ... you know, the swastika has very spiritual connotations in a lot of Dharmic religions and such. But in Western culture it's been made horribly taboo, thanks to Hitler. The KKK has done the same thing to the Confederate flag and now it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I see it exactly how the article says the artist sees it and I have trouble wrapping my head around not seeing it that way.