The Confederate Battle Flag is one of the most misunderstood objects in the U. Many people believe that it condones racism, hate, slavery, and bigotry. Some believe that it symbolizes heritage. It is frequently abused, misunderstood, and misused. The battle flag takes most of the heat, because most Americans are uneducated about the matter, and believe that it was the only flag flown by the Confederacy during the Civil War. They think that the confederacy stood only for slavery and oppression of blacks. Anyone who is educated about the confederacy during the Civil War would tell you that this is not the case. In order to understand the Confederate Battle Flag, you must know its history, exactly how it is connected to the Klu Klux Klan, slavery, and the different types of flags that do not appear in the classrooms. The Confederate Battle Flag, more commonly known as the "rebel flag," has its roots dating back to 69 A.D (Encyclopedia of Southern Culture 685). It symbolizes the St. Andrews Cross from the Apostle of Jesus Christ. Just before the Romans put him to death for spreading Christian faith through Greece and Asia Minor, he asked for the cross he was to be pinned to, to be put on its side. He did this because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. He became the patron saint of Scotland, and it became a symbol for their national flag. The cross became the "x" on the Confederate Battle Flag partly because many southerners traced their roots back to Scotland (www.pointsouth.com). .
The Ku Klux Klan, a hate group that only respects white Christians who back its cause, has only recently started flying Confederate Battle Flag. Up until the 1960's the Ku Klux Klan flew the Union flag, but many changed it because they felt as if the U.S. government had betrayed them during the Civil Rights movement. Many groups still today fly the Union flag, not the Confederate Battle Flag.
