Editor, Gazette-Journal:

In your July 2 article about the Confederate flags on the old court green engendering controversy, a question was posed about why we want to display a flag that symbolizes hate and racism. Speaking for myself, the answer is simple: I do not believe that it symbolizes hate and racism. It is true, however, that it has been hijacked by the improperly educated and those with subversive goals to further agendas that I do not condone. For me, it represents my ancestors and their fellow soldiers who valiantly defended their country, their homes and families, and the founding principles of the country as they understood them. In this spirit, it has a very similar meaning to the Gadsden flag.

There is ample documentation available proving that the war was not fought to either keep black people in bondage or free them. A good start would be to read Thomas J. DiLorenzo’s two books on the subject, “The Real Lincoln …” and “Lincoln Unmasked....