[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

This isn't the same thing. Those are national flags that have been hijacked by mindless racists. The Confederate flag is a symbol... like the Nazi flag. No one would condone flying a swastika and I don't see the rebel flag as any different to that.

All flags are symbols. National flags just happen to be currently legitimate symbols. Last summer in Glasgow, the Union Jack became a symbol of pro-union sentiment and the saltire a symbol of pro-indy sentiment.

Of course some flags happen to have particularly negative associations and that makes flying them controversial and a massive statement. That makes choosing to display them questionable to say the least. But I don't agree with it being an issue of legality. Banning a flag does not ban a mindset... The flag itself is meaningless, what it represents is what's horrific.

Put it this way: if a Nazi moved in next door to me, I'd rather they put a Nazi flag in their window than NOT put one in. I'd like to know that they're scum rather than have them keep it on the down-low and be friendly with them and then find out later.