More than 250,000 Confederate soldiers lost their lives during the American civil war.

That great acts of courage under fire were displayed by large numbers of these men seems undeniable. That many of the descendants of these men have ever since felt compelled to honor the sacrifices of their forbearers is understandable, even laudable.

What is not laudable, however, is the intransigent insistence by many of the descendants that the primary and most commonly utilized method for perpetuating the memory of their fallen ancestors, namely, the public and state-supported display of the Confederate battle flag, be recognized and accepted by the citizenry as a whole.

They insist Mississippians acknowledge the battlefield bravery of Confederate soldiers from 150 years ago, while simultaneously insisting that Mississippians forget the role the battle flag played during the most recent 150 years as the rallying point for segregation, Jim Crow and white supremacy.

Just as modern Germans memorialize their fallen relatives from World War II with private displays, modern Germany has wisely chosen not to reserve the upper left hand corner of their state flag for the swastika.

Scott Owens

Oxford