I had a chance to read the article. Here are my interpretations.
In the wake of the Charleston shooting there was strong pressure being exerted by the left and media to eradicate the Confederate Flag as a state symbol. Some were even calling to remove monuments to fallen Confederate soldiers that have stood for 130 years.
The Stars and Bars flag (initially the battle flag of the army of Northern Virginia) has been co-opted as a symbol of division after the war, but in its context is an important piece of American History. Unlike the red Nazi Banner which draped the public square of every reach of the Reich, the NVA flag was initially used during engagements by Southern Forces under the command of Robert E. Lee. This is not a flag that popped up in 1859 and flew over every cotton field in the south while slaves were beaten and killed in the name of that banner. I believe this an important distinction. The Nazi banner has been outlawed in Germany as its initial intent was never in doubt.
My dad is a Civil War history buff and passed that onto me. We dragged my sister to go see the 4 hour movie Gettysburg (Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen) when she was 9 years old. A movie so long it had an intermission. Based upon the book the Killer Angels. The movie and the book accurately portrays an America in its youth when there were sinners and saints on both sides of the lines. Many of these men fought along side each other in the Mexican-American War. When secession happened each man was forced to make a choice over which side to fight for. At the this time the United States was more analogous to the current European Union where national (state) loyalties took precedence, even if the southern commanders disagreed with slavery.
Robert E. Lee was offered command of the entire Northern Army, but could not turn his back on Virginia. Imagine if the EU split down the middle, he wasn't going to abandoned Austria to take up command of the Parisian based Army. The commanders of the Confederacy were some of the greatest military minds the world has ever seen. It's not a racist thing to acknowledge this historical truth. War is never pretty, but it can be argued that this was the last war of Civility. The movie, book shows the opposing campfires where they contemplated morality, friendship before the battles ensued. There was a reverence given to their commanders and their glorious banners.
The Breitbart article is a pushback against the overreach of those on the left who want to relegate certain aspects of history to the dumpster. The use of the term Glorious can be argued as a cross between rhetorical device and clickbait meant to draw the reader into the article that ends up being more nuanced than a white supremacist hit piece.
The Battle Flag of the Army of NV has been used as a symbol of hate, but we must find its proper context before we bulldoze Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Small towns throughout the south have monuments to honor the dead in the bloodiest war in American history. In the end the right side of history prevailed. Robert E Lee knew when it was time to quit and prevent future bloodshed. He is a figure in American History with greater importance than many Presidents. The south was full a despicable figures as well. Gen. Sherman in the north was a vicious commander as well.
I believe there can be a compromise in removing instances of the stars and bars in the public square where the visual may cause discomfort, but we would be remiss to eradicate this period of history as a whole.
