[wardaddy]

honor the past

That is the problem...honouring that past has been under whithering attack for about 15 years now. An attack designed to defelct from real more serious reasons for problems in certain communities and to be exploited for identity based political gains.

These fights were unheard of in my youth. You (and others) mistake defending my ancestry with other things

[quadrant]

I agree that many have attacked the symbols of the Confederacy because they lack the ability or the power to deal with other issues that vex them.
However, these people can be turned aside by saying no repeatedly (just no, without an explanation) or by the occasional timely compromise, as did SC when it moved the Confederate battle flag from a flag pole on top of the State House to a flag pole in front of the building.
Those who wanted to flag moved to a museum were told in no uncertain terms the best they could expect was moving the flag in front of the building. If they did not like it, too bad.
One tactic make no sense: engaging these people in argument because its all but impossible to argue to agreement the merits of conflicting rights, emotions, and desires.