Free Republic

AMHERST, Va. (AP) -- The removal of the Confederate flag from Amherst County's official seal has upset Southern heritage groups, who contend residents weren't told of the change. They will get no argument from county officials: They acknowledge the image was quietly removed in August 2004 to avoid an uproar. "Anytime you get a subject that broad, you can interrupt the entire county," said Leon Parrish of the Board of Supervisors. Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and others opposed to the change have gathered hundreds of signatures protesting the flag's removal.

The removal of the Confederate flag from Amherst County's official seal has upset Southern heritage groups, who contend residents weren't told of the change. County officials acknowledge the image was quietly removed in August 2004 to avoid an uproar.

Director Spike Lee, known for his stylish and controversial films, said Mississippi should get rid of the state flag during a speech at the University of Mississippi's Black History Month celebration. Lee said Mississippians cling too tightly to what he considers symbols of oppression. "You've gotta do something about that flag," he said. "I know people say its representative of history. Well, so's the swastika."

A Hingham (MA) man has removed a Confederate flag he had been flying outside his downtown home after police told him they had received a complaint about it.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - An organizer of a planned memorial to honor Confederate soldiers who died at an Illinois prison camp says the rebel flag will be displayed at the memorial's dedication, despite opposition. "We consider this an honorable flag. This is a soldier's flag," said Ron Casteel, national chief of staff for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, one of the memorial's planners. "There will be no substitute." Camp Butler, just east of Springfield, was a training facility for Union troops during the Civil War and a prison camp for more than 3,500 captured Confederates. More than 800 of the prisoners...

ST. PETERSBURG -- Vincent Bonnain, a lifelong construction worker, had finally found a job indoors that he liked, working as a telemarketer. Things seemed to be going well until lunchtime Wednesday, his second day on the job, when he was abruptly told he was fired.The problem: the Confederate flag tattoo on Bonnain's forearm, along with the tattooed words, "Born a rebel, die a rebel." Apparently the tattoo didn't sit well with the mortgage refinancing company he was working for."I really enjoyed my job. I told them, "I'll cover it up. I'll wear long-sleeved shirts. I'll have it removed.' They said,...