After some thought, I have decided to hang my CSA First National Flag at the homestead. This is a beautiful banner that I purchased down at Fort Macon in North Carolina last summer and have been saving. I use a cheap, nylon ‘replica’  battle flag as part of my table setup at events, but this is a gorgeous cloth flag. I'll be putting up a special mounting out back near my pool and will take some pics. Why fly the First National?

Well… After my posting about the lack of any Confederate banners at the Stonewall Jackson Shrine, I took an impromptu ‘poll’ with some neighbors and associates and I am quite bothered by what I’ve discovered. Here I am living in the heart of Civil War country, aka Fredericksburg Virginia, and I have yet to have an adult properly identify this flag. All of those that I’ve queried have absolutely no idea. I even had a guy confidently tell me that it was the state flag of Texas. Another said it was the Continental Army's flag. BOTH were born and raised here.

That’s a big problem IMO, and a sign that Confederate history is slipping away. To be fair, I may not have known what this particular flag was either if I had no interest in CW history. Still, I petitioned a 'broad demographic' and was surprised that nobody could come up with the right answer. This group was made up of white-collar professionals, both white and black adults, ages 27-40+, all college educated.

Every one of them could instantly identify the CSA battle flag and they were split 60-40% on the symbolism of it. 60% of them being ‘against’ it or considering it to be a divisive and racist image. None of them had the same initial reaction for the First National flag. I find that fascinating.