That's the thing with symbols - they mean different things to different people. I personally get offended at the idea that the far right have a monopoly on patriotism and Britishness.
I think many black Americans see the Confederate flag as a threatening emblem. But to many white southerners, it's still their flag in a way the Stars and Stripes never will be.
I distrust all flags for that reason really. I wouldn't have a St George's flag on my lawn because I wouldn't want anyone misinterpreting it, but I have had little car window flags during the World Cup (not for long, obviously).
Statues are different though. I do understand how Robert E Lee on a pedestal in a park is offensive to some,but it's only a sodding statue. I'd have left it alone because to me, tearing it down is even more offensive than leaving it there for pigeons to crap on.
There is a statue of Oliver Cromwell in front of the House of Commons. A great Parliamentarian, who established the primacy of Parliament over Monarch, and in doing so paved the way for the slow birth of democracy. But to many, a religious fundamentalist and tyrant, and to the Irish a brutal English imperialist. I'd be pretty pissed off myself if someone suggested taking his statue down.
