Moving to New Orleans and being called everything from “Yankee” to “carpet bagger” made it obvious some Americans continue to be caught up in the epic struggle that was the Civil War.

This is a common realization for “Northerners,” who migrate past the Mason-Dixon Line, finding they lack a mutually derogatory term to say in return. Black artist John Sims moved from Detroit to Florida and was shocked by the number of Confederate flags gracing poles, pick-up trucks and bedroom windows. Inspired, he created, “The Recoloration Proclamation: The Gettysburg Redress,” an exhibit displayed in Gettysburg, Penn., to examine the Confederate flag’s meanings, then and now.

His exhibits reverse the roles of Confederate society. He created black flags and images of black farmers juxtaposed around traditional flags. Attracting the most attention is, “The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag,” a complete hangman’s booth with a lynched flag. Obviously, the Sons of Confederate Veterans are enraged and protesting it because they apparently believe their free speech is more important than Sims’. I wonder why.

Would-be Confederates, seemingly itching for a rematch and defense of their flag say, “It’s not hate, it’s heritage.” Nothing is farther from the truth. If a German paints a Nazi swastika on the side of his pick-up truck, is that heritage, too? No, it’s a symbol of hate and racial superiority. The Confederate flag is no different. Need proof? Confederate States Vice President Alexander Stephens, in one of his most famous speeches, said the “cornerstone” of the Confederate states “rest(s) upon the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition.”

The importance of freedom of speech leaves no reason why they shouldn’t be able to continue living the 145-year-old war, but be honest with yourself; the ideals are wretched and dated. The flag literally symbolizes defense of racial bigotry and separatism.

The founding fathers fought hard to preserve the Union and realized each state depends on each other’s support during times of crisis. The confederacy willfully sacrificed the Union in exchange for an opportunity to evade taxes necessary for its survival and to implement racial superiority into law, despite that the entire modern world was denouncing it as an atrocity.

When someone flies the opposing flag, he makes a statement that the Confederate ideals are still alive and he supports them. He celebrates an attempt to destroy the Union because the Union favored progress over regress. He exhibits pride in greed that turned brother on brother and killed more than 600,000 of our forefathers.

Move into the 21st century, Rebels. The Confederacy was an agricultural nation with a disregard for modernization; it probably would have fallen behind. Leave your “South will rise again,” fairy tales behind and be proud to be in the U.S. If it’s truly heritage to you and not symbolic, remember to fly the British, French and Spanish flags alongside it so people won’t think you don’t know your history.