"America as a whole"?
Hardly. I've been to the majority of the states in this country, have quite a few active and retired educators in my family from states all over America, and heard many different views on it....very few of which view it as a "long standing,
harmless symbol of regional pride", as you call it.
Outside of the south, and among a minuscule fringe of states rights sympathizers, it does not get much positive recognition.
At all.
But, I'm all for letting it fly, as a teachable example to future generations of what it's history stands for.
The photo below was taken within the "5 generation," period of "regional pride" that you reference, and I remember seeing some scenes like this, up close and personal when with my parents at civil rights marches in the south during the 1960's.
View attachment 313321
The Dukes of Hazzard represented the flag, as demonstrated with my pic of the Gen Lee, and it's owners and their very attractive cousin,
as a harmless symbol of regional pride, celebrated by sympathetic and attractive main characters, and the nation as a whole
accepted that without any shock or surprise.
Indeed, that show became a NATIONAL hit, loved as good, harmless, fluff entertainment by fans all over this nation.
So was Hogan's Heroes.
I'm sorry, I don't see how what you posted, related to my post, in any way.
Hogan's Heroes, the heroes was the POW, allied troops from America, or American allies, who were fighting the Nazis and were captured, and yet, continued to fight the Nazis.
The Nazis of the show, were all shown, as negative characters, with very little if ANY redeeming qualities.
Can you spell out your point, cause I don't see it at all?
Swastikas were brandished as a prop to show they were nazis. Likewise, the confederate references on Dukes of Hazard were brandished as a prop to show the were southerners.
Correct.
And the Nazis were know by being nazis to be the bad guys, and the audience had not problem accepting this and enjoying the show.
The Southerns, were known to be southerns, by their use of southern symbols, and they were, not KNOWN to be good guys just on that basis, after all Boss Hogg was a southern and he was the bad guy,
but, the Duke Boys were known to be southerns, thanks in part to their use of southern or confederate symbols, and they were presented as THE HEROES of the show, and the viewing audience, the NATION WIDE viewing audience, had no problem with this, it was never commented on, that I ever heard of, at the time, then or since, till very recently.
That is MY point, that the symbol was "rebranded" LONG ago, from a symbol of secession and slavery to one of harmless regional pride.
You, being a modern liberal, might disagree with that rebranding, but it is an historical fact.
Ignoring it, and pretending that the people that use it today, are using it in a fashion they are NOT using it,
is just you ginning up a thin excuse to be very rude to people and to marginalize them.
ON false grounds.