History is such a fascinating topic - duh, right? Unfortunately, to me, the subject of history is only as deep as one is willing to go. Also, unfortunately, many people so often only like to take parts of history that tends to support their own personal beliefs and views and propose only those parts are the ones that matter.

This is not a defense of the Confederate flag. I understand what it historically represents. I get it. I really do. But in the debate over this flag, other parts of it do get lost in the larger debate. And this is largely about changes over time and how things and the meaning of things change.

I bring this up because of a decision to pull re-runs of The Dukes of Hazzard because of the current Confederate flag controversy. To me, it is sort of an illustration of reactions and reactions to come (Hell, this show should have been pulled on the lack of value long ago).

But my point of this is to point out how there is a "country-fied-good-ole boy-rebel" aspect to the meaning of this flag that does not have to do with the larger meaning of what this flag historically represented.

Now, I'm not a fan at all of the politics of Charlie Daniels, but go listen to his song "Long Haired Country Boy" and that is one aspect of this "good ole boy" self-imagery concept I speak of.

I do not think a very large number of people latched on to this flag with much thought over historical meaning. To these people, this flag does have a different meaning (which, oddly, happens so many times with so many things - take the Washington Redskins - to me, that name is so clearly highly offensive and disgusting, especially since so many are ignorant of how the term "redskin" also has history in that money for Indian scalps required "red skin" attached as proof before payment).

Yes, it is unfortunate that a large group of people selected an inappropriate image to suggest they buck the system, live the way they want to, can't be corralled and so on, but it is one aspect of what this flag says to that particular group.

I grew up in the era of when outlaw country music started and how men in bars wanted to be seen as characters in Waylon Jennings,George Jones, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr and Willie Nelson songs or as "good ole boys" and "rebels" and so on.

It was not about, "Hey, I want to go back to pre-civil war and pick me up a few slaves" or that blacks are animals and do not deserve all human rights and should be treated as property.

At the same time, I can only try to attempt to appreciate the rawness of what this flag instills to those that feel history and the meaning of history more than I do.

But it is also a slippery slope of interpretative meaning to different groups of people of culture. And the ongoing debate can either be fascinating or drug down into a vapid yell-fest as too often seen on television that accomplishes nothing.