Quoting RebelArcher:
QUOTE: MYTH � The War of 1861 � 1865 was fought over slavery. FACT � Terribly untrue.
"" The Northern and Southern sections of the United States developed along different lines. The South remained a predominantly agrarian economy while the North became more and more industrialized. Different social cultures and political beliefs developed. All of this led to disagreements on issues such as taxes, tariffs and internal improvements as well as states rights versus federal rights. Slavery The burning issue that led to the disruption of the union, however, was the debate over the future of slavery.That dispute led to secession, and secession brought about a war in which the Northern and Western states and territories fought to preserve the Union, and the South fought to establish Southern independence as a new confederation of states under its own constitution. The agrarian South utilized slaves to tend its large plantations and perform other duties. On the eve of the Civil War, some 4 million Africans and their descendants toiled as slave laborers in the South. Slavery was interwoven into the Southern economy even though only a relatively small portion of the population actually owned slaves. Slaves could be rented or traded or sold to pay debts. Ownership of more than a handful of slaves bestowed respect and contributed to social position, and slaves, as the property of individuals and businesses, represented the largest portion of the region�s personal and corporate wealth, as cotton and land prices declined and the price of slaves soared. The states of the North, meanwhile, one by one had gradually abolished slavery. A steady flow of immigrants, especially from Ireland and Germany during the potato famine of the 1840s and 1850s, insured the North a ready pool of laborers, many of whom could be hired at low wages, diminishing the need to cling to the institution of slavery."" http://www.historynet.com/causes-of-the-civil-war
"" Q. What caused the Civil War? While many still debate the ultimate causes of the Civil War , Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson writes that, "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. "" http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/faq/
"" What caused the American Civil War? It is amazing that even today, nearly 150 years after the Civil War started, there is passionate debate regarding the "cause" of the Civil War. Consider this: It is a fact that when the armies for the North and South were first formed, only a small minority of the soldiers on either side would have declared that the reason they joined the army was to fight either "for" or "against" slavery. However, equally true is the statement: "Had there been no slavery, there would have been no war. Had there been no moral condemnation of slavery, there would have been no war." (This was made by Sydney E. Ahlstrome, in his monumental study of religion in America A Religious History of the American People , Yale University Press,1972, on p. 649; it was echoed by Maj. General John B. Gordon, CSA, in his Memoirs, Chapter 1, first page)"" http://www.greatamericanhistory.net/causes.htm
"" The US Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865 and led to over 618,000 casualties. Its causes can be traced back to tensions that formed early in the nation's history. Following are the top five causes that led to the "War Between the States." 1. Economic and social differences between the North and the South. With Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became very profitable. This machine was able to reduce the time it took to separate seeds from the cotton. However, at the same time the increase in the number of plantations willing to move from other crops to cotton meant the greater need for a large amount of cheap labor, i.e. slaves. Thus, the southern economy became a one crop economy, depending on cotton and therefore on slavery."" http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/a/cause_civil_war.htm
To state that slavery wasnt one of the main factors causing the Civil War is disingenuous at best, and utterly dishonest at worst. Its ones thing to protect that flag by illiciting history (btw, using that excuse, Great Britians flag should be flying at our nations capitol, right next to the Sars and stripes...ya know, history n all) and proclaiming "heritage".....and its totally another thing to try and omit that those states fighting in the Civil War flying that battle flag were totally in support of slavery.
For anyone to say that every Southerner was a racist or slave owner and to lump them all up in one neat little package is akin to saying one of my best friends is responsible for 9-11 because she happens to be a Muslim. Come on now, facts trump opinion.
it fills up part of my left upper arm....amongst other things.:) 
looks cool.
