At an iconoclastic level of understanding, burning an politically invalid piece of cloth seems slightly pyromaniac, and even reactionary or provocative, and as art perhaps slightly more creative, but only LoFos will get pissed off and misunderstand that the artist is in some ways following flag etiquette for disposal, assuming that the Confederate "battle flag" could even be
the legitimate flag of the now-defunct CSA. OTOH it will be useful to observe the blasphemy discourse and wonder in the spirit of Charlie Hebdo, whether published satirical cartoons of Jefferson Davis will draw violent extremist responses.
A conceptual-art project that includes plans to burn and bury Confederate flags in 13 mostly Southern states on Memorial Day has drawn the ire of groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans that consider the events disrespectful and divisive.
The planned flag burnings and burials also raised concern that such a public and symbolic act would fall short of the artist’s stated goal to simply retire the flag as a “symbol of terror” and would instead serve to aggravate tensions.
The controversy is the latest in a long string of flare-ups over the flag and highlights how fraught a symbol it remains 150 years after the Civil War ended. While some denounce the flag as an emblem of racism and oppression, others revere it as a representation of the South’s cultural heritage.
John Sims, a 47-year-old conceptual artist in Sarasota, Fla., who is organizing the Memorial Day events, said he hoped to prod people “to reflect upon and critique the complex nature of the Confederate flag as a lasting symbol of terror.” He said he planned to stage funerals for the flag in the 11 states that formed the Confederacy, along with Kentucky and Missouri.