Confederate Flag, West Virginia

West Va. Neighborhood Divided Over Confederate Flag

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - An Eastern Panhandle neighborhood is divided over whether one homeowner's display of a Confederate flag is a matter of history or something worse.

Richard Bushong, a member of a local Sons of Confederate Veterans group, said he had no idea the flag would upset any of his neighbors in the Villages of Washington Trails subdivision.

The flag is an early design known as the “stars and bars,” featuring a circle of seven white stars against a blue background, with two red and one white stripes. It is not the more familiar Confederate battle flag, the display of which has been a flashpoint for controversy around the country.

But neighbor Renee Brunson said the sight of the flag made her think of family ancestors who had been slaves.

“I did, I broke down and cried because to me that represents racism and slavery, and we don't need to be reminded of that,” she said.

Kelly Hester, another neighbor, said the flag doesn't reflect the neighborhood's racial and ethnic diversity.

“We really don't want there to be any trouble over this, we just want it taken down because it's not representative of how we feel and live here,” she said.

Bushong said he plans to take the flag down this week, although he said its display has more to do with his interest in history.

That interest led him to join the Sons of Confederate Veterans, although he acknowledges the group has an image problem.

“The biggest problem we have is distancing ourselves from groups like the Ku Klux Klan,” he said. “We have absolutely no use for them or any other groups that are based on hate.”

Clagett Management, which oversees the subdivision's homeowners' association, said there is no rule prohibiting the display of flags by homeowners.