Majority see Confederate flag as symbol of pride, not hate

A majority of Americans view the Confederate flag more as a symbol of Southern pride than racism, according to a new poll.

Fifty-seven percent of Americans said they see the flag as evoking Southern pride in the CNN/ORC poll released Thursday, compared to 33 percent who believe it is racist. Those numbers show little movement since a similar poll from 2000.  

{mosads}Black and white Americans have very different views on whether the flag is a symbol of pride or a symbol of hate.

Two-thirds of whites believe the flag represents Southern pride, while only 28 percent believe it has any ties to racism.

That perspective is the opposite among blacks — 72 percent believe the flag is a symbol of racism.

The majority of Americans, both black and white, believe that the flag should be removed from all government property except for museums.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) called on her state Legislature to remove the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds in response to the killings last month of nine African-Americans at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. The shooter allegedly was seeking to start a race war and posed in pictures with the Confederate flag.