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To those who perceive themselves to be victims of the philosophy and
deeds practiced by the institutions that a flag, over time, is generally known to represent, the associated flag becomes an offensive symbol. If the pool of
victims is large enough to wield political or economic clout, and the flag
is the symbol of an entity that ends up on the losing side of a military conflict, the losing side often loses it's ability to openly display it's "colors".

In the historical acounts of naval engagements, an easy example is the
practice of commanders of defeated ships lowering their flag to signal their
submission and surrender to superior forces.

The Confederacy surrendered to the Union almost 140 years ago. Will it be
acceptable some day for another flag of a losing side, a 1940's German SS
unit, to be flown on a staff or sewn into a dress pattern and publically worn
at a school sponsered function?

You may not find the confederate battle flag to be a particularly offensive
symbol, but I believe that since it is nearly universally associated with an
institution that was financed by slave holders and embraced the legal right
of wealthy caucasian planters to own and trade non-caucasian, enslaved
humans in large numbers, it is offensive and profane. The institution that it
represented also perpetrated an armed insurrection against the United States. The insurrection was put down and it's military forces eliminated,
only after a huge cost in lives and in property to both sides.

If you believe that the girl with a dress patterned after the flag of a militarily defeated, repressive regime, guilty of the practice of a widespread crime
against humanity; in this case, slavery, and of armed rebellion, has a grievance that should be granted relief in civil court, can you offer a similar
argument in support of wearing a prom dress patterned after the SS flag ?

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