Being a Northerner, I have to say I'm a bit of a sucker for the romanticism of the whole 'lost cause' ideal.
But that aside, to do anything other than present the entire story is wrong. I want my children to learn the entire truths of history, not just the comfortable ones.
We were a country divided over some fundamental ideals. And there were significant reasons for that division, otherwise a war wouldn't have been fought over it. And there were many, many reasons other than slavery. I don't know the stats, but I would venture to guess the vast majority of those fighting for the Confederacy never owned a slave in their life. And more than likely didn't particularily condone slavery.
Somewhere recently the question was raised if America had ever been under siege or occupied. The easy answer was no. The response was tell that to a southerner.
Those monuments and names are part of the culture and should remain. In 1861, men went to war. Considering the education of the times, I would have to guess most had only a slight idea of what the 'cause' was. The did what they were told was their duty.
Where I live many places, rivers, etc. are named after the Native peoples who first lived here. I know it isn't comparing apples to apples, but what if some day it became no longer 'pc' to use those names. And everything was changed to 'white bread' names. (meaning, bland, boring and safe) Is it ever all right to just ignore entire sections of our history and heritage?
The Civil War happened and every man who fought did what he felt to be his duty should be honored for that.
I don't mean to stir any international waters, but I wonder if any of those living in Germany can tell us how those who fought in WWII are honored. For to say that Confederate soldiers shouldn't be honored because they fought for slavery seems similiar to saying those German soldiers who fought in WWII shouldn't be honored because they fought for the Holocaust.
Nothing is ever that simple. Most conflicts are decided upon by a handful of men (and now women too). Those who do the fighting and the dying are only doing what has been asked of them. They don't get to decide. They can only pray their leaders know what they are doing.
Sorry, long answer. But to be honest, I'd rather my child went to a high school named after Jefferson Davis than William Jefferson Clinton. (sorry, editorializing and being flip)
However, I don't know that it is appropriate to have a flag displayed in public buildings that represents oppression to many. Or public buildings named after those seen as the leaders of that oppression. Would it be appropriate to expect Jews to attend Himmler High in Germany? From that standpoint I can understand the push for change.
Sorry, I just argued both sides of the coin.
I forgot for a moment that we in the States have our own old open wounds. 
..
). It happens at CW events all the time. Sad.
I think that there might be something of a time factor involved here. There are still people alive who remember the death camps of the Nazis. There are no ex-slaves left alive, no children of ex-slaves (born after slavery) and precious few grandchildren of ex-slaves. There is no living connection (as anthropologists term it) between the American black population today and slavery, in spite of the rumblings of social agitators. 
In the Vietnam war, the government told you to go. A RECOGNIZED government. I am not saying that the southerners should be forgotten, or even not have a memorial. I just don't think federal tax dollars should pay to remember the ones who tried to destroy that same government. 
