Trace Adkins explains Confederate flag earpiece

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 22: Musician Trace Adkins attends the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 22, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) / Mike Lawrie

NEW YORK Trace Adkins wore an earpiece decorated like the Confederate flag when he performed for the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting but says he meant no offense by it.

Adkins appeared with the earpiece on a nationally televised special for the lighting on Wednesday. Some regard the flag as a racist symbol and criticized Adkins in Twitter postings.

But in a statement released Thursday, the Louisiana native called himself a proud American who objects to any oppression and says the flag represents his Southern heritage.

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He noted he's a descendant of Confederate soldiers and says he did not intend offense by wearing it.

Adkins — on a USO tour in Japan — also called for the preservation of America's battlefields and an "honest conversation about the country's history."

[littledeb36]

Why is it you can be GAY and be proud....Black and be proud....Mexican and be proud..but you cannot be anything else and be proud????
Anyone who agrees that this is wrong that he celebrated his heritage IS A RACIST!!!! Right is Right,,,,Wrong is Wrong!!!!

[wildbilltoo]

Wear any other flag that fought against the Stars and Stripes? Oh well, I guess the only other thing they can do is that deal where they refuse to accent the syllable the "Yankee" dictionary tells them to do on three-syllable words.

[--Heartfelt--]

When will people ever accept the Civil War had more than one cause? Not all who fought had slaves or wanted slaves. The flag is about our history and our ancestors NOT slavery. The South tends to hold our history, family and our land very close to our hearts.
Rock on Trace! Stand tall and be proud of who you are!!!

[skeezix06]

Baloney.

[antelopejoe]

The flag is about racism and fighting to keep their slave based way of life. In doing so they killed more Americans than any of our enemies in our entire history. I guess they didnt want to give up their 12 billion dollars worth of slaves without a fight.

[skeezix06]

Like most people, probably including Mr. Adkins, I'm a descendant of both confederate and union soldiers and I don't see any need to wear a confederate flag. The confederacy lost their war. They're the past; history. I prefer to live in the present.

[littledeb36]

You mean all the people who state there heritage decends from slavery ought to get a clue and move on???????????????

[tiredofsameold]

Biggest slave port in U.S. history? Boston Harbor. Biggest riot in U.S. history? The Irish in New York being forced into the front lines as disposables during the Civil War. Biggest massacre of slaves to "keep them in line"? New Jersey (60 hung in one day). What about those mass slave graves uncovered in New York? So when people say "heritage descends from slavery," they need to include the entire world, because it was once an ugly worldwide custom (and still exists in some forms in Africa to this day). In fact, if you want to, you can go back 50 years before the Civil War and claim the U.S. flag stood for slavery, since it was practiced in both the north and south. My southern ancestors DID NOT OWN SLAVES. In fact, 95% of southerners did not own slaves at the time of the Civil War. Yet, General Grant and his wife did . . . (which gets widely played down and explained away). If Trace Adkins wants to wear a freakin' Confederate flag earring, then the PC police will have to get just over it.

[RJ422]

A country singer in support of the confederacy? Stop the presses!!!