I think it would be entirely fair to remove a police officer provided that's what their code of conduct says should happen. That's not the legal question here. Let me try and clear this argument into its constituent parts, so we can work our way towards a resolution.

- you believe flying the Confederate flag means 'be afraid', but that is a subjective opinion based on your experience and your interpretation of history. It is not an objective fact. It is a belief about the flag and what it represents. The flag itself is just a dyed piece of cloth. That differentiates it from a sign in the yard. The flag is one step of interpretation removed from the sign.

- It may be fair to assume other people might have a different interpretation of that flag. Not all flags mean the same thing to different people. For someone else, the flag itself might mean 'I am proud of my Southern States heritage'. It might also mean 'be afraid' but unless we are that other person, we have no way of knowing. Private knowledge is by its nature, private.

- If someone claims a flag offends them, should that be enough for the law to request that flag be brought down? Or for repercussions to happen to that person in their public life?

That's the argument I'm getting at. If you raise a rainbow flag because for you it mean 'Pride'. Does that flag still have the power to remain up, if someone else interprets it as 'The right to corrupt good Christian children'? If not, why not?

We have to be very careful about how and when we apply the law. Personally, I don't fly flags of any kind. My beliefs are private. They can be ascertained by talking to me, but I feel no need to put a cloth outside of my house, either to emphasise my political beliefs, my national identity or my support for any sports team etc. If pushed, I would probably conclude flags themselves are inherently problematic because they lack specificity.