Just because someone is a southerner does not mean they were descended from Confederates. There were many southerners who fought for the Union including my Great Grandfather and GG Grandfather. They fought for the American flag which, ironically, the confederates hated and is why it became popular in the Union to display the American flag.
This makes it even more disgusting that so many of these American flag patriots sympathize with the Confederates. They were somehow allowed to pirate the Union flag with all their “Real American” identity all the while, flaunting the Confederate flag.
Many Confederate southerners today would probably be shocked to learn they descend from southerners who fought against the Confederacy.