Of course no one remembers
Irish Slavery
Small excerpt below (note the 13th Amendment also put an end to Indentured Servitude):
"Although the Africans and Irish were housed together and were the property of the planter owners, the Africans received much better treatment, food and housing. In the British West Indies the planters routinely tortured white slaves for any infraction. Owners would hang Irish slaves by their hands and set their hands or feet afire as a means of punishment. To end this barbarity, Colonel William Brayne wrote to English authorities in 1656 urging the importation of Negro slaves on the grounds that, "as the planters would have to pay much more for them, they would have an interest in preserving their lives, which was wanting in the case of (Irish)...." many of whom, he charged, were killed by overwork and cruel treatment. African Negroes cost generally about 20 to 50 pounds Sterling, compared to 900 pounds of cotton (about 5 pounds Sterling) for an Irish. They were also more durable in the hot climate, and caused fewer problems. The biggest bonus with the Africans though, was they were NOT Catholic, and any heathen pagan was better than an Irish Papist. Irish prisoners were commonly sentenced to a term of service, so theoretically they would eventually be free. In practice, many of the slavers sold the Irish on the same terms as prisoners for servitude of 7 to 10 years."
The point being that for whatever the reason the "Rebel Flag" has become a political issue that one side or another feel is a "winning" argument. For the vast majority the point is irrelevant, it is the movement that counts.
One can find problems in the history of every country (or political party or religion), but to try and mandate "Cultural Cleansing" in the name of political correctness may not be the way to go - the question to ask is what is next?