A Florida State Representative introduced a bill last week that would create a "Confederate Heritage" license plate.  The plate would feature a shield displaying the rebel battle flag symbol.

Rep. Donald Brown, who filed the bill, says it would give motorists a way to show pride in their heritage.  His bill directs revenue from the $25 plate fee towards educational programs run by Sons of Confederate Veterans, graveyard maintenance (we're confused by this too) and local museum exhibits. 

Brown says his bill has nothing to do with race and was quick to point out that he filed another bill to rename part of a highway in Walton County after black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  

Opponents of the bill believe the confederate flag to be representative of slavery and divisiveness, despite its popularity in southern states and flags. 

Until 2001, the Georgia State flag, pictured below, included the confederate flag to symbolize the state's history.  Many lawsuits challenged the flag as a symbol of hate, and eventually the flag was changed.

Old Georgia Flag:

New Georgia Flag:

Tell us what you think about Rep. Brown's bill.  Should the state of Florida be promoting the confederate flag?  Is it a symbol of hate or heritage?  Or are the two not mutually exclusive?