SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA—

At Cooter's, a store in rural Sperryville, Virginia, about 120 kilometers west of Washington, D.C., Confederate flags sell briskly. The flag, with 13 white stars representing the Confederate states, was used by Southern forces during the U.S. Civil War with the Northern states in the mid-1800s. The war was fought over several issues, including slavery.

For Cooter's customer Anna Gross, the flag is an important symbol of the South's heritage. "It's part of our ancestors who lived through it and fought for it," she said emotionally.

Her grandson, Jordan Hutchinson, 18, wears a necklace embossed with images of the flag, and said his bedroom is full of Confederate memorabilia.

"I see it as part of history. It's American history," he said.

But the flag's opponents call it a symbol of hate, stemming from black oppression in the South. And after nine people were killed in a South Carolina church by a gunman who allegedly hated blacks and embraced the Confederate battle flag, it was removed from the grounds of South Carolina's state capitol and other sites around the country where it flew.

Customer Donna Carol said she thought it was "horrible they took it down" in South Carolina.

Some Sales Halted

Several major retailers in the U.S. have stopped selling the flag and merchandise with its image.  But some businesses are continuing to sell them, including Cooter's, where owner Ben Jones is an outspoken proponent for the Confederate flag.

"You take one flag down, we will put two up," he said.

The former U.S. Democratic congressman from Georgia played a mechanic named Cooter in the popular 1980s TV series, "The Dukes of Hazzard." His store carries mementos from the show and other souvenirs — some with Confederate flags — including key chains, hats and belts. There's even a chair and flip-flops with the flag.