Noting that the Arkansas flag has a confederate star on it only puts the writer of that in a tight spot. There is no such star.

There are plenty of stars, but no Confederate star. There are 28 stars. 25 represent the 25th state. The 3 large stars repreent the three nations to which Arkansas belonged: Spain, France, and the U.S.A.

Also, Arkansas was the third state formed from the Louisiana Purchase, after Louisiana and Missouri.

Some southern states honor the birthday of Robert E. Lee ( January 19, 1807). It just so happens that is near another birthday, January 15, 1929, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The tradition of honoring Lee goes back before there was an MLK day. In some states, the holiday is the MLK/REL day.

August 9, 1960

Dear Dr. Scott:

Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first, that we need to understand that at the time of the War between the States the issue of secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted. General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was a poised and inspiring leader, true to the high trust reposed in him by millions of his fellow citizens; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his faith in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history.

From deep conviction, I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s calibre would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the Nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained.

Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall.

Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower

And what is considered the most hallowed ground in America is Arlington National Cemetery. That would be the former Robert E. Lee estate. After the Civil War, Lee's ancestors sued the government for unlawful taking and won in the U.S. Supreme Court. They then sold the property, for a nominal sum, back to the government. The Robert E. Lee National Memorial is Arlington House, his former home. The cemetery is on the grounds.

The folks who get riled up about MLK/REL day, don't seem to mind the shared GW/DGB day. That would be George Washington/Daisy Gatson Bates Day. Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (b. November 11, 1914) was a black leader in the integration of the Little Rock, AR schools. George Washington's birthday was February 22, 1732.

See A.C.A. § 1-5-102

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Arkansas

The flag's elements have a complex symbolism. According to the 1987 state law defining the flag, the diamond represents Arkansas' status as "the only diamond-bearing state in the Union". (Crater of Diamonds State Park was the only diamond mine in North America at the time, before more recent discoveries in Colorado and Montana.) The number (25) of white stars around the border of the diamond represents Arkansas' position as the 25th state to join the union. The blue star above "ARKANSAS" represents the Confederate States of America, which Arkansas joined in secession. The design of the border around the white diamond evokes the saltire found on the Confederate battle flag.

The three stars below "ARKANSAS" have three separate meanings:

• The three nations to which Arkansas has belonged (Spain, France, and the U.S.)
• The Louisiana Purchase, which brought Arkansas into the U.S., was signed in 1803.
• Arkansas was the third state (after Louisiana and Missouri) formed from the Louisiana Purchase.

The statute states that the two outer, upward-pointing stars of the three are considered "twin stars" representing the "twin states" of Arkansas and Michigan, which it claims were admitted together on June 15, 1836. However, that part of the statute contains two inaccuracies:

• The three stars were in a single row in Hocker's original design; they were not arranged in a triangle until later. Though one source indicates that the "twin states" symbolism was added by the 1924 Legislature,another states Hocker's "twin stars" are actually two of the 25 stars in the diamond, in the far left and right points; the latter is more consistent with the original design, even though Michigan is actually the 26th state.
• While both states' acts of admission were signed by President Andrew Jackson on that day and Arkansas became a state immediately, Michigan was offered admission only on condition of ceding the Toledo Strip to Ohio in exchange for the Upper Peninsula. Once that happened, it was finally admitted January 26, 1837.