Promoted by the media, a Confederate symbols witch-hunt has focused attention on state flags and other symbols across America that are shockingly racist or sexist. Yet the politically correct crowd studiously ignores Washington State’s ugly one-dollar bill flag, which depicts a slave owner!

In the meantime, efforts to adopt new flags are tragically comedic. Legislators in Maine and Minnesota have dawdled for decades, while Georgia and Mississippi adopted flags that are arguably worse than the flags they replaced. Nebraska citizens proudly defend their flag, which has been ranked the worst in the nation. One Republican wanted to depict a rifle on Montana’s flag.

What’s going on? Who are the good guys? Should we change our state flags? If so, why? And who should decide which designs are chosen?

The author of What Is Conspiracy? and the forthcoming book Flag Quest: The Search for Respectable State Flags has some surprising answers.