NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Amidst the leather chaps, bandanas and tattoos at Chappy's Bar and Grill Sunday afternoon there were hundreds of flags donning red, white and blue.
The Confederate flag has been an iconic symbol of the South, which was why dozens showed up to stand behind a flag recently wrapped in controversy.
"Means a history of people that persevered, history of people that had a lot of strengths, a history of people who had a real sense of home," said organizer, Tracie Morrell.
Morrell organized the peace ride after the church massacre in South Carolina.
"That just really hit home with me because I felt it was taken in a context it shouldn't have been, this was a crazy person that did a crazy thing," Morrell explained.
Recent calls to ban the Confederate flag have had many rising up in opposition, while decades of abuse have turned the symbol of heritage into hate.
"We can't stand the KKK, we can't stand the skin heads. They don't need to be waving our flags. It's not theirs, its ours. It's the South," Commander Ronald King said.
With their flags flying high the group took their message to the road.
"We ride for all people because if we don't take a stand, not only to protect our flag but every flag that has been fought for and bled for, we'll lose everything," King said.
They headed for the Capitol to let lawmakers know, "just leave it alone, leave our stuff alone," said King.
"This is where we come from. This is the land that we love," Morrell said.
Once the group gathered at the Capitol they rode to Murfreesboro to pay respect to Confederate soldiers at the Stones River National Battlefield.
