I think that X associates flag with slavery/white supremacy, Y associates it with Southern States identity and Z associates it with Dukes of Hazard, then Z is not that invested but Y and X are. Who has the best claim over the Flag's identity? Who gets to impose who's values on who?
I say neither.
Let what people identify with be what they identify with, even if you personally don't.
It is more complicated than that.
X, Y and Z may be there. Now X had Dylan Roof imprinting the meaning of X on the flag with the blood of nine people. And Dylan Roof had that going global. Most newspapers and TV news showed the flag in combination with telling about this murder. The tables changed. X now got world wide credit. And it will have a massive impact. And the cognitive approach, how it does not have to mean X, but also could be Y or Z does not change that.
It's like a word with five meanings, that may even be contradicting, and only one makes it to the dictionary, and to all the school books. The other four meanings slowly evaporate from the main language, though in some dialects they may linger.
If Y and Z, and maybe M and N would find ways to confuse the meaning of X to the flag, that would be a creative approach. It will infuriate X, and will cause strife. It may be more effective than taking away the flag for all of them though.
Nope that is not taking it away from all of them, because X doesn't want it in the first place. You are only taking it away from Y and Z. Y is punished for nothing they did wrong and on the account of X's wishes.
We can not have whoever complains the most or whoever feels the worst getting their way, in disputes.
Its not equitable. Imagine that in courts?
Plaintiff: "I felt really bad about A"
Defendant: "But I really like A"
Judge: "Plaintiff looked the most upset over this"
I do understand what you are saying though. But I do not see one perspective/identity trump another.
Make it about the swastika. X being promoted by Hitler. Y and Z and others being old folk symbols of the sun.
X got his way. When people see a swastika, they see Hitler. Historically speaking, Y, Z and others are more in the right about the meaning of the symbol, but it is not how the symbol works now.
Dylan Roof is no Hitler. But, he has publicity on his side, like Hitler had.
Not saying X has now won by default. But it takes creativity to deflate what Dylan Roof achieved.
A big factory in cookies, making confederate flag cookies and giving most of the profit to the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church or something like that, and stating that in big letters on the package, advertising on TV etc. may be effective in deflating the meaning of X.
Imagine people thinking X wanting those cookies, but the cookies are anti-X.