Did you catch Trace Adkins performing at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting Wednesday night?  Apparently the lights on the tree weren't the only things heated.  Trace wore an earpiece decorated like a Confederate flag and is catching some flack for it, but he says on his website he meant no harm. 

"As a proud American I object to oppression of any kind," he wrote from Japan. "To me, the battle flag represents remembrance of my Southern lineage—I am a descendant of Confederate soldiers who followed that flag into battle. I advocate for the preservation of America's battlefields and honest conversation about our Country's history. To those who view the flag as a symbol of racism, that was not my message and I did not intend offense."   Some believe the flag is a racist symbol and criticized Trace on Twitter.  One furious viewer tweeted, "I did like Trace Adkins until I saw the Confederate flag ear piece in his ear."   Another said it was, "Absolutely disgusting, this is 2012!!"   And, "Someone tell Trace Adkins the South lost."   The 50 year old Louisiana native is in Japan now on a USO Tour.    What do you think?