I'm Shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to Hear White Men Used Racial Slurs to Describe Blacks in the Late 60s and Early 70s. Please Join Me in My Outrage

In public statements, Allen has said that he realized later in life that the Confederate flag was a symbol of violence for black Americans, and he has expressed some regret. 'There are a lot of things that I wish I had learned earlier in life,' Allen said in an appearance this month on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' But Allen has maintained that he never harbored any discriminatory attitudes toward blacks. 'Even if your heart is pure, the things you say and do and the symbols you use matter because of how others may take them,' he said in the prepared transcript for remarks to a luncheon with black educators on Sept. 13.

"For instance," he said, "I have a gas-powered burning cross that I light in my backyard to scare the animals and control pests, you know? But then, my black friend Joseph told me he was offended by it. I apologized immediately.

"I hope you understand that by 'black friend,' I meant my 78-year-old house boy, and by 'apologized' I meant 'told him he didn't have to light it, anymore,' which, of course, means I fired his uppity ass.

"But I digress. The point is you have to take into account how others perceive the things you say and the things you use to represent your beliefs."