Yes, it's possible to be proud of Confederate heritage and not be racist, but it is not possible to have a nuanced discussion around race, history, and society anymore without someone calling you a supremacist or racist. It's quite unfortunate, and since many people will incorrectly be slandered with these labels, the actual radical groups will be emboldened, and many normal people will feel free to associate with them since everyone is getting the same derogatory label anyway.
It doesn't help that the extremists on both sides are the ones battling to control the narratives now. So few moderates will take a stand to tell both sides to shut up and try civil discourse instead. Our society seems to have forgotten how to hold debates that don't devolve into slander and childish tantrums.
Yup, and it has taken on such a tribal "us vs them" sports-like fanaticism where it is impossible to admit that your "side" could be wrong on a particular issue and that the other side is actually correct on that issue because that would be giving ground to the "enemies". It's really hard to be optimistic for the West given the increased deterioration of civil cohesion and discourse and rational debate.
UDC and Order of the Confederate Rose are not white supremacist organizations and shouldn't be lumped with that trash. The Sons of Confederate Veterans would disassociate with either group if they spouting white supremacist views. That's a huge no-no for the SCV and is why they won't show up to any protests that League of the South or any other white supremacist group is at. Contrary to the author's misguided beliefs it is possible to be proud of Confederate heritage and not be a racist.