re: LeVar Burton shocked to discover he's descended from a Confederate soldier

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But, do people really believe...
1) war was over solely slavery
2)hundreds of thousands of men in a nation of what 20-30 million would take up arms over slavery?

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Some do, and some try to say it was a minor issue, but neither is correct. However, it is clear that slavery was the driving issue for at least most of the southern state governments, at least. All the states that published a document outlining their reasons for secession specifically listed slavery as the principal reason and in some cases the sole reason the state legislature chose to secede But not all states published such a document.

In terms of why most fought for either side, there is much more variance. Anything from simple conscription regardless of their desire, lack of work opportunities, allegiance to their State as the primary seat of governance (as I think the founders intended), etc. For most soldiers on both sides, I suspect the institution of slavery was not their motivation.

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There's slavery all over middle east, Africa, and Asia nowadays. I don't see anybody taking up arms.

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Not institutional slavery in any of those places that I know of with the possible exception of China and their prison labor system.

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You fought for where you lived. Like 95+% fought for state they lived in.

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Even a few West Point graduates struggled over this and decided that their first allegiance lay with their state. Robert E. Lee was offered the command of the Federal forces in April 1861. Lee declined and tendered his resignation from the army when the state of Virginia seceded on April 17, arguing that he could not fight against his own people. Lee had been the superintendent of West Point from 1852 to 1855. Our countrymen's identity at the time lay primarily with the State rather than the Federal government.

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Very few people owned slaves in the South.

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That is true but quite a few of the legislators did.