August 2000 Archives

Gentlemen,
The article below was printed in your Manchester, GA Star-Mercury.
Reply to your article:
>NOT MY CUP OF TEA
> My position on the present Georgia State Flag is the same today as it has
>been since the controversy first arose.
> When I was in grade school back in the thirties, I was one of two students
>who raised both the Stars and Stripes and the Georgia Flag each morning and
>lowered the flags when school was dismissed in the afternoon. All students
>were taught to respect both the state and national flags because they were
>symbols of our nation first and state second.
And they should continue to be taught to respect both the state and
national flag.
> When I joined the Navy in 1944, I was assigned to an escort aircraft carrier
>in the Pacific as a quartermaster in the navigation department. Again, one of
>my responsibilities was to care for the U.S. Flags and Union Jacks. I took this
>responsibility seriously. The Georgia State Flag was not included, of course.
> During wartime we flew the U.S. Flag 24 hours a day while a sea. The Union
>Jack, the blue field with the 48 stars representing each state in those days
>(now 50 stars), was flown on the bow of the ship from sunrise until sunset
>while either anchored or tied up to a dock in port.
> MOST OF MY experiences with the flag in the past has been with the Stars
>and Stripes. None with the flag adopted in 1954 that exhibit the stars and bars.
Sir, may I suggest that you familiarize yourself with your subject matter
before you go off on these tirades. First, the Georgia flag was changed in 1956.
Second, the flag that exhibits the stars and bars is the pre '56 flag. The current
flag exhibits the Saint Andrew's Cross.
 
>The state flag we have today was effected in 1954 as a protest against various
>civil rights movements.
Again, the change was in '56 and I challenge you to show any Atlanta newspaper
articles that back your claim. If it was changed in those days to protest the civil
rights movements, it would have been loudly proclaimed, for our politicians did not
support integration, and were not shy about stating so.
And here's the reasons why the change got so much support:
Judge John Sammons Bell had met our Confederate vets as a young man, and had
always wanted to honor them.
1. Since the last of them were dying in the fifties, this
was the time to honor them for their courageous fight for States' Rights and the
original Constitution.
2. In 1956, the States were preparing for the Centennial of the War Between the States,
and ways to honor our veterans..
3. President Eisenhower even sent out a proclamation telling the States to prepare for the
celebration. Georgia was glad to change the flag to honor our heritage, and there was
no descent reported. Not even M. L. King, Jr. ever attacked our present Georgia Flag.
 
> If this was not the case, the Stars and Bars would have been incorporated
>in the Georgia State Flag since reconstruction.
Like I have previously pointed out to you, sir, the Stars and Bars were incorporated
in the Georgia Flag up until '56.
Those that contend the stars
>and bars are in our state flag today are there to honor our heroes in the War
>Between the States are stretching a point.
Every legislator that proposed the flag change bill has stated that the change was
made to honor our Confederate heroes. Nothing more, nothing less. The challenge
is still open to you to provide any substantiation to your manufactured claims. And
again, the Stars and Bars are not in our GA. flag today.
> Let me ask you this. Do you favor slaverly today? The answer from 99
>44/100% asked this question is a resounding "No".
Let me reply that 94% of the Confederate soldiers did not own slaves. They certainly
did not fight for the South to protect the rich slaveowners living in the North and South.
They fought because the South was invaded by paid Yankee hordes of murderers, looters,
arsonists, and rapists, just as their ancestors had fought the British invaders. A man
who would not fight for his Country when invaded would have been ashamed to show
his face. And there were about 90,000 Blacks in the Confederate Army. Slavery was
ending in the States during the Nineteenth Century; the war was over tariffs which were
unfairly placed upon the Southern States. Just Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia were
forced to provide 75% of the entire cost of the united States' government. That's why
the first Southern States seceded. The others left the Union when Lincoln
(unconstitutionally) called upon them to provide 75,000 troops to invade the first
seceding States.
> The mistake was made 46 years ago when it was expedient politically to
>criticize anything and anybody that favored civil rights for everybody.
The citizens of Georgia do not think our present flag is a mistake. Where did
you get this erroneous idea? Zell Miller certainly found this to be true! Again
where's your substantiation for these manufactured claims.
 
> Making myself clear that it would not bother me at all to have the state
>flag returned to the flag of my youth, let's take a look at the other side.
We decline, and do not care particularly whether you are personally bothered
or not. Delta is ready when you are, if it's too much of a personal burden.
> I CAN UNDERSTAND how black people might be offended.
Black people were not offended until they were told by the extortionist naacp
to be offended.
This latest offended craze is all about increasing contributions and status to the naacp
to save their outdated and previously financially depressed organization. This is
really all about selling Blacks on reparations and continued entitlements in lieu of
following the success story of those who have made decisions to become
productive citizens.
To me, I liken
>it to being forced to ride in a vehicle with a Georgia Tech decal. It is fine for
>Tech folk, but not my cup of tea. At the same time Tech folks would resent
>being forced to act happy riding in a Bulldog vehicle.
The majority of Georgians do not favor changing the Georgia Flag. Suggest that
you, and those who have been told to be offended by the flag starting only in the
nineties to get over it. Besides, changing the flag would offend the majority.
 
> Just in the last few days, I hear certain groups are asking the NCAA to
>keep three basketball touraments out of Atlanta this decade, unless the
>stars and bars are removed from the state flag. Isn't this a crude proposal?
Frankly Sir, we don't give a damn about which Basketball tournaments or any
other sports events come to Hotlanta. If Blacks wish to boycott the African
City of Hotlanta, who cares? The things that are really important are our
heritage, our Constitution, and what we think of ourselves.
> This threat is every bit as thick-witted as the decision to add the bars and
>stripes to the flag. Reasonable thinking people do not "cut off their nose to
>spite their face."
Reasonable thinking people research a subject before they print an article.
A person can catch more flies with honey then vinegar!
Then spread honey on yourself and catch all the flies you desire.
> A reasonable solution might be to form a coalition of citizens to study the
>situation and come up with a solution that will be acceptable to all.
This is the most idiotic statement I have ever read.
> I HAVE BEEN TOLD my great grandfather fought with General Lee in
>Virginia. When he returned to Jackson County by train after the war, he was
>so ragged, dirty and had so heavy a beard he was not recognized at first.
> Seeing the stars and bars in the Georgia flag does not make me honor
>my forebear more. This situation should be settled by reasonable people
>before the unreasonable on both sides make the decision for us.
"May any Grandson who fails to honor these men
who sacrificed everything and lost, meet a different hereafter,
for he would not be worthy of their reception."
Elijah Coleman, Georgian

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are led to believe that the black community in 
this country as a whole sees the flags of our forbearers as a "painful 
reminder of slavery". Julian Bond recently called our flag the "Confederate 
Swastika". Our ancestors are called "traitors", and "criminals". 
Organizations such as SCV and UDC are touted as "hate groups" and linked to such organizations as the KKK and the Aryan Nation by the media. The NAACP, SCLC, and the Rainbow Coalition are all out to eradicate our flag, and 
Confederate symbols and heroes as a whole from our parks, statehouse grounds, and even our history books.
This effort has nothing to do with right and wrong. It has nothing 
whatsoever to do with "painful reminders of slavery. It has to do with 
REVENGE, plain and simple. These groups wouldn't attempt to do these things, 
if they didn't think that they could get away with them.
Don't get me wrong, folks. I'm not a racially biased person, by any 
means. I agree with liberty and equality for all. But, I was raised with one 
overriding statement in mind, and I believe our founding fathers used this as 
one of their ideals in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
That statement is "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my 
death your right to say it." That being the case, what is wrong with me 
believing that my ancestors were right in their 'Pursuit of happiness"? WHAT 
IS WRONG WITH ME BELIEVING THAT THE SOUTH WAS RIGHT? 
George Pearson

William Jones's reply to the Atlanta Fishwrapper:

So I understand you Atlanta media folks have something against the St. Andrews Cross and its supposed ill effect upon children. Is it merely its 
use in the Confederate Battle flag, or does your bias go deeper?

Perhaps my Scottish heritage and the tremendous advancements made by all 
of western culture, is the source of your discomfiture. The symbolism of the 
cross of Christ of any kind seems to draw irate responses from the left and 
third world apologists. Using children as the excuse, you try to banish and 
book-burn any semblance of honor and respect that relates to 
Anglo-Saxon-Keltic culture. At the same time, most of you promote any form 
of cultural disintegration such as hip-hop", "rap" or federal funding for 
obscene art and anything else at all backed by the two "NEA"s (for you people 
from schools of journalism those are the initials for the National Endowment 
for the Arts and the National Education Association).

Admit your bigotry and proceed with your ethnic cleansing as best you 
can, but don't lie about it under the guise of freedom of speech or concern 
for the children. You hypocritical liberals are the bane of our culture and 
will one day be held in strict accountability for your evil.
William Jones

Jimmy D. Jacobson's reply to the Atlanta Fishwrappers

Gentleman, I read as many papers on the issue of the Saint Andrews Cross as I can and I must say the recent comments I've heard from your Atlanta 
Constitution are very irresponsible reporting.
The only bad message from the Saint Andrews Cross that children are 
getting is the ones you are giving them. Yes, the Cross was incorporated to 
commemorate the centennial of the War for Southern Independence. Anything 
else is conjured up by irresponsible people like yourselves. How, in this day 
and age can you even attempt to rekindle the issues of race and slavery? 
Don't you see this is a step backward from all the things that good people 
have achieved to date? Segregation is a thing of the past and should remain 
that way. If you want to blame Segregation on something, why not blame it on 
Washington, DC? Have they not endorsed, slavery, killing Indians, enslaving 
chines and scores of other cultures that have looked to this country for 
freedom? This has been done since the beginning of time in any country.
And what about the Black soldiers that fought under that Cross? Do you 
all believe there descendants should be ashamed or something? I say all those 
who fight against the Saint Andrews Cross should be ashamed. Because there is 
no greater men who have ever died for a cause than the Southern Confederate 
Soldiers. They fought for the individual liberties of the people. This is the 
message you all should be giving your children, especially if you live in a 
great state like Georgia.
As for the boycott, I'm sure the Georgians would enjoy the economic 
advantages that South Carolina has enjoyed since the boycott. Don't you all 
read? I know Georgia would get my business for sure.
Maybe there has been a wee bit of success in the sports field with the 
boycott, but if you keep boycotting all the sport events, don't you think you 
all would run out of people to play? Surely, you can't think that a sports 
match is more important than honoring your ancestors, liberty, Independence 
and self government.
Sincerely, Jimmy D. Jacobson

LETTER TO THE EDITOR -- WASHINGTON TIMES

Randolph N. Waller

THE LETTER (TOPIC: TOM KNOTT COLUMN, TWT SPORTS PAGE, 8/14/00)

Here in South Carolina we are most gratified to see a piece like Tom
Knott's 8/14 column "The South may rise again, but its flag is another
matter." The "nontroversy" over the Confederate flag continues even though
our spineless politicians have caved in to the NAACP and other hate
factions of the left in the matter.
Having spent six years in the flag fight I'd like to clarify something
if I may. Mr. Scott observes "In recognition of the NAACP's mental pain, if
not the drain on state coffers, South Carolina's lawmakers lowered the flag
to ground level and declared victory." He obviously understands that the
offense supposedly felt by the whiners is a put-on, but may not be aware
it's also a myth that the flag has caused the state any economic loss. 
On the contrary, the state's economy has boomed as never before during
the flag flap, including our tourism industry which the NAACP has targeted.
The county containing the S.C. state house and the flag has shot from
twentieth to first position economically during the same time. The course
is clear for any state that wants to increase prosperity and drive liberals
away: put a Confederate Navy Jack atop its state house dome.
 The South IS rising again, and it's outfits like the NAACP that are
going down, down, down in terms of support, influence and respect. Thanks
for your coverage.
I was in a truck stop on I-85 north of Atlanta a few years ago, 
and I remember seeing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan" Atlanta-an island 
of culture surrounded by a sea of rednecks". Now, as a dues paying member of 
the Loyal Order of the Crimson Nape, this made my heart proud. To think that 
those so-called "cultured" individuals inside the beltway actually thought 
that THEY were in anyway superior to me and my fellow rednecks caused such a 
laughing fit, that I swallowed my chaw, which caused me to throw up my 
breakfast of grits and chitterlings.
Who do these nekulturny geeks think they are?

GEORGE 

Joe Cogbill's reply     To: Ron Woodgeard
Subject: Flag Editorial
Dear Ron - 
You must remember one thing-- The naacp, etc. is on a mission to eradicate
any and all flags, monuments, street names, plaques, and memorials that
pertain to the Confederacy. 

Take the South Carolina incident. The NAACP wanted the flag removed from
atop the State House. It was done and then put with the Confederate memorial
on the grounds of the State House. What happened?? Now the NAACP wants the
flag removed again, after they got what they wanted in the first place!! It
will not sop there until they are stopped in their tracks.

If anyone thinks that changing the GA flag will put an end to whatever the
problem is - it will not!! It will only be the beginning of efforts to
remove the Stone Mountain Memorial, remove Confederate memorials elsewhere
and change more street names that honor Confederate heroes. 

If we change the GA flag, that will mean that we are willing to change
anything else the blacks want changed!! If the GA flag is not changed, the
problem will end there.

Oh yes, there will be cries for boycotts and efforts to remove sports
venues to another state but it will not work so long as we just tell these
people that, if you want to boycott, GO AHEAD!! The S.C. boycott is not
working and it won't work in Georgia.

Does anyone realize the hate that has been fostered by the NAACP? These
black groups are trying to erase the Confederate memories for only one
reason - THEY HATE THE WHITE PEOPLE!! I do not believe for one minute that
the NAACP or the SCLC is even concerned about the plight of the blacks 150
years ago. They are doing this to keep the money rolling in from the liberal
individuals and corporations. Before the flag fight in S.C., the NAACP was
losing money. This was a way to get more money and stay afloat.
Think about it.

Joe Cogbill

 

"Why is history of Southerners under such virulent attack?".

I was raised in the country in the South of the U.S. of A. Everyone there stocked their freezers over the winter by hunting and fishing. There was (and still is) no supermarket within reasonable driving distance. Our grandparents and great-uncles died and starved defending our homes and the principles of the U.S. Constitution from Northern invaders during and following the War of 1861-65. My life and heritage can be symbolized by the two items that were the center of attack and censorship recently at Torrey Pines High School, where all ads in the yearbook were banned due to the printing of an ad containing the Confederate flag and hunting scenes.

Why is my history (which is also that of the majority of Southerners, black, white, Jewish, Hispanic, and Indian alike) under such virulent attack? All these Southerners of all these colors had ancestors who hunted and fished and many themselves still do. My Indian ancestors have hunted and fished since before recorded history in the Southern U.S.A. Most of these Southerners of all these colors had ancestors who fought or dug earthworks or drove wagons or provided food and supplies for the Confederate armies. In the South in the 1800's, 25% of Jews owned slaves, up to 15% of free blacks owned slaves and less than 7 % of whites (including Jews) were slave owners. In previous centuries, the Indians owned white slaves and the whites also owned white slaves.

Just because a flag has been misused by several fringe or fanatic groups since the war, and propagandized by the Northern-controlled U.S. Government and the NAACP doesn't change the meaning of the flag for the vast majority of Southerners who have no connection with such groups. The facts are that hunting and also the defense of the Southern States against Northern invasion under this flag are integral to Southern and U. S. history cannot be dismissed, hidden, or erased. Should this prejudice against ethnic Southerners, their symbols of heritage and lifestyle be called "racism" or what?

"Racism" as defined in Webster's New World Dictionary = 1. "racialism" = 1. a doctrine or feeling of racial antagonisms...prejudice, hatred or discrimination. "racial" = of or characteristic of a race (ethnic group). "ethnic group" = 2. designating or of any of the basic divisions or groups of mankind, as distinguished by customs, characteristics, language, etc.

God Bless ya'll,

Julia Tyler Samaniego

Arm-twisting is no way to bring hands together

In his column of July 16, Editor Stan Tiner writes of creating a new Mississippi, where, seemingly, people of both races will walk around holding hands and hugging each other. Apparently, this utopia could be created if white people would just give up their heritage and love of the symbols that we Southerners hold dear.

Well, it ain't gonna happen. The tensions that exist today were caused by the refusal of the NAACP and other hatemongers to just accept the Confederate flag as an icon of Southern pride. And, to make matters worse, the editorial board of The Sun Herald sided with the NAACP in calling for the removal of our Confederate battle flag from public display and from our 106-year-old state flag.

What a great way to promote racial harmony: Just advise ol' whitey to roll over and play dead.

Too bad that Donald Adderton went on to a better position upstate. He was the only member of The Sun Herald who had the guts to stand up to the hatemongers. And he's a black man. ... Go figure.

Maybe I'm dense, but here I am 63 years old and I still can't understand the liberal mind.

ALVA PRITCHARD JR.

I read about the desecration of graves at Stone Mtn. with the flags being stolen, etc. Apparently, the NAACP (nazi assoc. for advancement of colored people) don't realize that they have become the new neo nazis in America. 
Panthers and Muslims included in this genre of people who disrespect the 
American founders and the values they passed on to their progeny. What 
respect can we anticipate for our deceased ancestors if this ilk of people 
disrespect the living with their so-called rap music with explicit 
expression of hate, i.e., women are whores, white boys to be raped anally, 
police and authorities to be killed summarily, mayhem and hate crimes to be 
committed at will and AmericA 'THE OPPRESSOR" to be torn down and rebuilt 
according to their agenda....... Maybe these new nazis don't care about 
any but their own, ethnocentrism can be black too....
God save America and the Southern Confederacy from globalism.


I have lived among and worked amicably with members of other minorities 
including nine years as full-time Evangelical Missionary in Mexico. My Dad 
was arrested in Stringtown, Mississippi in about 1964 when he was about to 
enter a rural Negroe church to preach after being invited to do so. The 
"Klan" might accuse me of miscegenation. Many of my paternal and maternal 
ancestors were Celtic/Gaelic/Ibero/Germanic -- Eurocentric people. Some 
participated in the American Revolution and many more fought against 
Federalism in the 1860's. Over a dozen of my Mother's side were KIA from 
Chickamauga, Atlanta, Battery Wagner, Camp Morton, Richmond, to Petersburg, 
etc. and to me they were all unsung heroes. My maternal Great Grandfather 
lies in an unmarked grave, presumably in Blandford at Petersburg, insofar as 
is known.
I never have or ever will belong to any "hate groups" of any color or 
persuasion. I love and respect my neighbors as much as I love and respect 
my self, my family, my culture, my rights, my state and nation, etc. I have 
never been a Black or White Panther, I have never spat in anyone's soup or 
salad for psychological gratification like the so-called "Rev. " Jesse 
Jackson did in the Carolina's circa 1960's.
I will tell the truth in love, I will vote and I will speak my mind to 
friend and foe alike. I pray for the Black people since it appears that the 
global powers that be are using the psuedo-liberal Black caucaus to employ 
their agendas, at least in part. Cannon fodder can be Black, Brown, White, 
etc.... I pity the ignorant minorities who are caught up in something much 
larger than they can visualize. The big picture is Biblical: "Lord, lead 
me out into a large place and teach me..."
Yes, by all means publish my thoughts. I don't bash anybody, just hokey 
ideologies.
Most Sincerely;

Jucundi Acti Labores --- Labors accomplished are pleasant.

Robert Silas Griffin

I think that the NAACP needs to take a good look in the mirror when they cry bigot. Around July 4 of this year in New York's Central Park and surrounding streets, Hispanic male participants of the Puerto Rican Day parade/festival assaulted and harrassed nearly 50 women, most of them black women. This was captured live on someone's camcorder and replayed on CNN. The participants were exonerated for their behavior by the local police because the local police feared being labeled as racists or anti-Hispanic. Where was the NAACP when these black women were accosted in the displayal of Hispanic heritage? The NAACP was too busy harrassing the people in georgia and S.Carolina over the Confederate symbols and flags, thereby being intolerant and bigoted toward someone else's heritage.   Sign me:
Politically Incorrect
Jacqueline Sarah Beckel

R. E. Stokley wrote:
...and where do we go from here?

While reading the "QUOTES" section of this website, it is difficult to distinguish between the statements of Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Heinrich Himmler and those of some of our present day Senators and Congressmen such as Boxer, Schumer and  Feinstine, and oh, let's not forget Edward Kennedy( to which the bumper sticker which I have seen is true,  "Edward Kennedy's car has killed more people than my gun has". I find it ever increasingly difficult to have faith in a government that is constantly fighting to take away the rights which are guaranteed under the Constitution. I am only talking about such things as freedom of speech, religion and the right to own a firearm with government registration and other interferences. I, more and more, can relate to my ancestors and their fear of a government that had no concern for the Constitution and certainly did not mind trampling on the rights of Southerners in order to accomplish the aims of a Northern dominated government. What choice did our ancestors have but to secede (and legally so) from the Union. This was a matter of survival. Today we face a similar dilemma; our rights are constantly being legislated away by big government who would have a UNITED STATE of AMERICA, even those who would have us being subjected to ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT sponsored by the United Nations (which should be dissolved) with no freedoms! 


We should be thankful we had ancestors who tried to free themselves from the bondage of an overpowering government. They should be honored at every opportunity. It should not matter that the NAACP or any other minority organization is "offended"! No one should be forced to give up his heritage of any of the symbols of it simply because some minority organization disapproves and it is the "politically correct" thing to do.
...and, where do we go from here?

Great Site, Lots of good information.
I have a Question; I was told by my grandfather when I was little that
Lincoln 
had planned to round up all blacks as part to reconstruction and send them 
back to Africa. But I have never been able to find anything in print to back 
that up. Have you ever heard of this ?
Kevin 

Kevin, I'm sure there may be more references, but here are two:
On page 217 of "Facts and Falsehoods" by George Edmunds is this reference:

On page 334 of Lamon's Life of Lincoln is this:
"None of Mr. Lincoln's public acts, either before or after he became
President,
exhibit any special tenderness for the African race, or commiseration of
their lot.
On the contrary, he invariably, in words and deeds, postponed the interest of 
the negro to the interest of the whites. When from military and political
considerations he was forced to declare the freedom of the enemy's slaves,
he did so with avowed reluctance; he took pains to have it known he was
in no wise affected by sentiment. He never at any time favored the
admission of 
negroes into the body of the electors in his State, or in the States of the
South.

He claimed that those negroes set free by the army were poor spirited, lazy,
and slothful; that they could only be made soldiers by force, and would not
be ever willing laborers at all ; that they seemed to have no interest in
the 
cause of their own race, but were as docile in the service of the rebellion
as 
the mule that ploughed the field or drew the baggage trains.

As a people, Lincoln thought negroes would only be useful to those who 
sought their good. He wanted the negro protected as women and children
are. He had no notion of extending the privilege of governing to the negro.
Lincoln always contended that the cheapest way of getting rid of the negro
was for the nation to buy the slaves and send them out of the country.

General Don Piatt says:
"Lincoln well knew that the North was not fighting to free slaves, nor was the
South fighting to preserve slavery. In that awful conflict slavery went to
pieces."

William Rickman Forlines Sr.

I have written before, and God willing, I will write again and again until the truth is finally unshrouded and is allowed the light of day. I can only respond to those adherents of the NAACP concerning their contention that the War for Southern Independence was waged over the issue of slavery with these three words..."DON'T FLATTER YOURSELVES!!!". Some eighty to ninety percent of the men who responded to the cause of the Confederacy were not slave holders, had no interest in the institution and were yet willing to fight alongside the many blacks, both free and slave embodied within the Confederate Armies. The very slander against these men perpetuated by the NAACP, the liberal Northern, and scalawag Southern liberal, bolstered and supported by a media whose owners have everything to gain by keeping Americans, white and black at each others throats, too distracted to focus on the plunder of our nations riches to finance personal gain around the world is bad enough. The politically correct notion that we who wish to honor our fathers for their defense of the original constitution, are either traitors, bigots, racists, etc. is slanderous. 
I served this nation for 21.5 years of my adult life in the United States Army. I did so with the notion that I was there standing there, arm in arm, with the majority, as well as every minority known to man, in defense of freedom and democracy. I did so proudly, though I was offended every time the flag of the United States Army was paraded bearing the Battle Streamers commemorating the Yankee invasion of the lands, homes and nation of my fathers. For those of you who are unaware, upon that flag is attached a ribbon (battle streamer) for every battle or campaign waged by the U.S. Army during it's two hundred plus year existence. That's right,...ribbons commemorating the the slaughter, rape, pillaging, and burning of my homeland. Yet I kept my mouth shut and still served proudly. Many will probably say to themselves while reading up to this point "Oh well, here goes another on of those ignorant racist southern bigots shooting his mouth off..... " or whatever an enlightened, egalitarian mankind loving liberal carpetbagger, scalawag, or yankee might wish to say or think. The fact is when I married my second wife at Fort Richardson, Alaska in 1988, my Best Man was a black American soldier, who had incidentally, as a child marched with King from Selma to Montgomery. Neither Lee's color nor his politics made a damned bit of difference to me, any more than my picture of JEB Stuart hung over my desk in the office made any difference to him. We were friends then and though we have parted long ago for different paths and destinations are, I am sure, friends still. The fact is that as soldiers, we had reconciled our differences. We shared too many common hardships to allow each other's individual beliefs to come between us. As I would defend Lee's right to affiliate himself with whatever cause he desired, I know just as well that he would allow me the same. We suffered, we froze, we confided, we supported, and we truly shared a comradeship that only old soldiers can ever begin to imagine, much less understand or know. The amazing thing to me as I look back is that we both marched the identical path for the same reasons. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from the rule of despots and tyrants...."Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" if you will allow. We both understood that this old world is not a perfect place, nor is any man without his faults, skeletons in the closet or etcetera. We both pledged to "Uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic" and we both came home expecting to find an America where all men, whatever their beliefs, are allowed equal rights as well as equal RESPONSIBILITIES.
 
 That's right... "RESPONSIBILITY"! Responsibility for oneself as well as responsibility to others. Responsibility to be true to one's beliefs as well as responsibility to fulfill the terms of one's employment, in spite of one's own personal beliefs. If one is willing to cash the check, then one must be willing to fulfill the terms of the contract of employment. As the proud descendent of numerous Confederate soldiers I desired to apply for membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I contacted the SCV through the web and was assured that an application for membership would be sent immediately. After weeks went by with no application arriving in my mailbox, I contacted the SCV and was told that although an application had been sent, they would send another. Again, after weeks, no application. As you can probably surmise, this pattern has continued no less than five times. It finally occurred to me that the SCV mails correspondence in envelopes bearing their logo which includes a prominent Confederate Battle Flag, not unlike, and in fact identical to the design displayed on some state license tags for purchase by members of the SCV. I arrived at the realization that as long as the SCV continued to send the application, obviously some employee of the United States Postal Service, with an agenda based upon politically correct prejudice counter to my own would continue to misroute, misfile, misplace, misappropriate, lose, discard or destroy my incoming correspondence from the SCV. Strange, how it is, that during that same time frame, not one bill, nor one piece of junk mail ever failed to find it's way to my mailbox. You can rest assured that my mail from the Internal Revenue Service, as well as that from the local city and state tax commissioner arrived as well. It seems that only envelopes from the SCV, bearing that "offensive flag" ever failed to arrive. I only wish that the son of a ----- somewhere within the United States Postal Service who shares a different view from my own could be aware that there's more than one way to skin a cat. As an old trooper who was never allowed to luxury of telling my commander that I couldn't accomplish this, or that I found a way to circumvent my problem. I simply contacted a gentleman on the web somewhere in Maryland who has assured me that he is sending an application in a plain envelope as of today. Though it was a minor inconvenience only, Mr. Post Office is going to have to make more mail disappear than just those displaying the logo of the SCV. I am not averse to employing the use of either "Registered", "Return Receipt Requested", or whatever other type of secure mail there might be. One petty piece of biased, uneducated, ignorant, racist, trash is going to deter me from either joining or actively supporting the Sons of Confederate Veterans and their cause.
 
 If anything, Mr. Postal has hardened my resolve and I hope he gets to deliver some mail to the old ranch here after I've planted that thirty foot flag pole back behind the old cottage, behind the privacy fence, guarded by that vicious gray hound I keep, after I've run up the largest Confederate Flag I can purchase.  In fact, I thing I'll order the whole doggone set... you know, the Bonnie Blue, the First National, Second National, the Battle Flag, hell, maybe even the North Carolina Regimental (GG Granddad rode with the 2d N.C. Cavalry & didn't go home until after Durham Station) and of course that dear old Palmetto and Crescent Moon of South Carolina. That way I'll be sure to have enough for a different flag for every damned day of the week. Let the malcontents from the NAACP and the liberal yankee media, along with their scalawag lap dogs keep on and I'll have to add Georgia, Alabama and any other they have a problem with to my flag pole flying collection. You can bet there's one flag that won't grace that pole though. Yeah that's right, the one that flew over the slaughter of America's native population. All men are created equal (except Indians of course) ain't that right!?!?!? Dog gone right I'm a racist bigot, only if you can be, and still be married to a beautiful little TexMex Chicano Indian girl from dear ole Corpus Christi and have the honor of having the finest man I've ever had the pleasure of calling a friend (Black Man) as my best man. Some of us know what real diversity, individual freedom, honor, respect, acceptance and loyalty to the concept of individual freedom and liberty are, while some are too ignorant, biased, prejudiced and busy following the propaganda of demogagues to ever begin to understand. As for the Ku Klux Klan, Nation of Islam, White Aryan Nation or the NAACP, all I can say is same old s--t, just different piles. Oh, one last "Right" I forgot to mention earlier. Everyone's got the right to be offended, but ain't got the right to do a damned thing about it if it means attempting to enter my property without the due authority of law. You can have my flags about the same time you can have my revolver....after you've pried it from my cold dead fingers.
RESPONSE OF LOCAL SCV SPOKESMAN:

Certain groups contend that the symbols of the Confederacy do not belong on 
public property. They say these relics of the "Old South" deserve no more 
recognition than the symbols of other groups vanquished by the United States. 
They say these symbols stand for a society that fought to perpetuate slavery, 
and that they represent hatred and racism.
Their vision is conveniently selective. Throughout the United States, on 
public lands, there are symbols of other groups--races, cultures and nations. 
There are many memorials to Native Americans across this country, visit the 
Little Big Horn battlefield, for instance. The national seals of several 
foreign countries grace our own State Capitol building; and innumerable 
symbols are dedicated to the slaves--plaques, monuments and restored slave 
quarters are found throughout the South. There are state and national 
holidays, indeed, entire months dedicated to various groups or to their 
heroes. 
Fair-minded people don't resent these celebrations or symbols, yet 
Southerners, who are equally proud of their own unique history and heritage, 
are expected to stand aside and watch without complaint as the symbols 
commemorating their culture and it's heroes are eradicated one by one.
Of course, they say, the Confederacy stood for slavery and was but a 
Victorian version of the Third Reich, seething with racial and religious 
intolerance. Actually, the South was no more racist or intolerant than other 
societies of that day, and in many ways it was ahead of its time in 
acceptance of racial and religious diversity. 
In letters home, Union soldiers often expressed their disgust at the 
racial intermingling they saw in the day-to-day lives of Southerners. 
New Orleans was the most "multicultural" city in North America--a virtual 
kaleidoscope of cultures and races. 
In south Texas, General Santos Benavides' Texas Cavalry, composed of 
Mexican Americans, was involved in the last battle of the Civil War, 
defeating the invading Yankees at Palmito Ranch. 
The Indian Nations allied themselves with the South (they remembered well 
how the U.S. dealt with Native Americans). Their chief, Brigader General 
Stand Watie, was the last Confederate general to surrender. 
The Confederate Secretary of State, Judah Benjamin, was third in line of 
succession to the Presidency. He also happens to be the highest ranking 
official of the Jewish faith to serve in either of the national governments 
of this land--ever! 
Tens of thousands of black Southerners, free and slave, willingly served 
the Confederacy in many capacities, including combatant roles.
It is particularly unfair that the South alone is forced to bear the onus 
of slavery. It should not be overlooked that human bondage has existed since 
time immemorial, and serious questioning of the morality or immorality of 
slavery did not occur until the mid-eighteen century. 
Many of the slaves brought to this country were brought here under the 
U.S. flag on ships registered in New England states. Not a single slave 
arrived in this country on a vessel flying the Confederate battle flag. 
Slavery was accepted by all but a radical, and small, minority of 
Americans well into the war years--it was legal in Washington, D.C. until 
1862, and on the very day that Lincoln is credited with "freeing the slaves", 
by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, West Virginia was admitted to the 
union--as a slave holding state! 
Slavery continued in the Western Hemispere until it was abolished in 
Brazil in 1888--twenty-three years after the American Civil War! It was 
legal in some countries as late as the 1960's and there still exists a 
thriving, though clandestine, market for slaves in some parts of Africa to 
this day. Is it not odd that there is more controversy and outrage over the 
slavery of 135 years ago than there is over the slavery of today? 
While it is true that the institution of slavery was an important part of 
the Southern economy (as it was for the colonial economy at the time of the 
first American Revolution), it does not automatically follow that slavery was 
the primary reason for the war between the states. Unfair tariffs, an 
increasingly overbearing federal government and, finally, Lincoln's call for 
an army to invade the South is what REALLY caused the war. 
Unfortunately it is true that racists and bigots have misused our 
ancestors' battleflag (just as they have misused the U.S. flag and the 
Christian cross) for their own twisted reasons, but that should not defile 
the banner under which so many brave Americans faced, and often met, death in 
defense of their homes, families,and country. It is certain that they never 
thought of their flag, as some do today, as "the very symbol of slavery." 
 
Andrew Anderson   wrote

I believe Southern culture is dwindling. Maybe this site and other things will bring the truth to a world of lies about the CSA. I am tired of people trying to destroy these great parts of our history. I hope people will come around by checking out your site and others.
With this level of ignorance being fostered by our so-called educational
system, is it any wonder that heritage is being lost, pop culture rules, and
the media have such frightening power over our society? The warnings have
been pronounced by philosophers from Plato to Churchill: he who forgets the
past is doomed to repeat it; he who fails to honor his fathers is unworthy
of a better future. The very foundations of Western culture are at stake.
Another dark age lurks like a wolf at the door.
John Cobb

You are turning out to be quite a wealth of information. Thank you for 
the site you sent. Very interesting. The flags look great in the classroom. 
They will certainly inspire the students. Now I need to round up a few 
Union flags as well.
I knew about the flag getting the axe in South Carolina, but wasn't aware 
that Georgia's was in danger. I'm in California where our little bear flag 
doesn't seem to bother anyone -- yet. I'm sure someone will take exception 
to it for some reason. Isn't that the way of things these days? I can't 
believe all this talk about the Rebel flag. Sure, there are some individuals 
who use that flag to represent themselves in a poor way, but they use the 
Nazi symbols too. And they are allowed to do so because of our Constitution. 
I guess I'm getting really tired of a minority of people (not speaking 
racially here) telling the majority what to do. South Carolina's flag, 
Georgia's flag, all the states...the flags are part of their history. Are we 
supposed to pretend it didn't exist? Why isn't someone complaining about 
Texas? Good grief, they kept their single star from when they were an 
independent republic. And, their flag today looks very similar to the 
original stars and bars. 
People are just weird. And yet they will go and destroy our country's 
national flag because that is protected "free speech". You know, I'm glad 
the Union stayed together, but times like these sure make it easy to see why 
the South would try to go it alone. 
Did someone bring me a soapbox or something? Sorry...got a little long 
winded there. Anyway, thanks again for the flags, info, & site. Good luck 
in keeping that GA flag flying. It has to stay...it will just be wrong if it 
doesn't.       Thanks again,     Susi

Leland Hamner wrote Dr. Richardson, of Texas A&M
As an avid student of the War Between the States; a direct descendant of at 
least two Confederate veterans (one of whom died for the cause of Southern 
Independence) and a collateral descendant of many, many Southern patriots; 
and a life-long admirer of one of the finest Americans to ever draw 
breath--Robert E. Lee, I have tried very hard to imagine exactly what your 
rationale was for removing President Gilchrist portrait simply because Lee's 
image was in the background. 
Please enlighten me. 
Lee freed the slaves he inherited from his father-in-law and was in favor of 
gradual and universal emancipation; he supported enlisting the services of 
Southern Negroes for the Confederate cause and rewarding them with their 
freedom; and he inspired poorly equipped, out numbered, and often starving 
men to near superhuman feats of endurance and bravery for four terrible 
years. 
After the war he worked untiringly to help bring the divided nation 
together--one word from him and tens of thousands of war weary veterans would 
have again taken up arms against the North, never mind the inevitable defeat 
they knew they would suffer--again! 
But he was the great reconciler, to do such a thing, even though he was said 
to have regretted the tragic aftermath of his surrender, was not in his 
nature. When a former slave entered his church and scandalized the 
congregation by coming forward and kneeling at the alter, a potentially ugly 
scene was avoided when Lee walked to the front and knelt beside the man in 
prayer.
So I ask, again, please enlighten me as to why you took the action you did. 
Hopefully it was done because of your ignorance of history and of the man 
(men, we can't forget President Gilchrist) you insulted by your action. 
However, if it was done to placate hypersensitive and historically under 
educated whiners, shame on you!
Most Sincerely,     Leland Hamner   San Angelo, Texas

Cheryl, Wow! I was born and raised in the North, but after reading the truth
about the "civil" war a/k/a "Lincoln's War" I am ashamed to call myself or
be called a "Northerner". My research proves that the North was WRONG for
invading the Southern States, and was the aggressor against the
Constitutional South. I will join you in your fight to restore the
principles of the original Southern States to the entire nation, and rid
ourselves of this communist federal government. AS I see it, it was the
Northern troops whose leadership lacked honor and integrity simply followed
suit. Any member of Hitler's Army who was caught committing acts such as
those mentioned in this letter was summarily shot. This entire current
government is built on a sand foundation and will not stand, according to
God's Word. Praise Yahweh for that.
And I thank Him for allowing me to find your website.  HN

Carlton Self's letter to Southern Messenger:

 
I am deeply sickened by the NAACP and their tactics in general concerning confederate monuments and all manners of life. The NAACP is nothing more than a politically motivated organization whose bottom line is the bottom dollar. Furthermore, as a citizen of the great state of Georgia I am saddened to see Coretta Scott King and the Rainbow/Push Coalition desecrating the great memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King actually wanted the best for his people whereas the coalition wants the most profit for themselves. I graduated from Haralson County High School who proudly bear the mascot name REBELS. On the front of our basketball stadium is a 10x20 foot Battleflag and our football field endzone is adorned with a similar flag and appropriately known as the Valley of Death. A recent attempt to remove the flag change the name resulted in a walkout by 95% of the students. Can't hide that Rebel Pride.

Thomas Boaz   submitted:

The following excerpts are comments about slavery as the system appeared to the Honorable Amelia Murray. Perhaps they will assuage the "offense" some of our black citizens are programmed to take to all things antebellum.  Lady Murray was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, and in 1853 visited "Hopeton," the extensive Georgia plantation owned by James Hamilton Couper.

"A happy attached Negro population surrounds his [Couper's] abode. I never saw servants in any old English family more comfortable or more devoted. It is quite a relief to see anything so patriarchal, after the apparently uncomfortable relations of masters and servants in the Northern states. I should much prefer being a 'slave' here to a grumbling sucy 'help' there, but everyone to their tastes.
Lady Murray observed the servants working a rice threshing machine: " They [the servants] were more comfortably dressed than our peasantry, and looked happier. Otherwise (except the complexions), the scene was much the same kind as that at a threshing barn in England."

Sir Charles Lyell, another English visitor to "Hopeton," made these comments; "When his mechanics [i.e., Black workers] come to consult with Mr. Couper on business, their manner of speaking to him is quite as independent as that of English artisans to their employers... ." 

Wayne D. Carlson   replied to liberal anti-flag article:
Mr. Fogalay, I too am a weekly columnist. My by-line is Simply Southern 
and I often write about Southern/Confederate issues within the context of 
historical truth based on evidence. I hold a post graduate degree in history 
and am a life long student of the South. When you say that hate groups have 
pirated the Confederate Battle flag, you completely ignore the fact that they 
also carry the Christian flag and the Stars and Stripes. How can one flag be 
pirated and not the others? Could it be that the leftist media has done its 
very best over the past 50 years to try to make this association? If so, how 
can any thinking person with an ounce of integrity allow such an injustice to 
go unchallenged. Frankly, I challenge the NAACP and other liberal, 
South-hating mouthpieces on this and many other issues. It is not about 
race, it is about truth and justice. We, in many Southern heritage 
organizations repudiate any association with the KKK or an agenda that 
fosters unChristian love. You are way off base here. Compromising with 
those that are wrong, or have evil intent, is surrender to evil. Informed 
Southerners, and others that are armed with more knowledge of history, are 
not ashamed to stand up for that flag, or the principles and freedoms it 
really represents. We do not appreciate ANOTHER liberal columnist telling us 
we need to "retire" our flag. It simply cannot, and will not be done..... 
except by force.... which is the kind of "freedom" your brand of politics 
have brought us. Deo Vindice, Wayne D. Carlson Dublin, Virginia 

ROGER SADLER   Wrote to Southern Messenger:
WHILE SEARCHING THE WEB, I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEB SITE. FIRST I MUST TELL YOU THAT YOUR SITE IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN. I HAVE FAMILY THAT WAS IN THE CIVIL WAR IN THE CSA. YOUR SITE HAS SOME EXCELLENT INFORMATION. MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS IN THE 8TH GRADE WAS ASKED IF ANYONE IN HER FAMILY HISTORY FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR, WHEN SHE SAID YES, MY FAMILY FOUGHT FOR THE CSA, EVERYONE INCLUDING THE TEACHER CALLED HER A REDNECK AFRICAN AMERICAN HATER. SHE TOLD THEM THAT WAS NOT TRUE, HER AFRICAN AMERICAN FRIENDS NO LONGER TALK TO HER. I TOLD HER THAN THAT SHOWS YOU THEY WERE NEVER YOUR FRIENDS IN THE FIRST PLACE. CHILDREN ARE BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOL THAT THE WAR WAS ONLY ABOUT SLAVERY AND SOUTHERN PEOPLE ARE JUST REDNECKS. THEY ARE NOT BEING TOLD THE WHOLE STORY! PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. THANKS
ROGER SADLER

B.T. wrote to Southern Messenger:

I do not know why I am writing this, I feel so angry and I know no one else will listen to us unless we are African-Americans. I live in south Mississippi and we are now having a flag controversy. The supervisors voted not to put the flags back up on the beach. Except for the US Flag, which is fine because that is the flag we should all be proud. But my Southern blood is pumping because I remember when I was younger and driving down Highway 90 looking at those flags and asking my dad, Why are all of those flags there daddy? He said, "Those are all the flags that flew in Mississippi, the South, and leading up to the flag we know have today." I still remember this. Now when I drive my children drive by there, they won't see it. They want ask questions, actually, we may not be able to have or say anything about our history or heritage if the naacp has anything to do with it. I just wish it would all stop. I am not a daughter of a Confederate, but this is my family's home and I love it just as much as any son/daughter of the Confederate. I am very proud of your organization and the only reason I am writing this is because I know you will listen and I just needed to get this off of my chest. Thanks!   B.T.

  Clinton P. Turner III's letter to the Daily Press of Virginia 
Dear Sirs,
I read the editorial condemning Gov. Gilmore's proclamation of
Confederate History Month. The author overlooks many important facts, which
seems to be common in today's society. The author forgets that many of us
Virginians have ancestors that fought for the Confederacy and many who have
ancestors that died for the Confederacy. The author is alluding to the
opinion that we have no rights to honor Virginia's sons. One who is
interested in the avoidance of racial divisiveness should be more willing to
allow ALL peoples to celebrate their heritage, rather than just a select
few.    Thank you,        Clinton P. Turner III

In the Shadow of the Carving
By Chris Davis

Stone Mountain, Georgia--The SCV camp in Stone Mountain had looked
forward to April 26, 2000 as the most memorable celebration of
Confederate Memorial Day in its 15-year history. And they hadn't counted
on help from politicians.

Five years before, The Confederate Memorial Camp 1432 had asked the Stone
Mountain City Council to allow a flagpole to be installed in the
historical section of the community's cemetery. They were turned down.
So, the camp began fundraising and eventually purchased four contiguous
lots in the cemetery's Confederate section.

On April 15, 2000 a new 30-foot flagpole was installed in the middle of
two of those lots. Plans called for the eventual placement of individual
soldier memorial stones around the pole and a monument on the remaining
two lots. The president of a local Civil War Round Table donated money
for the first 5x8 battleflag. He wanted it to fly in memory of his
Confederate ancestor.

Suddenly, in the early morning hours of April 25, without prior
notification, police cordoned off the cemetery, and a chain gang from a
local lockup armed with ropes and saws tore the pole down. City officials
then issued a citation for one of the camp officers and, instead of
having it delivered by the permit inspector, they dispatched several
uniformed city policemen to his home.

Word spread through the community that a move was afoot to rescind the
assembly permit issued to the SCV two months earlier. It appeared to be
an iron-fisted attempt to terrorize the camp and shut down a ceremony
that it has hosted annually since 1985. A heritage violation of
monumental ruthlessness had been unleashed.

The next day, just hours before the memorial service was to begin, camp
leaders and their legal counsel obtained a federal injunction against
city interference with the ceremony. What the politicians had originally
meant for evil rapidly turned into good as over 450 persons flocked to
the cemetery. Men, women, and children sent up a roar of Rebel Yells as a
battleflag on a makeshift stick was raised Iwo Jima style on the site of
the desecrated flagpole. Local DeKalb businessman Raoul Martinez donated
the use of a truck with a 55-foot boom so the orphaned 5x8 battleflag
could fly for a few hours in the newly liberated air of Stone Mountain.

The highlight of the evening was a speech by H. K. Edgerton, Chairman of
the Board of Advisors of the Southern Legal Resource Center. Mr.
Edgerton, former president of the Asheville, North Carolina NAACP, tours
the South speaking in favor of Southern heritage and Confederate symbols.
He called for the mayor of Stone Mountain to take a history lesson, then
led the cheering crowd in a loud and spirited rendition of "Dixie."

The Stone Mountain City Cemetery is one of approximately 50 town
cemeteries in Georgia to have Confederate battle casualties buried within
its confines. Of those, fewer than half have a greater number of
Confederate soldier graves than Stone Mountain. During 1864, about 150
Southern soldiers were hastily buried in the western portion of the
graveyard's original few acres. After the war, two DeKalb Confederate
veterans donated large tracts of adjoining land to increase the
cemetery's size to more than 16 acres. Since the 1870s, over 60
Confederate veterans joined their unknown comrades in this final bivouac.

The flagpole was the most recent in a local tradition of projects
recognizing the valor of the Confederate soldier. In 1930, the United
Daughters of the Confederacy sponsored the cemetery's large granite
entrance gate dedicated specifically to the memory of Confederate
soldiers. In the 1950s, the state placed a historical marker to honor the
cemetery's unknown soldiers. Confederate Memorial Day ceremonies have
been celebrated there for the better part of the 20th century.

Camp leadership and legal counsel are currently working to achieve an
equitable settlement with the city. "We know from what we have been told
that this will be a long, hard fight," said camp commander Miles Jackson,
"but the resolve of the camp is to go the distance."

Tax-deductible contributions to the camp's legal fund can be made to The
Confederate Memorial Camp 1432, c/o Commander Miles Jackson, 5429 Woodlin
Road, Lula, GA 30554.