Wednesday, February 2, 2001
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Wednesday, February 2, 2001 |
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Sons of Confederate vets decry state flag change It is with great sadness that we recognize what we hope will be temporary, the changing of the flag of the state of Georgia from a flag of honor to a flag of nothingness. It is our opinion that the newly adopted flag is an insult to all Georgians. It is an insult to the vast majority of our citizens that did not want it changed. It is an insult to our ancestors that fought and died for the battle flag of the Confederacy. It is even an insult to those that wanted it changed because the offending portion has only been reduced in size, and not eliminated. We of the McLaws Camp condemn the actions of Gov. Roy Barnes and his supporters who have forced this change by such wicked methods of deceit, threats, and political terrorism. All of their reasons for change have been proven over and over to be lies, or at best, distortions. The governor, and lieutenant governor, along with their willing accomplices in the business power structure, and the Atlanta media, have ignored the feelings of the majority of our population. They have told us that the flag was changed in defiance of integration, yet there has never been one article, note, letter, statement, or eyewitness account put forth to validate this claim. The Atlanta Journal Constitution even admitted in July of 1992 in their Q & A section that no evidence was to be found. They have told us that the flag is bad for business, yet the record is clear to even the most uninformed that our economy in Georgia since 1956, the year the battle flag was incorporated, has been the envy of any state in the union. Atlanta has grown into an international city that has hosted the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the World Series. Atlanta has become a renowned business hub, all under the old flag. Why after 40 years was there suddenly a problem? We know the answer of course: the only problem was that some persons and organizations were running out of things to complain about, namely the NAACP. The NAACP and their supporters say that the old flag was racist, yet they lobbied for several years to return to the pre-'56 flag, which was the Confederate stars and bars. That flag was designed by a former Confederate colonel, voted on by a legislature in 1879 that was dominated by Confederate veterans, and was signed into law by a governor, Alfred H. Colquitt, who was a former Confederate general. Now they have endorsed a flag that contains the battle flag, only smaller. If the battle flag is racist, does it become less so because it is now smaller? Our Camp will not support the new flag. The city of Atlanta and Fulton County have for years insulted the rest of the state by flying the pre-'56 flag. Now we will turn the tables as we will fly and recognize the flag that has just been abolished, and we call on all of the citizens of Fayette County to do the same. We only ask that this boycott of the new flag go on until the citizens of Georgia are allowed to vote and choose between the two. When that happens, win or lose, we will pledge to move on and let the issue be settled. The memory of the honorable service of 120,000 Georgians, including 400 Fayette Countians who gave their lives, demand that we defend to the last our ancestors and their sacrifices. No amount of tax revenue, reputation, or worldwide opinion is worth trading for our history and heritage. Executive Committee Gen. LaFayette McLaws Camp 79 Scott K. Gilbert, Jr. Commander
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