Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Dixie T-shirts represent proud, cherished past

A fiery, but unknown and thus probably not very brave writer in the “Free Speech” section of your paper took offense to the fact that children in our local schools wear the very popular Dixie Outfitters T-shirts, with their Confederate flags, and symbols, to local schools.

The writer wants us to admit that “when the KKK, skinheads, and neo-Nazis embraced the Dixie banner, no one came forward and cried foul.” I say, foul to you, because that is absolutely not true.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), of which I am a member, and leader, has been on record for decades as opposing those very usages of the flag. Created by the living, breathing Confederates themselves, the SCV works tirelessly to educate the general public about the true history, and meaning of the Confederate flag, and other patriotic symbols of our Georgia, Southern, and American heritage.

Unfortunately, patriotic ceremonies, cemetery work days, school programs, and other historical projects that we work on just don’t get the press coverage that one misinformed teenager receives when he wears a Confederate T-shirt to school, and proceeds to engage in some kind of racial situation which is then discovered by the Atlanta, or national press.

Occasionally though we do get a positive bit of coverage. For example, in 1995, the SCV was thanked in an editorial in the AJC for our work in persuading a Hall County Klansman to remove a very racist display from his front yard. Sadly, this is the exception, not the rule.

The good news is that incidents of this kind are very rare. We (the local SCV) have a great relationship with our local schools, and they know that they can call on us at anytime to help educate our students in this area. I speak for all the members of the SCV in Fayette County in saying publicly, and in all sincerity, that we do not want one single student, or fellow citizen in this county to ever feel intimidated, threatened, or uncomfortable at the sight of our flag, or any other symbol of the Confederacy.

At the same time, the writer, and others who might agree with him or her, need to understand that the SCV will not for one moment concede our position that our flags, T-shirts, or any other symbols are honorable, and should, and will be flown, worn, and displayed in schools, and all other areas and institutions in this county when appropriate.

As our great antagonist Gen. Sherman once said, “I like the secesh because they are brave, and in the open.” We intend to live up to his description.

Scott K. Gilbert, Jr.

Commander, Gen. Lafayette McLaws Camp #79

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Fayetteville, Ga.