Thursday, December 13, 2012

Lee Statue in Richmond Vandalized

Richmond's Robert E. Lee Statue Vandalized

Posted: Nov 12, 2012 5:29 AM CST

RICHMOND, VA—Police are searching for the person who vandalized the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond this Sunday.
Capital Police found the worlds "beef cake" spray painted on three separate sides of the statue early Sunday morning.
The monument has been tagged a few times this year.
Capital Police are reviewing surveillance video and talking to people in the area who may have seen the person responsible.
Stay with 8News for updates.

http://www.wric.com/story/20070110/richmonds-robert-e-lee-statue-vandalized

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Flags Placed at Monument in Mississippi

Confederate ‘Flaggers’ exploit loophole in Haywood monument law; Become Mississippians-for-a-day December 9, 2012
By Roger McCredie

WAYNESVILLE – With some passive help from the sovereign state of Mississippi and active involvement by the Southern Legal Resource Center, devotees of the Confederate flag outflanked the Haywood County Council last weekend.
On Friday, November 30, flag supporters placed two miniature Mississippi state flags in front of the Confederate monument on the grounds of the Haywood County Courthouse. The Mississippi flag prominently features the Confederate battle flag in its upper left corner, but although the county recently enacted a temporary ban on displays of the battle flag on public property and is considering an ordinance that would ban it entirely, the battle flag’s appearance as part of the Mississippi flag in no way violated the very ordinance designed to prevent its display.
The county enacted the flag ban in June after Robert Clark, an attorney now practicing in Waynesville, objected to the practice of placing tiny Confederate flags at the memorial, which was donated to the county in 1940 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The ordinance currently before the county’s board of commissioners specifically prohibits the battle flag’s display on county property at any time. It does allow for placement of the Confederate First National flag (the “Stars and Bars”) at the monument, but only on Confederate Memorial Day (May 10).
The Southern Legal Resource Center, a Black Mountain-based nonprofit law firm which specializes in Southern heritage cases, noticed that the interim flag ban does not apply to “official government flags,” including “the flag of any state or territory of the United States.” Lyons drafted a letter to Haywood County attorney “Chip” Killian, informing him that members of the North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Western North Carolina Flaggers intended to place the Mississippi flags at the monument on Friday. “The display of the Mississippi state flag comports in every way with the interim ‘Display Policy’ … and therefore it should not be removed or molested in any way,” Lyons’ letter stated, adding, “premature removal of these flags from county monuments by private persons or state actors constitue[s] theft and monument desecration.”
County atty. Killian was in Waynesville on Friday – his office is in Raleigh – and Lyons delivered the letter to him by hand.
“The County’s interim policy and the proposed policy is still unconstitutional & illegal. But should it be adopted, we have an allowable Confederate Battle flag variant, the Mississippi state flag, that is an “official Government Flag” that can be displayed on County property while the illegal ban on the Confederate Battle flag, for both the interim & proposed policy is fought out,” SLRC Executive Director Thomas Willis said.
Approximately 20 “flaggers” carrying full-sized battle flags and other flags of the Confederacy were present for the placing of the small Mississippi flags. They were joined by several passers-by.he county council is expected to vote on the proposed flag ban at its December 17 meeting.

http://www.thetribunepapers.com/2012/12/09/confederate-flaggers-exploit-loophole-in-haywood-monument-law-become-mississippians-for-a-day/

Sunday, December 9, 2012

ALabama Dsplays Heritage - Hate Monger Holmes Objects

State Weighs in on Confederate Flag Flap


Louisville Metro Police say Fabian Valentine, 35, is responsible for at least eight robberies in the Metro and two in southern Indiana.More >> Another flag flap for Alabama. This time the repercussions over a huge Confederate flag flying along Interstate 65 could have a ripple effect on the state.

Opponents question the legality of putting up the giant battle flag and vow to take drastic measures to bring it down. Others view it as their given heritage.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans dedicated the banner Sunday. As they raised the flag, a protestor raised a question about it's legality.
Protestor Frank Matthews says, "that racist flag is a violation of state statutes." He says the banner is too tall and too close to the interstate.
So WSFA 12 News checked with the state department of transportation.
Tony Harris, the department's spokesman says, "When it comes to outdoor signs, billboards, and things of that nature, there's nothing that we have in the law or in regulations that effect flying a flag on private property."
DOT lawyers even examined the height and proximity of the flag and found nothing illegal.

State representative Alvin Holmes of Montgomery says, "You know sometimes the lawyers for the highway department, their interpretation is wrong and backwards."
Holmes says he will have attorneys for the state's black caucus review the law, including whether the flag is a distraction to drivers.
If it is determined that the flag is flying legally, then he will ask white leaders to call for it's removal. And if that doesn't work, Holmes says, "We are going to consider calling for a nationwide economic boycott against the state of Alabama."
Governor Bob Riley says, "That's as much a part of our culture, a part of Alabama history as a million other things."
During Sunday's dedication ceremony, protesters posted signs on the bank below the flag calling for the governor to bring it down.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3527616&nav=0RdEbVrN


Friday, December 7, 2012

Special Offer From 2014 Reunion Host Committee

Compatriots,

At the recent national convention, the SC Division 10th Brigade, host camp of the 2014 National Reunion, offered a package for early registration called the Palmetto Package. Many compatriots have already claimed the limited packages.

Palmetto Package includes:

Registration ($45.00)

Reunion Program

1 Numbered Medal ($75.00)

1 Awards Banquet ticket ($35.00)

1 Ancestor Memorial ($10.00)

1 Second National Confederate Flag flown over Ft. Sumter National Monument

Palmetto Package Cost: $125.00
The Palmetto Package is valued at over $170.00 and is limited to the first 250 registrants. The Palmetto Package offer will close on January 1, 2013 or until a combined total of 250 registrations have been sold. Whichever comes first! Other incentive packages may be put together at a later date. We only have 2nd National remaining – First registered; first served – The flags are 3 x 5 poly flags with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Superintendent of Ft. Sumter National Monument.
Visit our reunion site to claim one of the remaining packages available.
www.scv2014.org
In January 2013, the package will be replaced with general registration information. Don’t miss out on this last opportunity to save! Compatriots who purchase the early registration package will receive information pertaining to the tours and other events prior to announcing on the reunion website.

David Rentz 2014 National Reunion Chairman

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Intollerance and Ignorance Causes Removal of Statue

Confederate statue removed at DSC Officials feared artwork might be damaged
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2012

 Confederate statue removed: A statue on Dixie State College’s campus depicting two Confederate soldiers carrying a Confederate flag was removed Thursday afternoon. Emotions varied from excitement to shock Thursday afternoon when Dixie State College removed a Confederate soldier statue that stood in front of the Avenna Center.

The statue, created by local artist Jerry Anderson, depicted a Confederate soldier on a horse reaching his hand out to a wounded soldier, with a Confederate flag in the background. Former alumni president Connor Shakespeare said he was “sad” the statue was taken off the campus. “I didn’t look at it with two Confederate soldiers; I saw the greatest act of service one could render to another human being, and it was a pure form of self-sacrifice having one fellow soldier risking his life for another,” Shakespeare said. “It’s too bad that there are individuals that felt otherwise. The only thing they saw was the Confederate flag instead of reading the poem or looking at it as a piece of art.”

For others, the Confederate statue was a sign of racism and discrimination. “I think if we’re going to be a university, we need to cater to everyone’s feelings and not just to the community,” DSC student Ryan Mayfield said. “I think it’s really cool to be here and see it leave; I think it’s a big day in Dixie’s history.”

Mayor Dan McArthur said it is “too bad it came down.” “To see that is kind of like ripping the heart out of us,” McArthur said. “I still think the piece of artwork was well-done.”

DSC student Kourtni Mietchen also was “glad” to see the statue moved. “I think it’s the good direction that Dixie needs to go in,” Mietchen said. “It just offended a lot of people.” DSC public relations director Steve Johnson said the decision to remove the statue was made Wednesday by DSC president Stephen Nadauld, who has been discussing the removal of the statue with administrators. In the wake of a protest at the statue last week, school officials expressed concern that the piece might be damaged. “It’s a valuable piece of art, even though we understand it has been a focal point of contention as part of this university naming process over the last couple of weeks,”

Johnson said. The discussion to remove the statue began once administrators became aware that “people had issues with it being on our campus,” Johnson said. The discussion has surfaced in connection with Dixie State College preparing to be elevated to university status, which is expected to happen early next year. School officials are also exploring a possible name change. The fate of the statue is still in question, as the statue was originally donated in the late 1980s when the current DSC Avenna Center was the Dixie Convention Center. “The statue was donated to the city and county when that area was the Dixie Convention Center,” Johnson said. “When the Dixie Convention Center south of town was built, everybody moved from (the Avenna Center), and the state then acquired that property. (The state) made it into the Smith Computer Center, the Avenna Center and the Cox auditorium, but the statue remained.”

Johnson said it is unclear who owns the statue, but the college has been in contact with the St. George city attorney’s office to determine who owns the piece. “Until we find out who owns it, we decided to take it down to protect it because it’s worth tens of thousands of dollars,” Johnson said. “We don’t want anything to happen to the statue or the integrity of the statue because the college doesn’t want to be monetarily responsible.”

The statue will be removed from DSC’s campus and put into storage until it is decided who owns it.“You can understand our sensitivity for wanting to protect the statue because a local Washington County resident created it,” Johnson said. “You can understand our sensitivity for wanting to protect the statue because a local Washington County resident created it,” Johnson said.

 http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20121206/NEWS01/312060002/Confederate-statue-removed-from-Dixie-campus?odyssey=nav%7Chead