Confederate Plaza Decicated in Palestine, TX - NAACP Demonstrates Its Ignorance

Confederate flag flies high over Palestine, controversy heats up


PALESTINE, TX (KLTV) - A new park in Palestine has created a lot of controversy and on Saturday, opposition protested its grand opening.

On Saturday morning, the Sons of Confederate Veterans hosted a parade and ceremony to officially open the "Confederate Veterans Memorial Plaza". It is a park that honors confederate veterans from the Civil War.

However, members of the NAACP said the Confederate flag that flies over the park is offensive.

"It's a flag that many of our ancestors fought under. It's a special flag to us because it was extremely special to them," said Doug Smith, Adjutant/Treasurer of the John H. Reagan Camp.

However, the flag that now flies high over park is offensive to others in the Palestine community. So much so, that the president of Palestine's NAACP organized a rally. People came from all over Texas to show their support.

"I don't think you have to be a part of the NAACP to find offense to that flag," said Branden Johnson, President of the Longview NAACP.

Kenneth Davidson is President of Palestine's NAACP and said the flag symbolizes, "hatred, depression, oppression, slavery, and it's nothing but division."

Sam Allen spoke at the ceremony in support of the park's opening and said the opposition's anger over the flag is misplaced.

"There's some people who represent racism, the people here, at least the ones I've met, and I've been associated with the Sons of Confederacy for the last 15 years [are] not about that. They talk about history, they talk about heritage. Not racism or anything else," Allen said.

Both groups met after the ceremony to discuss their difference, however the only thing they did agree on is that they need to talk behind closed doors. An officer actually volunteered to be a mediator between the two parties who say they wanted to handle this peacefully.

"The NAACP is not going to be a violent rally. If you are going to be violent, you don't need to be with us," Davidson said.

"We're just going to have to agree on some issues and disagree on the others and try to move on from there, and that's what we are going to try to do. As Americans, as Texans, as residents of Anderson County, there will always be many, many more issues that unite us than divide us," Smith said.

See Video at Link:

http://www.ksla.com/story/21971210/confederate-flag-flies-high-over-palestine-controversy-heats-up#.UWql3xYT6wA.email

Leasership Workshop Set for Paducah,Kentucky

SCV National Leadership Workshop

As we move through the challenging years of the Sesquicentennial, leadership training has become even more important to the defense of our Southern heritage. In an effort to insure that our members better understand the challenges of leadership roles and to aid our leaders in acquiring the knowledge to better perform their duties, the SCV has scheduled a Spring National Leadership Workshop.

This year’s event will be held April 20, 2013 at Trader's Mall at Exit 16 on I-24 next to Arant Confederate Park near Paducah, Kentucky. It will be hosted by the General Lloyd Tilghman Camp 1495. A tentative schedule for the day is below along with registration and lodging information.

Please note that this event will include relevant presentations and individual workshops for more specialized training for Commanders and Adjutants; however, ALL members are invited to attend!

___________________________________
8:00 – 8:10 Welcome & SCV Protocol Cmdr. Michael Rhoden, Camp 1495

8:10 – 8:25 Introductions & Overview Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow

8:25 – 9:10 Commanders & Command CIC R. Michael Givens

9:10 – 9:20 BREAK

9:20 – 10:05 Adjutants & Administration AIC Stephen Lee Ritchie

10:05 – 10:15 BREAK

10:15 – 11:00 Recruiting & Retention Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow

11:00 – 11:45 Vision 2016 Past Chief of HD Tom Hiter, Ph.D

11:45 – 12:45 DINNER

12:45 – 1:30 Heritage Defense & Promotion Chief of Heritage Defense Gene Hogan

1:30 – 1:40 BREAK

1:40 – 2:10 Camp Operations & Success Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow

2:10 – 2:20 BREAK

2:20 – 3:05 Commander’s & Adjutant’s Workshops CIC, Lt. CIC & AIC

3:05 Concluding Remarks & Discussion Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow

Benediction


Registration, which includes dinner, is only $5 each and will be handled through our General Headquarters at Elm Springs. You may mail a reservation with a check or call 1 (800) 380-1896 ext 209 (Cindy) or email accounting@scv.org with credit card information (MC, VISA or AMEX).
Hotels are located at Exit 4 and 11


Traders' Mall has a restaurant that opens at 7:00 am for breakfast

There will also be a rededication of Arant Confederate Park and tour of the General Lloyd Tilghman Home and WBTS Museum following the workshop

Registration Sheet



Name________________________ Address____________________________________________



_____________________________ Email address_______________________________________


Camp number_________________ Check enclosed ( ) or

Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX) Number __________________________ Expires _________

Fold3 Confederate Info Free For Confederate History Month!

Fold3 and Confederate History Month


Compatriots,

In honor of Confederate History Month, Fold3.com has made all Confederate content on Fold3 free for the month of April. I would like to encourage you to take advantage of this great offer and let it become an asset to all your recruitment needs.


Deo Vindice!
Charles Kelly Barrow
Lt.Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
1800mysouth.com

CIC Givens in Huffington Post Debate

Marc Lamont Hill of the Huffington Post hosted a segment discussing the Confederate Flag.

It can be found at the link below.

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/#r/segment/north-carolina/515ab3ce78c90a5be9000033


The following were interviewed in the segment:

• Colby Bohannan, President of the Former Majority Association for Equality, San Marcos, TX

• David Goldfield, Author of 'Still Fighting the Civil War,' Charlotte, NC

• Michael Givens, Member of Sons of Confederate Veterans, Beaufort, SC

April is Confederate History Month!

Confederate History Month commemorates the men and women of the Confederate States of America who came from all races and religions


Confederate History and Heritage Month

Calvin E. Johnson Jr.
Monday, April 1, 2013


April 1-30th 2013 is Confederate History and Heritage Month throughout the USA!



The Confederate History and Heritage Month Committee of the National and Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans proudly recognizes and appreciates the signing of proclamations by Southern governors, mayors and county commissioners since 1995 designating the month of April as “Confederate History and Heritage Month.”

In 2009, the Georgia General Assembly approved Senate Bill No.27, signed by Past Governor Sonny Perdue, officially and permanently designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Georgia.

In 1999, Texas Senate Resolution No. 526 passed designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in the “Yellow Rose” State of Texas.

The 150th Anniversary “Sesquicentennial” of the War Between the States ”1861-1865” is now underway through 2015 and the Confederate History Month Committee encourages everyone to make it a family affair and learn more about this important time in our nation’s past. See Georgia Division SCV Sesquicentennial Committee website.

May 2013 marks the 150th Anniversary of the death of Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
Confederate History Month commemorates the men and women of the Confederate States of America who came from all races and religions that include: Irish-born General Patrick R. Cleburne, Black Confederate drummer Bill Yopp, Mexican born Colonel Santos Benavides, Cherokee Born General Stand Watie and Jewish born Confederate Nurse Phoebe Pember who was the first female administrator of Chimboraza Hospital in Richmond, Virginia where she served until the end of War Between the States.


The Confederate History Month Committee salutes the women of Old Dixieland like Sally Tompkins of Richmond, Virginia who was commissioned a Captain by President Jefferson Davis and who financed and ran the Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Virginia during the war and….

Mrs. Charles J. Williams of Columbus, Georgia who was among those responsible for getting Confederate Memorial Day recognized as a legal holiday in Georgia by act of the Georgia legislature in 1874. For over 100 year’s members of the Ladies Memorial Association, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans have held annual Confederate Memorial days on or near April 26th. Other states celebrate Confederate Memorial Day on May 10th and June 3rd—the birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.



A native of Georgia, Calvin Johnson, Chairman of the National and Georgia Division,

Sons of Confederate Veterans, Confederate History Month Committee—-Scv.org lives near the historic town of Kennesaw and he’s a member of the Chattahoochee Guards Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans. He is the author of the book “When America Stood for God, Family and Country.” Calvin can be reached at: cjohnson1861@bellsouth.net

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/54191

Flag Flies Proudly in Roscoe, TX

Confederate flag flying near I-20 causes mixed feelings in Roscoe


By Jenna Rogers, Reporter, jrogers@ktxs.com

Mar 29 2013


ROSCOE, Texas - Driving along Interstate 20, it's hard to miss the large Confederate flag just east of Roscoe.


Over time, the flag has been viewed as a controversial symbol. Many relate it to negative, racially-fueled events in American history. Others say it's only a symbol of southern pride.

The flagpole was resurrected last August. The flag flying now was put up about a month ago. It is the most recognizable flag from the Civil War, originally used as the battle flag for the Army of Tennessee.

"I can see where people would be offended by it, but I'm not," said one Odessa native passing through the town.

"It's just people speaking out for America. Wanting things to go back the way they used to be," said one man from Munday.

"I think we're past that now. Well we should be anyways," said a Roscoe resident.


While the flag might bring up negative feelings for some, others say it's just a part of United States history.

Gaylan Harrison of Coahoma is part of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He said the flag was put up in the Roscoe cotton field to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.


"This is part of my heritage. Why should i sweep mine under the rug because somebody doesn't like it?" Harrison said.

He said he's especially connected to the flag, as many of his ancestors fought in the Civil War.

"I have a lot of affection for that flag. I know what those men went through. I know what they did. I know what they sacrificed," Harrison said.

Harrison said he is tired of his organization being associated with groups he said have misused the flag.

"We're not any part of any of those organizations. The clan, the skinheads. That's not us. This was the flag of the soldiers," Harrison said. "It was for those men who went into battle so they could tell where their troops were."

As a former teacher, Harrison said he hopes it will spark conversations and encourage people to learn more about our country.

"I wish that everyone would do a little studying before they make decisions about whether things are good or bad," Harrison said.

That particular flag has been flying for 30 days, but the group switches them out to various other flags that represent the South.

http://www.ktxs.com/news/Confederate-flag-flying-near-I-20-causes-mixed-feelings-in-Roscoe/-/14769632/19510082/-/oniadkz/-/index.html?fb_action_ids=10151586156191189&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151586156191189%22%3A438626146226290%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151586156191189%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

North Carolina Administration Turns Coward

Confederate flag at old NC Capitol coming down

By MICHAEL BIESECKER Associated PressAssociated Press

Posted: 03/29/2013
Click photo to enlargeA Confederate flag is seen on display at the old Capitol, which... ((AP Photo/Michael Biesecker))«1»RALEIGH, N.C.—A Confederate battle flag hung inside the old North Carolina State Capitol last week to mark the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is being taken down after civil rights leaders raised concerns.

The decision was announced Friday evening, hours after the Associated Press published a story about the flag, which officials said was part of an historical display intended to replicate how the antebellum building appeared in 1863. The flag had been planned to hang in the House chamber until April 2015, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of federal troops in Raleigh.
"This is a temporary exhibit in an historic site, but I've learned the governor's administration is going to use the old House chamber as working space," Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz said Friday night. "Given that information, this display will end this weekend rather than April of 2015."
Kim Genardo, the spokeswoman for Gov. Pat McCrory, said the exhibit that includes the Confederate battle flag will be relocated, possibly across the street to the N.C. Museum of History.
The decision was a quick about-face for the McCrory administration, which initially defended the display. Many people see the flag as a potent reminder of racial discrimination and bigotry.
State Historic Sites Director Keith Hardison had said Thursday the flag should be viewed in what he called the proper historical context.
"Our goal is not to create issues," said Hardison, a Civil War re-enactor and history buff. "Our goal is to help people understand issues of the past. ... If you refuse to put something that someone might object to or have a concern with in the exhibit, then you are basically censoring history."
North Carolina NAACP president Rev. William Barber was shocked Friday when he was shown a photo of the flag by the AP.
"He is right that it has a historical context," Barber said. "But what is that history? The history of racism. The history of lynchings. The history of death. The history of slavery. If you say that shouldn't be offensive, then either you don't know the history, or you are denying the history."
Sessions of the General Assembly moved to a newer building a half-century ago, but the old Capitol building is still routinely used as a venue for official state government events. McCrory's office is on the first floor, as are the offices of his chief of staff and communications staff.
The Republican governor was in the House chamber where the Confederate flag hangs as recently as Thursday, when he presided over the swearing-in ceremony of his new Highway Patrol commander.
The presentation of the Confederate battle flag at state government buildings has long been an issue of debate throughout the South. For more than a decade, the NAACP has urged its members to boycott South Carolina because of that state's display of the flag on the State House grounds.
Prior to taking his current job in North Carolina in 2006, Hardison worked as director at the Mississippi home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which is operated as a museum and library owned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group has led the fight in the South for the proud display of the Confederate flag, which it contends is a symbol of heritage, not hate.
Hardison said the battle flag was displayed with other flags described in the diary of a North Carolina woman who visited the Capitol in 1863. A large U.S. flag displayed in the Senate chamber is reminiscent of a trophy of war captured from Union troops at the Battle of Plymouth.
"I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to recreate this?" Hardison said. "I think we were all thinking along the same vein. ... The Capitol is both a working seat of government, in that the governor and his staff has his office there. But it is also a museum."
Hardison pointed out that the national flag used by the Confederate government, with its circle of white stars and red and white stripes, is still flown over the State Capitol dome each year on Confederate Memorial Day. The more familiar blood-red battle flag, featuring a blue "X" studded with white stars, was used by the rebel military.
David Goldfield, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and author of the book "Still Fighting the Civil War," said the battle flag can hold starkly different meanings depending on a person's social perspective.
"The history of the Confederate battle flag, how it was designed and formulated, how it has been used through the years, clearly states that it is a flag of white supremacy," Goldfield said. "I know current Sons of Confederate Veterans would dispute that, saying 'Hey, I'm not a racist.' But the fact remains that the battle flag was used by a country that had as its foundation the protection and extension of human bondage."
The NAACP's Barber said the McCrory administration eventually made the right call, but questioned how the decision to hang the flag was made in the first place.
"A flag should represent a banner of unity, not division," Barber said. "A substantive symbol and sign of our best history, not our worse. We cannot deny history but neither can we attempt to revision it in a way that glorifies the shameful and attempts to make noble that which is ignoble."

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_22899973