Confederate Flag Controversy At An Auburn Cemetery
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Confederate Flag Controversy
Confederate Flag ControversyPublished: April 24, 2009
Updated: April 24, 2009
On Monday the State of Alabama will celebrate Confederate Memorial Day. It’s a time when many will honor southern soldiers who fought
in the civil war. But not everyone is happy about the holiday. There’s a new controversy over the Confederate flag and it’s causing some tension at an Auburn cemetery. One side sees them as a symbol of history, while some others see it as a symbol of racism. Thursday morning, a group known as the Daughters of the Confederacy placed dozens of confederate flags on graves at the Pine Hill Cemetery. it’s in Auburn on city property. City Councilman Arthur Dowdell says the flags are offensive and have no place in a cemetery. “I think we have to wake up and see that we’re one nation under God with one flag and that’s the United States of America flag” Dowdell said. Several black residents told him the flags were there and that it bothered them, so Dowdell immediately removed four of the flags. Beverly Webster is a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. She says this is all about history. “I all I am thinking about this is that I’m honoring
my fore fathers who fought for our country and that’s what this is about. This is not a racist issue for us” Webster said. But Councilman Arthur Dowdell disagrees. “I believe that when Blacks come to this cemetery and see confederate flags, they don’t think about commemoration. They think about racism and the the KKK” Dowdell said. He wants the city to pass a resolution in the future that would prevent people from putting up confederate flags in public places in Auburn. Dowdell says if people want to commemorate history, they should do it on their own private property.
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I think White Southerners spend way too much time justifying to others why we display Confederate flags. In our hearts we know the flag does not symbolize hate and that’s all that matters. We don’t owe anyone an explanation. It’s not illegal to display a Confederate flag and I for one will continue to do so and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. Get over it Councilman Dowdell!
I am always appauled when I hear of attacks against southern Culture and the southern people.It boils the blood that runs through my veins but it does not cause me to hate people like the man who pulled those flags up: only sympathy for ignorance. The city councilman should be prosecuted for grave desecration.I am a proud Southerner, as all Southerners should be. I am a descendant of Confederate veterans and I will not apoligize to anyone for myself or my ancestors because an apology is not warranted. Some of us should educate ourselfs in a few history lessons. Name not with held Grady Bazemore Hortense Georgia
I guess now we will loose more rights we have to not place a flag on a grave sight. Seems like all of our flags offend someone and it’s sad. I do however support EQUAL RIGHTS but tell me where is it equal???? When will it be? I don’t know the answer nor will I think it will ever be one. I think it is time for people to get off the couch and start defending our heritage and stop being so passive and give up everything. I think they should put him in jail, if it were the other way around I’m sure they would have done so by now and maybe thrown the key away. I’d say this…If you live close to a place that offends you THEN MOVE your not a tree!! Stop making racial issues out of nothing. Those women put flags on the graves not hoods and burning crosses!!! People like you need to be educated on history and stop listening to an idiot that thinks he knows.
I am disgusted. Aren’t there any statutes in Alabama that prosecute people for vandalizing graves?Had someone spraypainted swastikas there, the JDL and NAACP would be ALL OVER this! My point is, the manstole flags from people’s GRAVES, from their GRAVES!!!This is the most DESPICABLE thing I have ever seen. And then to have the gall to stand there with a self-satisfied smirk with the evidence in his hand. Prosecute him! Do it NOW!
Call in the big guns, get the law on him for this.You folks can’t allow this or the next time it might be YOUR ancestors graves that get defaced. Doesn’t this man have any respect for the dead? 6 months in the county lock-up would probably teach him some. PROSECUTE HIM! It’s the same as if he’d kicked over gravestones and spraypainted epithets!
Where is your District Attorney? Arrrest the man!
You don’t deface a grave just because it “bothers” somebody. This is absolutely the LOWEST kind of hatred I have ever heard of….makes me sick.
I read with a sad heart the article and I listened to the news media. I feel sorry for you. For someone to be in a job where you should know your HISTORY and help protect the rights of the people in your district. Be glad I do not live in your district, I would run against you.
The flag, it is a battle flag, one my ancestors carried into battle. Many gave their lives, many were wounded, many never recovered. This pass Saturday was Confederate Memorial Day. In Friendship Cemetery in Columbus Mississippi. We have hundreds of GRAVES of men and one lady who gave all to this country, fighting for the rights of our states. We have been placing fowers, wreath and Flags on their grave sites for ONE HUNDRED FORTY THREE years. You need to meet (H.K. Edgerton) one of the most interesting men you will ever meet. Listen to him talk about the history of this country. READ the material his brother Terry is writing. They both can EDUCATE you.
Go to the Library and reread your History books, NOT the ones written by people who knew nothing about the SOUTH. We are a proud people and we love our HISTORY and we have the RIGHTS to HONOR it.
I really think you a very lost soul and need to be down on your knees, praying for forgiveness, for your words. The next time you need to be in the lime lights (everyone needs their 15 minutes of fame) remember you had yours, so sit down and shut up.
IN GOD WE TRUST
PROUD to be an CONFEDERATE
Have a DIXIE Day [><]
Well, here we go again. More of the same. When will some people ever learn that a confederate flag is not a symbol of hate or racism. It’s a symbol of southern pride and independence!! Also, if these people were to study their history lesson, they would realize that the St. Andrew’s cross was a symbol of Christianity. The X in the cross got its name from Andrew, one of Jesus’ diciples. When Andrew was to be crucified, he was about to be put on a cross as Jesus Christ was. Andrew deemed himself “not worthy” of being crucified on a cross like Jesus Christ did…so he was crucified on an X. That’s where the symbol came from. Now as to whomever chooses to adopt the flag for their own motives such as the KKK and other white supremicist groups, that’s their own freedom and you mustn’t judge others. There is only one judge and judgement day is coming. Southern Independence was fought for all of us southerners in the days of Northern Agression. It still is today to a different level. Has anyone in the black community ever thought that in February of each year, the multitudes of media coverage of black history month may be offensive to some whites. I’ve never seen a white city councilman standing outside of a Black history celebration, a NAACP freedon fund banquet, a Emanicpation Proclimation banquet, or any other type of “gathering” removing or damaging any type of their symbols or property. It’s time to realize that the longer you act like this and act as if the beautiful confederate flag offends people who want to make an issue of it, the more flags you will see around. I know I have never had a flag pole in my yard, but I just purchased one along with a US flag AND a Confederate flag. I will PROULDY fly it and dare anyone to try to damage it, desicrate it, shoot it, or anything elase to it. It is a symbol of all of our heritage and history…and if you like it…move to the north. It’s time to ban together and stop senseless actions like this and quit whining about something that happened 145 years ago.
to u and all who read this,dont u think all this racial crap has gone far enough,the usa is goin under and u got idiot,in office who just showed his true color it is called stupid,is worried about a flag,thats been here forever,it aint rece u nut ,its called history,something u should have taken in school.if this was a different grave site and saome one took a malcomx flag off a private grave or public fixture,i bet AL SHARPTEN would be in aburn running his mouth about something he dont no nothing about get alife folks we are all trying to get through life and we all need each other regardless of skin color the man in offfice needs to be removed he dont have the insight to be there,he just showed everyone in town that he if noone else is a race judgemental person get a life amn you need to arrested for defacing private and public property,a long with being just STIPUID,hope you get fired. folk like you need to heve nothing to do with a goverment ofiice,to sum it up i my self think your just a bitter black man who just wants some one to talk to
I used to live in Columbus. I moved to Chattanooga, TN back in October. We, as most places around the nation, have a National Cemetery where soldier’s are buried from past war’s to the present. There are also soldiers from foreign countries that are buried there that are also honored and not forgotten. It doesn’t matter from what country or which side they’re from, they are soldiers that died fighting for something they believed in. Oh, and don’t be surprised if you find out that blacks fought on BOTH sides of the civil war. So honor them for who they are, tone down the chaos and let them be in peace!!!!
Enough is Enough!
Those boys died for a JUST cause - it was for the sovereign rights the states held and were losing to a Federal government. Just look at the mess we are in today - what we need is states to stand up for their sovereign rights.
AND the people to STAND UP for the rights of those men and women who died for a JUST cause - MAY THOSE CONFEDERATE FLAGS BE RETURNED - SO BE IT, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD!
95% of those boys held NO SLAVE - fought for their state rights - not slavery - LET THE TRUTH BE KNOWN!
Roy Ostapko
No matter what his “reason” he is a THIEF, plain and simple. He only intends to have HIS OWN views on display. He wants one flag ? They died UNDER the flag HE STOLE. This is the TYPICAL actions of a “do as I say, not as I do” person that think THEY are not only ABOVE the law, but that they ARE the law. If no one else will file a criminal complaint, I’ll be happy to do so. One of those flags he stole was placed by MY FAMILY. He’s already admitted he took them, why isn’t he being booked for boasting about his thievery ?
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