Posted on 06/12/2002 7:48:50 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
CRESTVIEW -- The NAACP wants the Confederate battle flag removed from a memorial on city property that honors Florida's last Civil War veteran, who died in 1957.
Sabu Williams, local chapter president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, on Monday likened the flag to the Berlin Wall, contending it represents a wall of terror, hatred, murder, bigotry and shame.
"The heritage of the Confederate battle flag is that it was meant to divide," Williams told the City Council. "Today, we should be looking at things that bind us, not divide us."
The council delayed a decision until June 24 after listening to Williams and some of about 70 other residents who packed its chambers. Each side was given 10 minutes.
Martin Barker, representing the Florida Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said the flag is a sign of history, not hate. "History is a fact," Barker said. "We can't change it, but we can learn from it. If we bury it, we will deprive our children and our grandchildren of that fact."
The memorial was put up along State Road 85, one of Crestview's main thoroughfares, a year after William "Uncle Bill" Lundy died in this Panhandle city. An earlier effort to remove the flag failed in 1996.
Williams said he had no issue with the memorial, just the flag.
One of Lundy's grandsons, Hayden Lundy, argued to keep the flag, saying his grandfather never hated anyone. "Uncle Bill Lundy was a loving man," he said.
The NAACP has organized protests and economic boycotts in other places where it has fought to bring down the Confederate battle flag.
"We will do what we have to do," Williams said. "We will not stop until we have succeeded in removing that flag."
Crestview
P.O. Drawer 1209
Crestview, FL 32536
(850) 682-3812
Fax: (850) 689-4575
Mayor: George Whitehurst
City Council 682-6131 Board of County Commissioners 689-5030
Yet. Remove that flag, the memorial will be gone within 10 years. Bumped and called
Beep. Circle takes the square. The heritage of the Confederate Battle Flag was to facilitate the rallying of troops on a confused, smoke-shrouded battlefield.
So why don't they let people have a choice, rather than dictating what people are allowed to have and not have? Who are they to rule others lives? It creates hate that divides.
"We will not stop until we have succeeded in removing that flag."
The NAACP is oppressive. They're forcing others to accept and obey their opinions against their free will.
They're actually creating the hate they claim to be against.
This is the same method of creating hate the homos use - Create hate, cry "victim", and get special elitist status and special laws for protection.
My first thought. Exactly right.
Someone needs to change the conversation to, "why does Kweisi Mfume hate white people so much that he changed his own name and goes around trying to take down historical monuments?"
You. Kweisi Mfume will always have a problem as long as Caucasians are still around.
Is the State of Florida having statewide elections later this year? Hmmmm?
Bingo.
Dangle, dangle, dangle.
In this case, I feel we should honor a fallen brother by leaving his memorial untouched - there ought not to be a vote; let Uncle Bill rest in peace.
Yeh, and a rainbow flag will go up to take it's place.
Only in America.
They love to "waller" in it.
Walt
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