Petition to the mayor of Mobile Alabama

Mr. Mayor, in a recent conversation, you agreed to sign our Mobile Tolerance Pledge, which, with over 2500 signatures, has one simple statement: “I pledge to try never to hate or demean anyone because of race, religion, sex, or culture – including SOUTHERN culture.” We thank you for that.

When the Mobile City Council removed our Confederate flag from the city shield on August 1, it demeaned Southern culture. As you know, clear majorities in four polls felt this action should not have been taken. At the recent [Greater Gulf States] fair, our booth gave out seventeen thousand small Confederate flag stickers, which were proudly worn by folks young and old. If you had accepted my invitation to come by that stand, you would have learned two things. One, the anger over Mobile’s recent removal of the Confederate flag is without doubt greater now than then. Two, these people are ninety-nine percent of the time simply expressing pride in their heritage.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has said they consider the flag a hate symbol, by association naming such groups as the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Daughters of the Confederacy “mainstream hate groups” because of their support for the honor of this flag. By extrapolation they would call every man, woman, and child among our ancestors who fought, suffered, was maimed or died for the flag and its cause, some class of haters.

Rewriting history in politically correct terms is what the problem is about. Whether you have Southern sympathies or not, admit that anyone who demeans the emblems of a particular culture as hateful is by definition a bigot. If they remove those symbols from every place of dignity and respect, these people will have reached their goal. That is the issue.

With the City of Mobile removing the Confederate banner from police cars and official vehicles, letterheads, uniform patches and numerous other places, Friends of the Flag deplores that effort by cultural bigots to demonize the symbol. At the fair we found Mobile police against this. A secret ballot by them, or the people, would settle the issue.

I have tried to offer a compromise for your consideration acceptable to those who are still angry. If you agree to declare April Confederate History Month in the City of Mobile and respect those who celebrate it by flying the Confederate Naval Jack for one month each year, we’ll be glad to end the boycott and close this issue.

You say council approval is necessary. The council chairman, Mr. Johnson, told me personally the decision for which flag to fly belongs with the mayor.

We must strive to keep the community from being divided whenever possible, for Mobile faces challenges which require our “undivided” attention. With the announced closure of International Paper, Corus, QMS drawdowns and others, the local economy in general and many families in particular will be under great strain.

The City of Mobile’s August/September sales tax revenues came down about five percent, in significant part because of our boycott – which is still in its formative stages. Mobile County receipts meanwhile are running from flat to small gains. Bayfest revenues were down significantly, while Shrimpfest’s increased as much. I leave it to you to decide how strongly the boycott is affecting Mobile. Rest assured it’s part of the shortfall – and gathering steam at Christmas, when the city expects its greatest sales tax income.

What we ask is the least acceptable thing that will keep that flag in some small place of local respect, thus fulfilling the pledge you’ve agreed to sign that you will not “hate or demean . . . Southern culture.” I look forward to doing my part bringing our community together in any way I can.

If you can’t give back some part of what has been taken from us the movement will grow, these feelings remaining, divisions continuing; and, when the future history of Mobile is written, this problem will be more than a footnote. Please respond, Mayor Dow.

We, the undersigned, agree with the above letter published in THE FIRST FREEDOM's December issue and at http://www.gulftel.com/homefree/ and ask you, Mayor Dow, to honor our Southern heritage and restore the flag.

	"7 posted on 11/15/01 6:06 PM Central by Vladiator Are you going to petition Bloomberg treat Brits to "equal rights" in NYC since the Revolutionary War has been over longer than the Civil War? The South lost. Get over it. And get over yourself. "
Vlad, This is not about winning or loosing and there is no sense in telling anyone to get over it. American citizens fought and died on American soil in a war over the Constitution. The citizens of the south were and are a proud people. Brother fought against brother...father against son. They believed in what they were fighting for. The veterans of the south were American soldiers. Their flag has flown proudly for years until the politically correct crowd (after years of re-writing history) came along. My great great grandmother's husband died in the war fighting for the south. He left behind a young wife and son. Should his death count for nothing? Should all the veterans of the south be relegated to the status of terrorist? I don't think so. I am also a descendant of Revolutionary soldiers and am equally proud of them. You say the South lost? Yes, that's right ... but we all lost along with them.
As Written: 33rd Ala. Reg't found itself engaged in an even more bloody battle, the Battle of Franklin, Tenn. Sam R. Watkins, Co. H. 1st Tenn. records in his memoir, Co. Aytch. as follows: "Our army had been depleted of its strength by a forced march from Spring Hill, and stragglers lined the road. ... While resting on this hill-side, I saw a courier dash up to our commanding General, B.F. Cheatham, and the word, "Attention!" was given, I knew then that we would soon be in action. Forward, march. We passed over the hill and through a little skirt of woods. ... If I had not been a skirmisher on that day, I would not have been writing this today, in the year of our Lord 1882. As they (the Confederates) marched on down through an open field toward the rampart of blood and death, the Federal batteries began to open and mow down and gather into the garner of death, as brave, and good, and pure spirits as the world ever saw. ... A sheet of fire was poured into our very faces, .... Never on this earth did men fight against such terrible odds. ... We pressed forward until I heard the terrific roar of battle open on our right. Cleburne's division was charging their works. I passed on until I got their works, walked up the ascent, and got over on their (the Yankees') side. .... We passed the night where we were. But when the morrow's sun began to light up the eastern sky with its rosy hues, and we looked over the battle- field. O, my God! ... Horses like men had died game on the gory breast-works. Gen. Adams' horse had his fore feet on one side of the works and hind feet on the other, dead. The General seems to have been caught so that he was held to the horse's back, sitting almost as if living, riddled, and mangled, and torn with balls. Gen. Cleburne's mare had her fore feet on top of the works, dead in that position. Gen. Cleburne's body was pierced with forty-nine bullets, through and through. ... Gen. Granberry, from Texas, and his horse were seen, horse and rider right on top of the breast- works dead. All dead! They sleep in the graveyard yonder at Ashwood, almost in sight of my home, where I am writing to-day.... They sleep beneath the ivy-mantled walls of St. John's church, where they expressed a wish to be buried. Four thousand five hundred privates!... Thirteen Generals were killed and wounded." ALABAMA STATE MONUMENT ALABAMA SEPT. 19-20, 1863 IN TENDER MEMORY OF ALABAMA SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT AND FELL ON CHICKAUMAUGA BATTLEFIELD -------- THIS SHAFT SHALL POINT TO THOSE EXCITING SCENES AND VISIONS LONG SINCE FLOWN FOR MEMORY IS THE ONLY FRIEND THAT GRIEF CAN CALL ITS OWN
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