Posted on 07/18/2006 12:49:14 PM PDT by aomagrat
A Confederate heritage group says its free-speech rights were violated when a landowner removed a billboard promoting Southern history near the famed Darlington Raceway.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans plans to demonstrate at the State House next month and buy radio advertisements to complain about losing its billboard on U.S. 52, about two miles from the racetrack.
“This is the most chilling thing I’ve seen against freedom of speech,” spokesman Don Gordon said.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans bought the billboard this spring in response to remarks by a NASCAR executive about the rebel flag.
The billboard featured a Confederate flag and a checkered race flag. The message said, “Victory is Great, but Honor is Greater. Defend your Southern heritage.”
The billboard, taken down briefly in May, also listed the group’s phone number and name.
Officials of the S.C. Central Railroad, which owns the land where the billboard stood, said the message was “controversial” and needed to come down.
“It is not in our commercial interests to have billboards on our property displaying messages that might be controversial in the local community, whatever the substance of the messages,” a company spokeswoman said in a prepared statement.
“We made no judgment as to the content of the billboard, but we did understand it to be controversial and therefore asked that it be removed.”
An outdoor advertising company, hired by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, installed the sign just before Darlington’s annual Mother’s Day race. It was removed permanently June 16, according to a July 11 letter from the S.C. Sons of Confederate Veterans commander, Randall Burbage, to fellow members.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans says it is an international, nonprofit historical society. The group, which says it has 30,000 members nationally, has taken positions in defense of the Confederate flag in South Carolina.
‘NOT ... ANYTHING FAVORABLE’
In October, NASCAR’s chief executive, Brian France, told the CBS television show “60 Minutes” the Confederate flag was “not a flag that I look at with anything favorable. That’s for sure.”
As it branches away from its traditional Southern fan base, NASCAR has tried to shed its rebel-flag-waving image. The nation’s largest stock car racing organization has started diversity programs and tried to appeal to black and Hispanic fans. The Darlington Raceway, in business for more than 50 years, has served as a pillar of NASCAR.
“A member of the France family said some uncomplimentary things, so we put that billboard up to make a statement and to stimulate new members,” the confederate veterans’ Gordon said. “We really didn’t expect anything like this to occur.”
Attempts to reach NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter were unsuccessful. However, Hunter said last spring that NASCAR did not seek to have the sign removed.
“If we find out NASCAR is involved, you can expect airplanes towing Confederate banners over every NASCAR race anywhere in this nation — forever,” Gordon said.
Mac Josey, vice president at the Darlington Raceway, said he knew nothing about the billboard and did not ask that it be removed. He said the track does not fly Confederate flags, although some fans do.
Wesley Blackwell, chairman of the Darlington County Council, said he heard about the billboard during a social gathering at the Darlington speedway in May. Blackwell said the county did not ask that the sign be removed.
‘NOT A WORD WOULD BE SAID’
The Confederate veterans group paid Palmetto Outdoor Media more than $5,000 to put up the advertisement, Gordon said. Most of the money was refunded when the sign was removed.
However, Gordon is not satisfied.
“What if it was a sign trying to bring new members to the NAACP? We all know not a word would be said,” Gordon said.
Palmetto Outdoor Media co-owner Rodney Monroe said his company’s land-lease agreement with S.C. Central Railroad has a section that called for the removal of offensive advertisements.
“We lease the property from the company and we, obviously, crossed the line as far as what was acceptable to them ... and were asked to remove the sign,” Monroe said. “We are not in the business to cause or create controversy.”
Gordon said his group had a contract with Palmetto Outdoor for the sign to stay up through part of next year.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees every American the right to free speech. However, the sign was on private property, and the property’s owner ordered it down.
Bill Rogers, director of the S.C. Press Association, said that removal violated the principle of free speech, if nothing else. The sign did not appear to be inflammatory, he said.
“I can see why they would feel their rights are violated, that if someone doesn’t like the message, they take it down,” Rogers said.
In the case of the current story, I agree with the RR company's right to do with their property as they see fit. It would be a sad day if the Constitution were interpreted to give not only the right of free speech but also the freedom to set up your podium in any place you wish.
And I will add that three of my four great grandfathers, and several of my great great grandfathers fought for the Confederacy.
Muleteam1
Correctly noted by the reporter. I hope all other reporters follow his lead the next time a liberal cries about the 1st Amendment in similar circumstances.
When someone leases a piece of land the person doing the leasing has some rights. It isnt up to the owner any more to make that decision. Now evidently the railroad had a codicil in the lease that said if the sign was offensive they could take it down. But who decides if it is offensive? The advertising place took the path of least resistance AND WENT ALONG WITH THE RAILROAD, THEIR POCKETS ARE DEEPER THAT THE SONS OF THE CONFEDERACY.
Is that why the north suffered more combat casualties than the South?. The South was out numbered more than two to one and still took over four years to end the War.
"Those who worship the Confederate battle flag are worshipping the flag of a bunch of whiny damned LOSERS."
You are mistaken. The losers are shown in blue on the map below.
We have God and all the guns anyway. What do you blue zone socialists have now besides gay pride parades and leaders such as Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy?
"Long Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply"
Like street mimes, damned yankees just can't help being obnoxious.
Muleteam1
The NAACP is a protected class doncha know.
Well, you can see the railroad's point. The last time that flag was flown over a railroad, a bunch of guys in blue coats came along and tied all the tracks into knots.
> Is that why the north suffered more combat casualties than the South?.
No.
> We have God and all the guns anyway.
So that's why y'all lost? Must be a lesser God and some pretty crappy guns you have down there.
> What do you blue zone socialists ...
Since when is Utah a "blue zone?"
Your family was in Utah before the War? I assume you or your family have roots either in the north or The South. Which is it? Or do you even know?
I'm not aware of any such group using the Stars and Bars, a flag that most folks wouldn't recognize anyway. See: Stars and Bars
The Confederate Battle Flag was misused but not the Stars and Bars that I'm aware of.
bump
You've already been corrected about the "Stars & Bars". How about the "Stars & Stripes"? It also has been used by more than a few despicable groups.
> Your family was in Utah before the War?
WOW. Zooom, off on a highly irrelevant tangent.
For anyone else playign along: compare Godebert's latest post here to the earlier one. Rather astonishing.
I doubt it. The S.C. Central Railroad is very small and only has about 55 miles of tracks.
I think maybe one reason the railroad wanted it down is because they are a very old railroad that predates the Civil War. Confederate flags on their property would bring about cries for reparations.
Like I thought......either you have no idea of your roots or you are originally from a blue zone marxist state. Hence your liberal style attacks on the South and it's heritage.
> liberal style attacks on the South and it's heritage.
Ah. So only "liberals" attack the institution of slavery.
Slavery is not just the heritage of the South. And yes......only liberals attack Southerners who honor their Confederate heritage.
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