Posted on 10/26/2004 4:34:44 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
At first, Ryan Costello didn't know what to think of the low-flying propeller plane and its admonishing message.
Shortly after the Gettysburg College Bullets hit the field at Saturday's homecoming football game against Ursinus College, a plane circled over the field for more than an hour with a sign trailing behind it for thousands to see.
It read: "GC: Teach the Truth...Go Bears!"
The psychological tactic was the most recent barb in a campaign by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, whose 34,000 members are still bristling over a September art exhibit hosted by the college that featured a Confederate battle flag hung from a noose.
When given the back story, Costello said he didn't like his weekend affronted by protest.
"I came here today to be with my friends and have a good time," said the 24-year-old Leonardo, N.J., resident. "This conflict means nothing to me. This isn't the place for this."
His friend, 22-year-old Kayla Dietrich, was just as clueless about the plane's purpose, but more sympathetic to the people who put it there.
"If they're mad, they're mad," said Costello. "They can do what they want. It sends a message. It's not going to ruin my day."
Since the exhibit left late last month, the Confederate group has purchased numerous radio spots, newspaper advertisements and billboard space expressing their resentment of the exhibit, a display many of them have dubbed a "hate crime."
The media blitz has two angles - it asks the college to pay the bill for extra security needed for the exhibit's Sept. 3 opening, and requests that the Sons of Confederate Veterans be allowed to hold a seminar on Southern history at the college.
Half of these demands have been met. Earlier this month, the college sent the borough a $15,000 check for security costs.
If the college doesn't hold a sit-down with Sons over the seminar, the publicity stunts will continue, and they'll get progressively more creative, said Kirk D. Lyons, chief of staff for the Sons' Army of Northern Virginia.
"We have a long, long memory," he said. "Our inventive staff will work up whatever they can within the law to continue to bring attention to this. When we can have a satisfactory seminar to counterbalance this act of hatred, then we will have no reason to embarrass Gettysburg College any more."
Patti Lawson, associate vice president for communications at the college, said the college has mulled a Southern heritage seminar in recent weeks.
But she said the college has academics in mind for it, not Sons.
"(Sons) has not contacted us," she said. "We're looking for a scholarly group to do this."
While Lawson said the sky sign "added to the festivities of the day," game visitor Ollie Wiseman thought otherwise.
"It kind of puts a pall on things," said the 54-year-old Philadelphia resident. "I wonder what all these people are going to say about this when they go home?"
dixiebump
Although the historical misrepresentations of the Confederacy in Gettysburg are disturbing, I doubt a plane flying around will do anything to help further their cause. I used to live just to the West of there, and those people at Gettysburg College really just don't care. They are also just about the only liberals in the area too.
Besides protesting during a football game in that area isnt exactly going to warrant the attention they want. It will annoy people, but not educate them.
Not to be persnickity, but isn't treason punishable by hanging?
I was the class of '87, and it wasn't all that bad there. The professors were liberal, but the students really weren't.
I lived in Waynesboro from 85 to 97....Gettysburg has become a pit of liberalism in Adams county...
And Waynesboro is still a hole too....
No one was ever prosecuted for treason allegedly committed during the War Between the States. Maybe you should research the history and determine why that is before you start throwing accusations around.
Tell you what, let's re-fight the Civil War on .... next Wednesday.
Maybe you should ask who committed treason during the Revolution.
As a Gettysburg grad,but not a history major,I have always thought that the College was objective. Artists often are not and this will blow over. BTW I could qualify as a son of the Confederacy.
Seen Greencastle lately?
It's full of of "boutiques" and "shoppes".
Berkeley Springs WV has become Haight Ashbury, east.
We went to Shepardstown WV yesterday and it was wall-to-wall kerry signs.
The few extant Bush signs had been mauled or defaced.
nah I moved in 1997 and never want to go back. that area simply sucks.
The whole area, from Chambersburg to Gettysburg to Greencastle and Wayneboro has been over run by the same numbnut idiots that I COULDNT stand growing up with.
That exhibit was pretty offensive, just as the explicitly sexual display of "art" in that Colorado library.
Agreed, but you are the one who used the "t" word
I mean this in a friendly way: don't throw a bomb and then act shocked if there is returning fire
In a lighter vein, let me paraphrase a P.J. O'Rourke comment I saw yesterday. We should not have gun control in America since we have already had to use our guns against Democrats once.
It's folks like you who make it all possible.
Judging by the signs sticking in yards, I'd say it's an easy guess who's royally screwing up the area.
[High Rock's even been sissified]
I don't go to those areas very often.
It's just too much for my refined hillbilly tastes....LOL!
That and the kids in the area are told, from the beginning of their lives that they will end up in the factories or McDonalds, they wont ever be rich and they wont ever amount to anything. It starts from the school boards on down. Its really and truly pathetic there.
that and if certain families have a divorce, you have to ask if they are still brother and sister....
That's why, in local school board elections, I always call and ask which party a candidate belongs to.
I think it's outrageous that they aren't required to list their affiliations like other candidates have to.
Too bad people measure success by money.
Character is the only thing that really counts.
Money just buys more "stuff".
That's probably one reason the Bush headquarters in Gettysburg had a brick thrown through its front window a couple weeks ago. The tolerant left...
I have to agree. Though I support the Sons in this dispute, they are going about this in the wrong way, as they so often do. Annoying people who know little about the debate is simply counter-productive. I can't believe there aren't a few well-educated, well-spoken SCV members who could represent their views. But where are they?
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