Petitions launched to restore Confederate flag over cemetery

Jefferson City News Tribune ^ | January 28, 2003 | AP

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HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- Supporters of a state memorial site that includes the graves of hundreds of Southern soldiers launched a petition drive Monday urging state officials to once again allow the Confederate battle flag to fly over the cemetery.

They also criticized Steve Mahfood, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, who ordered the flags removed at Higginsville and another state historic site on Jan. 14 after Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt of St. Louis said they shouldn't be flown anywhere.

Gephardt and Gov. Bob Holden -- Mahfood's boss who once worked for Gephardt -- also were lambasted by descendants of Confederate veterans buried at Higginsville.

"This was a political decision that pays no regard to historical context," said Gene Dressel of Jonesburg, Missouri Division commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a heritage group that opposes the flag's use by white supremacists.

Dressel told those gathered at the meeting that he met recently with state officials to propose compromises including flying the Confederate battle flag on a separate pole closer to the cemetery -- or having a non-profit group take over the site from the state so the flag could be flown again. He is awaiting a response.

Frank Haston of Higginsville, president of the memorial association, said the petitions would be circulated statewide and then presented to state leaders "to show them that there are many Missourians who don't view this flag as a symbol of hatred, and don't appreciate the politics behind this decision."

Gephardt entered South Carolina's flag controversy by issuing a statement after a campaign trip earlier this month, saying it shouldn't be displayed "anytime, anywhere."

Mary Still, Holden's director of communications, said she saw Gephardt's comments in news reports and relayed them -- without Holden's knowledge -- to Mahfood. She said the decision to pull down the flags immediately was Mahfood's, although Holden last week endorsed the decision.

The audience at Higginsville took turns berating the sudden decision and heard from an official of the Department of Natural Resources who acknowledged the decision was prompted by politics.

While defending Mahfood, his boss, as a "fine man," James Rehard, district supervisor of DNR's historic sites, said the flag was "taken down so it would not embarrass Rep. Gephardt."

"I believe it has been a mistake to lower it here," Rehard said, stressing that he was speaking for himself, not DNR.

"If there is a place it should fly in Missouri, it was here ... it is down because the politicians want it down."

Rehard stood for half an hour listening to the complaints, and audience members later shook his hand and commended him for facing the anger. He promised to pass along the comments to Mahfood.

Audience members said the flag's display is appropriate at Higginsville because its cemetery has remains of 694 Confederate veterans and 108 wives. The 192-acre historic site, some 40 miles east of Kansas City, was once the location of a state-run Confederate veterans home. The Fort Davidson site in eastern Missouri commemorates the 1864 Battle of Pilot Knob.

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I wouldn't embarass myself by voting for Gephardt.

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bump

[Missouri]

Though I don't have any Southern roots, I will make every effort to sign this petition.
This is political correctness at its worse and a line has to be drawn.
I say put it up for a vote. I don't see how Gephardt could object to that.

[Arkinsaw]

The politicians of Missouri would do well to learn what honorable behavior is from the only organization that was given the authority to speak for the Grand Army of the Republic.

RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT
DISPLAY OF BATTLE FLAGS OF THE CONFEDERACY
119TH NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT OF THE
SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR
LANSING, MICHIGAN AUGUST 19, 2000

A resolution in support of the display of the Confederate Battle Flag.

WHEREAS, we the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, condemn the use of the confederate battle flag, as well as the flag of the United States, by any and all hate groups, and

WHEREAS, we the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War support the flying of the confederate battle flag as a historical piece of this nation's history, and

WHEREAS, we the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War oppose the removal of any Confederate monuments or markers to those gallant soldiers in the former Confederate States, and strongly oppose the removal of ANY reminders of this nation's bloodiest war on the grounds of it being "politically correct," and

WHEREAS, we, as the descendants of Union soldiers and sailors who, as members of the Grand Army of the Republic, met in joint reunions with the confederate veterans under both flags in those bonds of Fraternal Friendship, pledge our support and admiration for those gallant soldiers and of their respective flags;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in 119th Annual National Encampment hereby adopt this resolution. Dated in Lansing, Michigan, on this nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord Two thousand.

By Order of:
Danny L. Wheeler
Commander-in-Chief


Attest:
Todd A. Shillington
National Secretary

[RS]

How about a compromise ?

The National flag of the Confederacy rather then the battle flag

[Missouri]

This article was in todays St. Louis Pravda.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/86256C7E00525A1B86256CBC006E613A?OpenDocument&Headline=Missouri+parks+chief%3A+Confederate+flag+could+fly+at+'special+events

Sounds like a little backpeddling. I believe Holden will be finished as governor if the republicans put up a canidate who isn't afraid of the media.

[Arkinsaw]

How about a compromise ?

The National flag of the Confederacy rather then the battle flag

The square battle flag is actually the soldiers flag that they fought under. The national flag is, of course, the political flag of the Confederacy.

It would seem more appropriate and historically symbolic for the square version of the battle flag to fly at this particular site as the soldier's flag rather than the political flag.

It has been said many times by opponents that the Confederate battle flag should be kept only to historical sites where they can be "in context". This is just such a place and there should be no controversy unless the opponents are disingenious in their arguments.

In any event, the Governor of Missouri has made an executive decision about what should happen at a Missouri Historical Site for an exclusively partisan political reason that has nothing to do with maintaining the site as a memorial or educational site. The reason for the decision is exclusively to assist in a political campaign. That is not an appropriate way to make decisions about public sites and should be condemned.

[thatdewd]

This PC business is WAY out of hand. The flags were being flown at a Confederate Cemetery and a Civil War Historic site for goodness sake. I guess next we'll have to destroy the historic sites and all the battlefields. Oh wait, the NPS has already decided to do that...

[4CJ]

The reason for the decision is exclusively to assist in a political campaign. That is not an appropriate way to make decisions about public sites and should be condemned.

Bingo. Ask the legislators of Ga, and our departed "King" Roy what happens when you trivialize our heritage.

[Hacksaw]

'Rats principles are exercised on a day by day basis, according to the political winds.

The Democrat party would vote to re-instate slavery if they thought it would give them power.

[Hacksaw]

How many posts before the Wlats disrupt the thread? I'll say about 20.

[Colt .45]

We should try to get this petition here on Free Republic.

I WILL SIGN IT!

[Non-Sequitur]

So will I. And I mean it, they died for their cause and they should lie under the flag they fought for.

[treesdream]

and a thankful return bump to you sir.

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That is mighty honorable of you Non-Sequitur. I hope you mean that in all sincerity.

[Non-Sequitur]

That is mighty honorable of you Non-Sequitur. I hope you mean that in all sincerity.

I would hope that by now you know I do mean it.

[stand watie]

end the PC stupidity! FIRE brainless dick.

free dixie,sw

[Colt .45]

Thank you sir.

[RS]

"It would seem more appropriate and historically symbolic for the square version of the battle flag to fly at this particular site as the soldier's flag rather than the political flag."

I can't agree - the 108 soldiers wives didn't fight under anything, but were under the Confederacy, and the 698 Confederate veterans, not listed as battle casualties, probably fought under many different banners. They were fighting for a political entity.