(GA) Legislature approves new flag; no chance for vote on Confederate emblem

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 4.25.03

[mhking]

[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 4/26/03 ]

Legislature approves new flag; no chance for vote on Confederate emblem

The Associated Press

The Georgia Legislature approved a new state flag Friday and removed any chance that the Confederate battle emblem could be restored to the state banner.

If approved by the governor, the new flag will echo a Confederate national flag, but without the familiar Dixie cross, which black lawmakers called a symbol of oppression.

Next March, Georgia voters will choose between the temporary flag and the current Georgia flag. But there will never be a vote on the old state flag and its Confederate battle cross.

Black lawmakers cheered and some wept when the proposal passed. The Senate approved it 33-23, and the House approved it by the narrowest margin, 91-86, with the speaker casting the deciding vote. The 91 votes were the minimum needed for passage.

"This gives the people a flag based on history, but yet looking to the future," said Democratic Sen. George Hooks, a white Democrat who helped design the temporary banner.

Southern heritage advocates, who have been calling for a statewide referendum on the Confederate battle emblem flag, called the new flag a betrayal.

"We'll be making our displeasure known in short order," said Rusty Henderson of the Heritage Preservation Association.

Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue had called for a yes-no vote on the temporary flag. Then, if the temporary flag lost, voters would have had a chance to vote on the Confederate battle emblem flag.

But the flag bill sponsor, Rep. Glenn Richardson, R-Dallas, indicated the governor likely would be willing to sign the bill as approved by both chambers.

"It was as tight as it gets," Richardson said. "Georgia's divided; it's obvious we need to have a vote on this."

Civil rights leaders had denounced Perdue's initial plan and promised an economic boycott if the bill was not changed to remove any chance to vote on a Confederate emblem.

Georgia's flag was changed in 2001 to shrink the Confederate symbol partly to avoid economic boycotts like the one aimed at South Carolina, which flies the rebel banner on state Capitol grounds.

Business leaders in Atlanta have warned the boycotts could cripple tourism, Georgia's No. 2 industry, credited with bringing $16 billion a year to the state.

The civil rights groups said they may call for a boycott if any referendum on the flag is approved. The temporary flag also has Confederate roots, they said.

"This is a heinous proposal," said NAACP member Michael Bond, who is the son of NAACP chairman Julian Bond. "It's still a Confederate flag. It's completely objectionable."

Any boycott would be announced Saturday after an NAACP meeting in Macon.

[mhking]

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[Eaker]

The Georgia Legislature approved a new state flag Friday and removed any chance that the Confederate battle emblem could be restored to the state banner.

I would climb the pole and re-install the old flag. If this is where "they" want to make their stand, then this is where I will bury them.

Just a Texan's opinion.

[Arkinsaw]

I think the last proposal would have settled it. I think most Georgians would have viewed the new flag as a good compromise and be pleased that they had a vote on the old flag. The way the vote was going to be structured I think the odds of the old flag coming back were pretty low.

But now, with the trickery, the issue will never die, the old guard won't accept the new flag now and the NAACP won't accept it either of course, and a great many people will feel they have been manipulated and tricked. The divisiveness will increase, the NAACP may even boycott the new flag because it makes for good tv.

The only benefit to come out of this one will be the retirement of that godawful current flag.

[Blackyce]

Who is "they"?

[billbears]

bump for news

[PAR35]

If the heritage groups are smart, they'll declare victory and move on to other battles.

Glad to see that you made it through tonight's storm.

[Blackyce]

If the heritage groups are smart, they'll declare victory and move on to other battles.

They really dont have anything else to fight about. They're still reenacting the Civil War, do you think they'll give this one up any time soon. Those people will never let it go; but give the new flag about five years though and the people of Georgia will no longer consider it an issue.

[Arkinsaw]

If the heritage groups are smart, they'll declare victory and move on to other battles.

You are probably right. But the attachment is to the flag, not winning a fight. I think they would have accepted this new flag if it was voted in by referendum against the old flag (even in a two stage funky process like the one that had passed earlier). Now its not to be.

As for the NAACP, they will never accept the new flag. This flag fight is too lucrative for them to accept a victory. You saw what happened in South Carolina. They won that fight and yet had to spin in it into a loss to keep up the level of outrage amongst their membership and keep the tv time.

This is a shame.

[PAR35]

They really dont have anything else to fight about.

Except fighting censorship, persecution, and other heritage violations.

[eddie willers]

Michael Bond can kiss my ass!

It's a PERFECT compromise.
Now let's get on to other business.

[GraniteStateConservative]

It's a mix of the original flag and the Stars and Bars. The Jim Crowe flag had the battle flag on it. I have no idea why anyone thought it rational to keep a battle flag on a state flag after the battle was over (and was lost, as well). It's not like Georgia refused to rejoin the Union. The heritage people should be plenty happy with this.

[GOPcapitalist]

"This is a heinous proposal," said NAACP member Michael Bond, who is the son of NAACP chairman Julian Bond. "It's still a Confederate flag. It's completely objectionable."

And the appeasers say that stuff like that will all just "go away" if we compromise with the PC-nazis.

This only affirms our suspicions. The Race Hustler is never satisfied nor will he ever be satisfied. He whines for compromise, but the second he discovers that he has achieved it, like a greedy child in the cookie jar, he reaches for in for more. Race hustling to these people is their greed, their idol, and their religion. Its ends are insatiable and always come to encompass more once a previous demand is agreed upon. There are some who operate under the mistaken belief that if we negotiate with the Race Hustlers, they will cease their agitation. In reality, we have no better chance of achieving such an end by these means as one can expect a rabid dog to regain its former self upon being offered a chew toy. Extend that toy with a hand in friendship and be bitten in return - that is how the Race Hustlers respond to compromise.

[GraniteStateConservative]

It's astounding how much it favors the Stars and Bars flag. It just doesn't have the Battle Flag on it and it makes no sense to have that on the flag. I hope this is the end of this stupidity.

[Arkinsaw]

They really dont have anything else to fight about.

Yes, everybody who fights for anything that is politically incorrect just likes to fight and has no valid reason for doing so. Anybody who stands up to them, and has the media and the NAACP after them, should give up and cooperate easily because fighting is unseemly and not politically correct. Its not possible that they could have a view that is different than that portrayed by the politically correct crowd. After all, we always believe the NAACP and the Democratic Party over basically rural people from the red zone.

Thats just common sense to accept without thinking.

[honeygrl]

This is a load of crap. What is so wrong with giving the choice of the old flag? If they are correct that people don't want that one then it won't win the vote. I would have no problem at all with this new flag being chosen if we were actually given a real choice of all the options. This "symbol of opression" junk grates on the nerves after a while.

[Arkinsaw]

The heritage people should be plenty happy with this.

They would have been. If the people of Georgia had chosen it at the ballot box over the old flag. But through trickery and typographical errors that opportunity was taken away. The legislators can now go back and say "I voted for the old flag but there was a typo. Its not my fault that you don't get to vote."

I don't buy it and doubt the heritage folks will buy it either. They should have held the vote. I suspect the new flag would have won. Now it will continue to fester because the legislature was afraid of the voters. Sad.

[shuckmaster]

Aw, Shucks!

[ET(end tyranny)]

Agreed.

[mhking]

Now it will continue to fester because the legislature was afraid of the voters. Sad.

Hmmmm.... And I should run for office in THAT hornet's nest? [g]