(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.

[farmfriend]

If approved by the governor, the new flag will echo a Confederate national flag

It's still a Confederate flag. I don't understand why they don't just return to the pre-Confederate State Flag and be done with it.

[LWalk18]

The 1956 flag was not chosen at the ballot box, so what is the whining about having it voted on now?

[Arkinsaw]

It's a PERFECT compromise.

Except for the inconvenient fact that the people of Georgia don't get to effect that compromise for themselves because of a fairly unbelievable "typographical" mistake.

The new flag is a pretty flag. It has elements that heritage folks like myself should be able to accept. I like the flag very much. But that doesn't change the fact that the people of Georgia did not get the opportunity to choose that they were promised. That is unacceptable I suspect.

[nanny]

Don't hold back now - tell us exactly what you think!

And a great big ditto to that.

Anyone who doesn't realize this has nothing to do with a flag or the Confederacy is just not thinking. This is all about raising funds and raising ---Cain or is it Cane? And anyone, anyone with to cells sparking together who supports this kind of behavior - shame on you.

[Eaker]

The folks forcing a new flag down the throats of the populace!!??!!

I'll make it simple, "The Georgia Legislature".

Removing it from a popular vote would put their Chevy on blocks in my state. The Texas flag will not be changed.

Here is one of my office's walls.

Let them try to change MY flag.

[Arkinsaw]

The 1956 flag was not chosen at the ballot box, so what is the whining about having it voted on now?

Because the people elected the first Republican governor in a long time and in his campaign he told the people that they would have the opportunity to have this vote. Now they won't. Pretty simple.

[marshmallow]

By not allowing the vote on the old flag they have effectively ensured that this will now be a divisive election issue for years to come. If a referendum was held and the old flag voted down, that would be the end of it. The people would have spoken.

Now, by denying any chance of a vote, the vote itself becomes the issue. Instead of putting an end to this mess, they've made it worse.

We've had 3 flags in 2 years and this is still not settled. Grasp the nettle now. Have the vote, get it over with and move on.

[GOPcapitalist]

I hope this is the end of this stupidity.

Unfortunately it will not be the end of anything. Holding onto southern history and heritage and giving into the PC-mongers are mutually exclusive positions, especially considering that the second of those two sides, the PC-mongers, will not accept anything less than total concession to their demands. Attempting to have it both ways will not work in such a situation. Thus it requires the choosing of one side over the other and asking of that age old question: Under which king, Bezonian?

[Paul C. Jesup]

That is not the question you should be asking yourself. The question you should be asking is.

What gives the people living outside of Georgia the right to tell the people who live inside of Georgia what to do?

I live in Georgia. I am personally getting sick of this. If this keeps up for another year or two, I'll going to try to change the New York and California state flags just so I can give these hypocrites a taste of their own medicine.

By the way, I think the new GA state flag looks nice, but I still want a vote on it.

[Arkinsaw]

This is all about raising funds and raising ---Cain or is it Cane? And anyone, anyone with to cells sparking together who supports this kind of behavior - shame on you.

This is the perfect situation for the NAACP. They taint the new flag by withholding the vote so the heritage folks can't accept it which guarantees that they will continue to have the manufactured enemy they need. The new flag still has Confederate elements so they can still boycott and raise hell in order to stay on the teevee and raise funds and incite their membership. They did well, a very divisive outcome.

They won't have to stab supporters in the back like they had to do in South Carolina to keep the fight going.

[GOPcapitalist]

This is all about raising funds and raising ---Cain or is it Cane?

Exactly, though I suspect that Mammon is their god.

[LWalk18]

There will be a vote on what the flag will be- the old (1956) flag won't be in it, but neither will the flag that preceded it for that matter. The governor did not vote on what flags to put up at the ballot box- the legislature did. All he could do was make an attempt, and he did so.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

What did the pre-Confederate GA State Flag look like?

[visualops]

Saying they spun it into a loss is being kind. They just changed the stated goal. The boycott is still going on supposedly. Of South Carolina's 46 counties, most have over 30% Black population, with several over 60%. Who are they hurting?
When people got tired of hearing about the boycott, they took on the MLK paid holiday issue.
I'm wondering what's next.

[Arkinsaw]

If a referendum was held and the old flag voted down, that would be the end of it. The people would have spoken.

I agree. Even if it were an oddly designed referendum like the one proposed. I think most of the heritage folks were ready to accept the outcome of the two stage vote weighted against them. They will be very upset that after accepting that fairly gracefully they had any ballot box chance at all yanked out from under them.

Perhaps, the bitter taste will ease after a while if the NAACP spins the new flag as something they hate.

[LWalk18]

Who outside of Georgua is forcing the Georgia state legislature to not let the 1956 flag be put up for popular vote? If you disagree with the decision, make it your business to vote those legislators out.

[Blackyce]

I never said the flag was not enough of an issue to fight about. I said very explicitly that they dont have anything ELSE to fight about. Dont go all self righteous on me.

[farmfriend]

I asked that same question on another of these threads and someone posted a picture. I couldn't tell you which thread it is on though. I think it was just a big seal in the middle. Like the one that has all the little flags under the state seal only without the little flags.

[swheats]

Seems the historians are not consistent in what history should continue or not. There was a must that the historical aspects with the Liberty Bell and the site of slavery be adequately recognized and preserved, and yet here historical facts concerning the flag must be removed.

There must be much I'm missing here.

http://www.ushistory.org/presidentshouse/news/nps100902.htm

[Arkinsaw]

There will be a vote on what the flag will be- the old (1956) flag won't be in it, but neither will the flag that preceded it for that matter. The governor did not vote on what flags to put up at the ballot box- the legislature did. All he could do was make an attempt, and he did so.

The people know what they expected regardless of the spin. They expected a vote at the ballot box between the old flag and the new flag. Even the two stage process was acceptable to them. I think they would have voted for the new flag and the second stage would never have happened. I think they would have accepted that.

What we say about it or how we spin it doesn't matter. I think the people of Georgia know what they expected. They expected it to be settled. This will not settle it.