For some time now, I have dedicated a portion of my lectures and speeches to the fact that I believe that we were starting to see a real turnaround in the fight to save our heritage. Many of us felt that the winds of change were blowing across the country and momentum was shifting our way. As more and more folks have decided to step up and speak out, the push back has continued to grow and we are starting to see real results and more and victories in the fight for our heritage. Yesterday, it was very refreshing to find someone in the national media willing to say the same thing:
“The pendulum has gone the other direction, where it’s no longer about trying to take away the emblems,” said Dane Waters, a political consultant who worked on a failed effort this year to remove the battle flag from Mississippi’s state flag. “It’s now about protecting them and insulating them from future efforts..."
With each new assault against our heritage since the lowering of the flag in Columbia, we have witnessed Dixie rising. Despite a very organized attempt to prevent the sale and distribution of Confederate flags, there are now more flags flying than ever before. Citizens are beginning to shake off the fear of being called names, and stand up and speak out against those who, up until this point, had very little opposition. Our heritage organizations have seen an explosion in membership and inquiries from people wanting to get involved, and the SCV is leading the fight in many states.
Our legislators, leaders, and elected officials are learning that there will be a price to pay if they side with the haters and against our history and heritage. We have seen courtrooms and city councils filled with Confederate supporters unwilling to stand silently by, flag rallies increasing in number and participants, and new highway flags rising up across the country. Grass roots organizations such as the Save Our Circle group in New Orleans have organized and waged effective campaigns to save our monuments, outside of our heritage organizations.
While this is all very encouraging and certainly cause for inspiration, it is by no means a time to become complacent, and return to the lulled state that allowed all of this to happen in the first place. Now, more than ever, we must continue on the OFFENSIVE…getting our flags back up where they have been removed, pushing forward with legislation to make sure our monuments and memorials never fall prey to the PC demands of the angry mobs that have been allowed free reign, and, of course, installing new flags and monuments for our own memorials.
The tide is turning. There will be many more battles to fight, and likely more setbacks along the way, but we can and will suppress this second Reconstruction when we, like our Confederate ancestors before us, find the courage to stand and raise our voices to drown out those who have had the floor and the ears of our legislators and elected officials for far too long.
Stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved…keep a close eye on what is happening in your own backyard…and now more than ever…
RAISE YOUR BATTLE FLAGS!
Photo courtesy of Connie Chastain
Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers
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