The Truth About the Rise of the Confederate Battle Flag

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE RISE OF THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG The scandal that erupted in Charlottesville this week surrounding Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy, and our coverage of it due to the direct connection to his efforts to remove the Robert E. Lee statue and rename Lee Park, has led many Charlottesville citizens to reach out to us. One conversation I had this week with a Charlottesville resident was particularly poignant. This gentleman said that he first heard of us when Bellamy originally started his war against Charlottesville’s Confederate history and heritage by announcing his intentions to convince City Council to tear down the Robert E Lee monument and rename Lee Park. Although he had never really had any deep affection for the Confederacy, the young man told me that something about the fact that one man was trying to erase history, displace a beautiful monument, and divide the community really bothered him so he went down to Bellamy’s press conference to hear what he had to say. When he got there, he saw the usual Charlottesville leftist activists, contrasted by a number of folks carrying Confederate flags. He went on to say that the sight of those flags really caught him off guard and he admits hesitating when considering whether to approach us. He said that when he did approach and struck up a conversation with a couple of Flaggers, it quickly became clear that we were the good guys… decent, God-fearing Americans fighting with no agenda other than to save our history and heritage from politicians looking to make a name for themselves. Even so, he remembers that his first impression of us with flags was that we were the “fringe” of the heritage movement. Fast forward to November, 2016, and he says it is obvious to him now that we are no longer the fringe, but have moved firmly into the mainstream. He said the election in November has proven that citizens are sick and tired of being labeled “racist” for standing up for what they believe in, and that our efforts, and the manner in which we have conducted ourselves over the years have helped to bring our fight to the mainstream. He closed by sharing that six months ago, he had a view of the battle flag that wasn’t exactly negative, but mostly indifferent, tainted by the media and others’ efforts. Now, he says, he sees the battle flag for what it REALLY is…a powerful symbol of resistance to tyranny and he understands perfectly why more people are picking it up and carrying it. Even the press has mentioned this phenomenon recently. I have seen several articles talking about the “rise of the Confederate flag”. Of course, the leftist media, still twisted up over the election results, and needing some way to explain why there are MORE Confederate flags flying now than in any time in recent history, attempts to tie it all to the mythical rise of “racism” or “white supremacy, but that old, worn out, FALSE narrative is losing all traction. The rise of the Confederate Battle Flag has nothing to do with race or supremacy, but has everything to do with Americans being fed up with being called “racists” and “white supremacists” just because they hold conservative, traditional beliefs or disagree with those who don't. It’s about a growing anger and defiance against the onslaught of attacks against our monuments, memorials, flags, and history, each incident a direct and deliberate assault against the honor and valor of the Confederate soldier, our Grandfathers. It’s about Americans standing up and coming together to stop the PC destruction of our country. It’s about standing in defiance against an overreaching and tyrannical Federal Government. It’s about all of these things, but for the Virginia Flaggers, it always has been, and always will be, first and foremost…about the Confederate soldier. ~Susan Hathaway Photo courtesy Judy Smith Photography