Hundreds Attend Missouri Confederate Ceremony

[Torog]

Hundreds Attend Mo. Confederate Ceremony
June 05, 2005 9:36 PM EDT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - About 400 people turned out for a Confederate memorial service held Sunday under the rebel battle flag, singing "Dixie" and laying roses at a Confederate monument. Miles to the east, meanwhile, protesters demonstrated their disapproval by marching outside the Missouri Governor's Mansion.

Officials with the Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville said the turnout there - four times larger than expected - could be attributed to the return of the Confederate flag. Republican Gov. Matt Blunt ordered a one-day flying of the flag at the historic site to coincide with the memorial service, saying he was acting on the request of a state lawmaker who represents the Higginsville area.

The attention "over that issue caused more people to be aware of the event," site administrator Greta Marshall said after the ceremony.

Those attending the memorial service saluted various Confederate flags and lay roses at a monument to fallen Confederate soldiers. As the service was going on in Higginsville, about 20 demonstrators carrying small American flags marched up and down the sidewalks outside the mansion in Jefferson City, about 90 miles to the east.

Sunday marked the first time the Confederate flag had flown over state property since January 2003, when Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's administration ordered it to come down from the Higginsville site and the Fort Davidson State Historic Site in Pilot Knob.

Leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they had no problem with the memorial service, just with Blunt's decision to fly the Confederate flag.

"We recognize citizens have a right to honor their ancestors and heroes," said Harold Crumpton, president of the St. Louis branch of the NAACP. "But they don't have the right to use state funds and property to pass on the venom of their symbols of hatred."

About 800 people are buried at the 192-acre Confederate historic site in Higginsville, which formerly served as a state-run Confederate Veterans Home. The annual memorial service is scheduled near the June 3 birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Missouri never joined the Confederacy but was a divided state during the Civil War, with some residents fighting for the Union and others for the Confederacy.

Torog Reviewed by Torog on 06-06-2005. Hundreds Attend Missouri Confederate Ceremony Hundreds Attend Mo. Confederate Ceremony June 05, 2005 9:36 PM EDT JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - About 400 people turned out for a Confederate memorial service held Sunday under the rebel battle flag, singing "Dixie" and laying roses at a Confederate monument. Miles to the east, meanwhile, protesters demonstrated their disapproval by marching outside the Missouri Governor's Mansion. Officials with the Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville said the turnout there - four times Rating: 5

[Torog]

Howdy Y'all,

This is what gits my dander up:

"Leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they had no problem with the memorial service, just with Blunt's decision to fly the Confederate flag."

"We recognize citizens have a right to honor their ancestors and heroes," said Harold Crumpton, president of the St. Louis branch of the NAACP. "But they don't have the right to use state funds and property to pass on the venom of their symbols of hatred."

Well...how gracious of the NAACP,to allow us to honor our fallen Confederate soldiers..they seem to forget,that many a black man,volunteered to serve in the Confederate army,in the fight for State's rights and self-determination. Many 'slaves' were freed by Southerners,so that they could join the fight against the North.

The NAACP,has declared on it's own,that the Confederate flag is a symbol of hatred..I think that there's more hatred and racism coming from the NAACP,than from the families of Confederate soldiers.

Just to give y'all a clue,about how we feel about the Confederate flag in my part of the woods,there's a feller that lives next door to our county jail,which is downtown,in the county seat and across from the courthouse,that flys a Confederate flag,24/7,365. Ain't no sap-sucking liberals or hate-filled NAACP'er's,coming around to demand that he stop flying it..nor have the cops and sherrifs or judges. There's plenty of Confederate flags being flown in this county,right out in the front yards of folks,proudly displayed,right next to the American flag and Texas flag.

The NAACP,can kiss my hairy,pimpled,ass !

[Fengzi]

Most non-Southerners see the confederate flag as a symbol of racism, no different than a swastika, and associate it with slavery and groups such as the KKK. Flying the confederate flag to honor fallen confederate soldiers insn't much different from flying a
WWII German flag with a swastika to honor fallen German soldiers. From what I saw when I lived in the South most, but not all, of the people who would display a confererate flag were pretty much racist rednecks. So, while I agree with some of your comments about the NAACP, I can not fault them for having a problem with the flag being flown over state property.

Symbols can be very powerful things and carry a lot of psychological weight. I am an athiest but would never desecrate a crucifix. I would not do this out of respect for what that symbol means to millions of people. I feel the same about flying a confederate, or nazi, flag. Whether or not the person displaying the flag is racist it is a racist symbol to millions so displaying is it in poor taste.

[RidingHigh]

Howdy Y'all,

This is what gits my dander up:

"Leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they had no problem with the memorial service, just with Blunt's decision to fly the Confederate flag."

"We recognize citizens have a right to honor their ancestors and heroes," said Harold Crumpton, president of the St. Louis branch of the NAACP. "But they don't have the right to use state funds and property to pass on the venom of their symbols of hatred."

Well...how gracious of the NAACP,to allow us to honor our fallen Confederate soldiers..they seem to forget,that many a black man,volunteered to serve in the Confederate army,in the fight for State's rights and self-determination. Many 'slaves' were freed by Southerners,so that they could join the fight against the North.

The NAACP,has declared on it's own,that the Confederate flag is a symbol of hatred..I think that there's more hatred and racism coming from the NAACP,than from the families of Confederate soldiers.

Just to give y'all a clue,about how we feel about the Confederate flag in my part of the woods,there's a feller that lives next door to our county jail,which is downtown,in the county seat and across from the courthouse,that flys a Confederate flag,24/7,365. Ain't no sap-sucking liberals or hate-filled NAACP'er's,coming around to demand that he stop flying it..nor have the cops and sherrifs or judges. There's plenty of Confederate flags being flown in this county,right out in the front yards of folks,proudly displayed,right next to the American flag and Texas flag.

The NAACP,can kiss my hairy,pimpled,ass !

Can not Agree with u any more bro, Iv got that shirt and one that says "American by Birth , Rebel By Heritage"with American Eagle In shrouded by the Confederate Flag. I go to a school with many( i mean ASHITLOAD) of Blacks I wore that shirt all day( i am friends with many of the blacks, and not just blacks im very against Racism) NO one said a thing about my shirt....You kno who did say it was Racist? A WHITE Vice Principle...
I told him No one has said anything about it being Racist Because they KNO i dont wear it to be Racist. I Fly my Flag with Honor just like i fly my American flag. And i'll be Damned if Some Politicaly COrrect Jack ass Is gona tell me not to wear a T-shirt. I see many People Wearing Shirts that Have Malcom-X on it, Malcom x was a terrorist. People OVER React about this stuff.
WHen Anyone says My Flag is Racist i tell them they need History Lesson.

[makor01]

I personally dont think the Confederate flag is a sign of racism...and i dont think that i would lable malcom x a "terrorist" either. Alot of people dont like the confederate flag because they connect it with slavery. Hence slavery being related to racism. The civil war wasnt only about slavery tho, there were other factors involved there as well.

The society we live in today likes to call anything that can be disagreed with politically incorrect, and people love to find things to bitch/protest over. Like that other guy said, there is nothing wrong to be proud of your heritage, be it confederate, yankee, brit, or all of the above.

[nicholasstanko]

Howdy Y'all,

This is what gits my dander up:

"Leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said they had no problem with the memorial service, just with Blunt's decision to fly the Confederate flag."

"We recognize citizens have a right to honor their ancestors and heroes," said Harold Crumpton, president of the St. Louis branch of the NAACP. "But they don't have the right to use state funds and property to pass on the venom of their symbols of hatred."

Well...how gracious of the NAACP,to allow us to honor our fallen Confederate soldiers..they seem to forget,that many a black man,volunteered to serve in the Confederate army,in the fight for State's rights and self-determination. Many 'slaves' were freed by Southerners,so that they could join the fight against the North.

The NAACP,has declared on it's own,that the Confederate flag is a symbol of hatred..I think that there's more hatred and racism coming from the NAACP,than from the families of Confederate soldiers.

Just to give y'all a clue,about how we feel about the Confederate flag in my part of the woods,there's a feller that lives next door to our county jail,which is downtown,in the county seat and across from the courthouse,that flys a Confederate flag,24/7,365. Ain't no sap-sucking liberals or hate-filled NAACP'er's,coming around to demand that he stop flying it..nor have the cops and sherrifs or judges. There's plenty of Confederate flags being flown in this county,right out in the front yards of folks,proudly displayed,right next to the American flag and Texas flag.

The NAACP,can kiss my hairy,pimpled,ass !

I see where you're coming from. I'm black so lemme get my two cents in. When you fly your Confederate flag alot of people are going to be offended. Blacks were slaves for over 400 years and that sucks. Whenever a person sees the Confe. flag but isnt rooted with tradition they see it as a bunch of rednecks drinking beer and talking about them "naggers" or "them there coloreds". I think yeh, not all people who fly the flag are rednecks but then not all people who wear Black Panther t-shirts are violent. It's about the movement behind it. You may think that you are honoring your forefathers but like it or not, they fought for the right to own slaves and to not live in cohesion with the North. There was alot of propaganda involved so alot of southerners weren't necessarily fighting for that purpose BUT that's what the history books say. In our current environment i just dont think we're ready for that re-integration of the flag yet. Wave em as much as you want though it's your right as an american citizen.

Also: Alot of blacks fought for the south because the south told them that any man who bears arms against them would be killed. Living in the brutal south at that time with no interaction with northerners PLUS propaganda showcasing the north as weak and the south as the best...do you REALLY think blacks would take a chance fighting for an army they know nothing about? And I dont think they had the leisure of reading carefully Union legislation.

[BlueCat]

I agree with fengzi and Nichol, that flag is used by white racist...typically it is on the back of a hay-seeds pickup...it is a free country let them wave their flag...I just know when I have seen that flag the people carrying it are usaully pretty slow mentally and I steer clear of them....I don't mind that they carry it...I see it as a big I am an Idiot sign. lol

[makor01]

yeah youre right about that...the flag has been linked to douchebags like that alot...but like that one guy said...its exactly those kinds of people who need a histlry lesson.

[nicholasstanko]

The way I see it, then these same guys shouldnt have a problem with a middle eastern man walking around with a "I Love Osama" t-shirt. Sure, he may be a terrorist but the government would hate people to know that there are many muslims living in the states that support bin laden secretly. They're american citizens and dont they have the same free speech applied to them? The thing is, like marijuana there's use and abuse. I fully support people's rights but just because you can do it doesnt mean that it should be some big thing when people have a big problem with it.

[bhallg2k]

You're out of your mind, Torog. "Hatred and racism" coming from the NAACP? You can kiss my ass.

Lemme pose this to you: Hypothetically, you're black. You and your ancestors have been visciously oppressed for over 400 years by white people. For whatever reason, there are still people flying the flag of a "country" that fought for, among other things, the continued right to own black people. How does that make you feel? Do you like whitey when you see that so many still yearn for a society that makes you property rather than a human being? Be honest with yourself. How would you feel about it?

I know the NAACP isn't racist, that's just stupid. But if they were, shit, I'd understand. If any one group of people has the right to hate another out of hand, it would be black people for white people.

I lived in S.C. when the NAACP decided to boycott the state because of its flying of the Confederate flag over the statehouse. And the argument of "it's heritage, not hate" was spouted off too many times to be counted. What was conveniently left out is the fact that S.C. didn't start flying the Confederate flag until the 1960s when integration began. I'd be willing to bet that that's the case for every Confederate flag being flown today.

Talk about "states' rights" all you want. But no matter how you slice it, that term has always been and will always be an excuse for narrow-minded dipshits to try and justify discrimination.

On another note, I don't get this fascination the South has with the Confederacy, for any reason. When are Southerners going to let the Civil War go? It was 140 years ago. The Confederacy failed. I'm a Southerner, born and raised, and I got over it a long-ass time ago. In fact, I don't think it was ever an issue with me.