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Flaggers: Modern-Day Segregationists Led by Governor Perdue
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Opinion: Guest Column
uring the last two years there has been a lot of commentary about the Georgia state flag. But, before I offer my comments I’d like to introduce myself. I am a 67-year-old white male who was born in South Carolina and lived my entire life in Georgia and South Carolina. I am also an ordained Southern Baptist minister. I am a Southerner by birth, yet my loyalty is to our wonderful country, the United States of America. Since many people say that the Confederate flag represents their “Southern heritage,” I want to remind those who never lived through our shameful past of racial prejudice just what that “Southern heritage” really is as represented by the Confederate flag. I believe the best reminder is to share the following experience: On Sept. 25, 1997, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Leon Bass speak at Paine College. Dr. Bass is a distinguished African-American and a proud veteran of World War II. In 1943 when Dr. Bass was 19 years old, he answered the patriotic call to join the U.S. Army. He was living in Pennsylvania, but after joining the Army he was stationed in a Southern state for basic training. He said that the first time he tried to drink from a public water fountain, he was told that he “wasn’t good enough” to drink from the same fountain that white people used, even though he was willing to fight for their freedoms. On one occasion, he went to town with a white soldier. They were both hungry and his buddy went into a restaurant to eat, but Leon was not allowed to come in and eat with white people. He asked if there was anywhere in town he could get something to eat and was told he could go to the back door of that same restaurant and they would sell him some food, but he “wasn’t good enough” to eat with white people even though he was willing to fight for them. On another occasion he had to make a two-hour bus trip. When he boarded the
bus, even though he was proudly wearing the military uniform of his country, the bus driver told him he “wasn’t good enough” to ride in the front with white people. The back of the bus was full and even though there were empty seats up front, Leon had to stand in the back for two hours. Shortly after that he was shipped overseas to fight the Nazis. All of us who lived through those times realize that for an African-American to be prohibited from drinking at a public fountain, or from eating in a restaurant with white people, or from riding in the front of the bus was mild compared with the beatings, lynchings and other terrible acts perpetrated against them. After many years of struggle things began to improve for our black citizens due to the courage and dedication of great men and women such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood MarshalI. Sadly, in 1956, a group of racially prejudiced legislators changed the state flag by adding the Confederate symbol as a protest against school desegregation. During the subsequent 45 years there was no outcry to hold a referendum on the flag. Now the modern-day segregationists led by Governor Sonny Perdue are coming out of the woodwork to demand a referendum. I say we do not need a referendum on the flag. What we need is a group of compassionate, courageous state legislators and a governor who will adopt a new state flag that all Georgians could be proud of and live under. The best symbol to represent all Georgians is a simple flag with the Georgia state seal in the center on a solid color background. As Georgians we need to retire the Confederate flag to a museum because it still represents hatred as espoused by organizations from the Ku Klux Klan to numerous white supremacy groups. It has no place in today’s society because it is offensive to all Georgians. —The views expressed in this column are the views of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
Aiken’s Triple Crown Begins This Weekend See Page 27