Flag wavers have their say

<p><strong>Dear Sir:</strong>

I usually make it about half way through the Lagniappe, before wadding it up to use as kindling for my fireplace. However, this month, I never made it past page 7, where your article (Holbert, 1/30/08-2/12/08) was displayed, before I gave it up to the fire, a very fitting end to such garbage. You seem to think that you speak for 99.9999999% of the people in Mobile county (sic). Personally, almost EVERYONE I know, is a supporter of that beautiful flag. The fact that YOU don’t like it, is about as irrelevent to us, as you seem to think that we are, to you. We all have proud ancestors, who fought and died in the Northern Invasion, defending the Port of Mobile, as well as the entire state, from yankee invasion and we will forever fly that flag in their honor. Whether you believe it or not, again, is totally irrelevent to US. You see, we have made it our life’s priority to learn the TRUTH about our ancestors. We KNOW they didn’t fight to maintain slavery, since over 92% of them didn’t even own any slaves and certainly would not have left their families and their homes, just to off to fight for the right of someone else, to keep the already dying institution of slavery. As for Dr. Ben George, I hope he puts up hundreds of those beautiful Confederate Battle flags all around Mobile county. As for the city putting up billboards, if they can find property owners, willing to allow them to do so, more power to them. It is, after all, their right! We proud decendents(sic) of Confederate ancestors grow increasingly tired of uninformed folks calling us rednecks. Most of my "Confederate" friends are college educated, live in nice homes and don’t spit tobacco juice in tin cans. Some are doctors, lawyers, pilots, even teachers and prinicipals. Most have served this country honorably in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and/or now the so-called "war on terror". Those who served this country, all carried their Confederate Battle flags into the war zones with them, because to us, the flag represents freedom from tyranny. None of my friends, however, fit your description. Whether you agree with or LIKE the history of the Confederate Battle flag is of little importance. The fact that it is a part of history and heritage will NEVER change, no matter how you try to make it go away. It is as much a part of our history as is the Revolutionary War and the Betsy Ross flag. As you yourself so eloquently put it, "School’s out! Some things are just the way they are." History, of course, being one of them. We can’t change it, we can only accept it. I hope you get used to seeing these beautiful flags all along the Gulf Coast, because they will never go away!! I am 100% sure of it.
Have a Dixie Day, Sir! Mrs. Katherine Stuart * Mobile, Alabama

<p></strong>Dear Mr Holbert:*

I am sorry that you feel the way you do about the CSA Battle Flag. Many honorable, brave men fought and died under this flag. I do not agree with Dr. George"s confrontational methods and think that the best place to fly it is at Confederate Rest at Magnolia Cemetery. There it should fly proudly over the graves of brave men who gave their lives for a lost cause. Most who fought and died under this flag were not slave owners (like Gen. U S Grant), but common men who answered the call of their country. When a southern soldier was asked by his northern captors why he fought so hard when he must have known that the battle was lost, he replied "Because you’re here."
Because of those first amendment rights that you write so eloquently about, hate groups, motorcycle gangs and yes, even some rednecks have misused this honorable flag for their own purposes. The SCV has always opposed this misuse and even went so far as to purchase ad space in the Mobile Press-Register to demand that the Klan stop besmirching this proud symbol of our history and heritage.
I am sure you know that the Klan also uses the US Flag and the Christian Cross as part of their of their perverted ceremonies. I hear no call from you to dispatch these symbols to "history’s toilet bowl." I am a member of the Semmes Camp of the SCV but in no way am I speaking for the Camp or for any other member of the SCV. I do know that most of the members are decent hard working citizens who love this country. Most are well educated and many are serious scholars of The War Between the States. Several have written books about this sad chapter in our history.
For you to call all those who revere this symbol ignorant rednecks in too small T-shirts is an insult. Your efforts would better serve this community if you looked beyond your own prejudices and tried to understand why so many look to this flag as a symbol of honor and not of hate. We who love this flag will not go away. We will fight this effort by the politically correct to erase this flag from our heritage for years to come. We will prevail because our cause is right and just. By the way, I am a graduate of Auburn University and I love Lynyrd Skynyrd (at least the original group). David Kearns

<p><strong>People&amp;#8217;s Parade no more</strong></p>

<p><strong>To the editor:</strong>

Joe Cain Day has come and gone and what a great day it was for everyone! The Every Man’s parade lives on in spite of the Joe Cain Parading Society headed by Jim Baldwin. Although they tried to make it difficult for the walkers to participate, those dedicated to the Procession showed up in force with the same passion and sentiments as me. I also found out that most encountered the same problems I had after following the new requirements set up by the Society. The fact is, the Joe Cain Parading Society failed to follow its own procedures by never mailing the information out to those who sent in their money, application, and self-addressed stamped envelope. We were clueless to whether we would be able to march until the start of the parade. It made it very difficult to plan our weekend and decide whether to purchase throws in the event we were allowed. This discouraged many from participating this year. The other fact is that free permits were given to the mayor’s office and to the privileged marchers who had connections with the powers that be. Who decides who has to pay and who gets in free? The Society’s argument was that since the floats have to pay, the walkers have to pay. If you are enacting a fair policy, the fee should be required by all and the fee should be representative of what services are entailed by a marcher or a float. The other problem I have with the new policy is that by not allowing wagons, carts, strollers, etc., they give the walker no means of carrying throws except on their person. The argument by the Society is that the walkers should do like the parading Marshals on horseback and have someone meet them with more throws on the parade route. That argument would work if I had a horse that was carrying my throws in the first place! The day and procession dedicated to Joe Cain has always been "for the people." Since its inception, it is the marchers who have always been the core of this event. If the Joe Cain Parading Society has its way, it will be the "Every Man’s parade no more…. Jody Zieman Horner Lillian, AL