Potential Discrimination Against American Veterans in Travis County, TX

[Copyright: Jonathan McCleese, 2015]

The Veterans Day Parade in Austin, TX honors American military veterans throughout history to the present day, and is organized by an independent committee which receives support from the city of Austin and Travis County. Among the organizations that have participated over the years are two which honor Confederate veterans, one of those being The Sons of Confederate Veterans.

A Travis County judge, Sarah Eckhardt, is looking to convince the parade organizers to not allow groups honoring their Confederate veteran ancestors to fly the Confederate Battle Flag under which many Texans served! Parade organizers have already unanimously rejected her request once, but now Eckhardt is also threatening to drag other elected county officials into the matter, and will possibly seek to get city & county support for the parade pulled if she doesn't get her way.

Marshall Davis, Public Relations Officer for the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Texas Division, released the following statement:

"The Travis County Veterans Association has voted twice to allow us to fly our battle flag as part of our multi flag displays. A flag under which our ancestors fought and died. Over a million Texans are descendant from Confederate Veterans and we intend to honor those Veteran's service by displaying many flags of the Confederacy."

The Michigan Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans wholly support our fellow compatriots in the Texas Division.

It is very important to remember the following:

• An act of the United States Congress in 1958 says that all honorable Confederate veterans are officially recognized as honorable veterans of the United States, BY LAW. 
• Millions of dollars in veterans' benefits have been paid to the descendants of Confederate veterans by the United States government in the 150 years since the war's end. 
• The United States government provides unique headstones to specifically mark the graves of Confederate veterans. 
• Confederate veterans are buried in multiple U.S. National Cemeteries (including Arlington), several of which are specifically set aside to honor the Confederate dead, and others having large monuments in place to honor the fallen sons of The South.
• In 1905, the United States Congress authorized the creation of The Civil War Campaign Medal. It was established by the U.S. War Department in 1907, and all veterans of the War Between The States, Union & Confederate, were eligible to receive it. 

All of that is to show that the United States government recognizes and honors Confederate veterans as honorable American veterans, and there is no logical reason why anyone would consider Confederate symbols as anything other than historic American symbols of honor.

Make no mistake about it, what this county judge is attempting to do is shut down a parade that honors ALL American veterans if she cannot convince parade organizers to discriminate against the American veterans she doesn't like!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321