I Hate to Say 'I Told Ya So,' but...

Hello friends & Compatriots!

By now you've almost certainly heard about the latest flag controversy, this time over the Gadsden flag. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's a flag that originated during the 1st War of American Independence. It's a yellow flag with a depiction of a coiled rattlesnake and the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME" written underneath.

Apparently, somebody filed a complaint in 2014 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about a co-worker wearing a hat with a depiction of the Gadsden flag, saying that it was racially offensive. The EEOC recently said in a statement that "whatever the historic origins and meaning of the symbol, it also has since been sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts,” and that "in light of the ambiguity in the current meaning of this symbol, we find that Complainant’s claim must be investigated to determine the specific context in which [the coworker] displayed the symbol in the workplace."

When this blog first started one year ago we were just entering the new era of Confederaphobia. At that time so many of us warned that the war on Confederate flags & symbols would only be a first step in this war on American culture, and that it would not stop there.

In one of the earliest blogs posted on this page, I wrote that "[t]he movement now underway to remove [the Confederate] flag, dishonor the brave soldiers that served under it, and disrespect the 70-million descendants of Confederate veterans is rooted in the same demonic cesspool as the movements in this nation to slander historical figures & traditional symbols of America..."

Using the allegations of racism, and in our current culture of political correctness, it seems that anything could be construed as racist. Instead of laughing at the ridiculousness of the claim and throwing it out, as should have been done, this federal commission is giving legitimacy to the most ludicrous of claimed offenses, and thus setting a precedent for even more of this nonsense to follow.

Many folks, including some good and well intentioned people, were suckered into joining the chorus of voices calling for the public banishment of Confederate flags and symbols in the last year. Some of those people would have encouraged us to replace our "rebel flags" with those of "the original American rebellion against tyranny." Now they are finding out that we what we were saying all along is true.

I call on all Americans who love freedom and the historical symbols under which it has been defended to stand with the Sons of Confederate Veterans in the defense of Confederate flags & symbols! If the politically correct myth makers fail at changing perceptions of our symbol they'll have less of an incentive to go after yours!

A QUICK REMINDER: SCV Membership dues were up on August 1st. If you haven't paid your HQ and camp dues yet, you only have so much time before the grace period ends, so please renew your membership as soon as you can.

Also, a meeting for Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 has been scheduled for October 8th! Camp members, please save the date and watch for emails for further information about the meeting.

Before I close, I apologize for the lack of updates recently, but they'll pick up again soon. To help keep up with updates as I post them, I've added a subscription bar, which you can find over on the right side of the page. Just type in your email, submit it, and then follow the instructions to confirm your subscription.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
2nd Lieutenant Commander
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans