Attorneys for Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant have asked a federal appeals court not to revive a lawsuit that sought to erase the Confederate battle emblem from the State Flag.
State attorneys filed arguments Monday with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, saying U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled correctly in September when he dismissed a lawsuit by attorney Carlos Moore.
Moore, who is black, had argued that the Flag made him anxious, caused him to lose sleep and exacerbated his high blood pressure.
"The district court was correct that Moore fails to identify that part of the Constitution that guarantees a legal right to be free of anxiety," state assistant attorneys general Douglas Miracle and Harold Pizzetta wrote.
On Nov. 1, Moore asked the appeals court to order Reeves to hold a trial on other arguments he made in the lawsuit he filed in February. We await the appeal's panel's ruling.
JUDGE DENIES PETITION FOR MISTRIAL
A defense request in the death penalty trial of Dylann Roof, for the Charleston church shootings, has been denied by a federal judge.
Thursday morning, the defense requested a mistrial citing the remarks of a shooting survivor, who took the stand on Wednesday, Felicia Sanders, a shooting survivor, who told the jury that Roof was "evil, evil, evil as can be," continuing on to say that "there is no place left on earth for him except the pit of hell."
Also cited was the fact that Amelia Cowles, Roof's mother, collapsed during the first day of the trial on Wednesday and was admitted to the hospital with a heart attack.
This shows the "emotional nature of the proceedings," the defense said. The defense filed a motion for a mistrial, but the motion was denied by Judge Richard Gregel.
FBI HAS "CONFEDERATE WATCH LIST"
A note, allegedly slipped under the door of a faculty member on Nov. 8 at a Minneapolis Community College urges the faculty member and their family to go back to North Africa and was signed "The Confederate States of America."
The suspect, Matthew Brown, is of interest to the Minneapolis Police Department regarding a separate but similar incident in Minneapolis. According to an email sent by Dr. Jay Williams, Interim Director of Diversity at the college, the suspect has been put on the FBI's watchlist. Special Agent Jeff VanNast of the FBI would not comment beyond saying, "We are aware of the incident...we do not confirm or deny a FBI investigation."
The FBI has partnered with Morris Dees to maintain their watch list which currently numbers 867.
HATE THE FLAG - RECEIVE AN HONORARY DOCTORATE
On Saturday, Daytona, Florida's Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) will graduate more than 200 students and bestow honorary doctorate degrees upon three black people whose common accomplishments are their political activities against Confederate Heritage.
Thomas A. Moorehead is CEO and president of the Harley Davidson dealership in Washington, D.C. He is being awarded for his marketing efforts to divorce the image of "bikers and flags."
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson's only political accomplishment was standing next to then Governor Jeb Bush when he removed the Confederate Flags in the State's capitol. ,
If anyone wants to flag the ceremony it is at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center at 698 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach.
PARADE TURNS TO PROTEST
We have received word that last Saturday's Christmas parade in Lafayette, Indiana turned into an anti-Confederate flag protest because the Lafayette Truck Squad was allowed to enter 20 trucks into the parade.
However, the Truck Squad's trucks, known for their Confederate and American flags, had removed the Confederate Flags prior to their arrival at the parade inspection.
The city had asked the group to not bring the Confederate Flags and the group had simply complied with the request. So all should have been well - right? NO.
Protestors shouted as the 20-vehicle contingent of the Lafayette Truck Squad rolled by before Santa's new lighted ride.
The Lafayette Truck Squad was minus their Confederate battle flags as protestors shouted, "We don't need racists in Lafayette!" and "Why don't you get the hell out of here?"
God bless us everyone.
What followed was a curbside confrontation that eventually spilled over on Facebook. The video just topped 100,000 views, was shared more than 1,500 times and generated 565 comments.
Scott Walker, president of Greater Lafayette Commerce, the parade's sponsor, said organizers were giving themselves time to let complaints shake out. "I think we'll have to evaluate next year whether they participate or not," Walker said.
Was it a mistake to let the group in?
Dale Norman Duncan, president of the
Lafayette Truck Squad, said this week that the Lafayette Truck Squad planned to drive in the parade again in December 2017.
If it was just a matter of decorating in a holiday theme, the Truck Squad drivers did that. A review of video from the parade shows the trucks sporting Christmas lights, candy canes and towing a lawn-sized Nativity display.
But we know that really isn't it, is it?
West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis said his office was hit hard with complaints about allowing the truck club in the parade, even though his office doesn't have a direct role in it. He said he wasn't sure Greater Lafayette Commerce could block the Lafayette Truck Squad in the future, either, as long as members stuck to rules. (Parade entries include this stipulation: "Any displays that are deemed inflammatory or derogatory or considered political and controversial will not be accepted.") "But this does present the potential for an even greater concern," Dennis said. "How do we respond if the Ku Klux Klan, or the Nazi Party, or any group supporting fascism or white supremacy were to apply to participate in the Christmas parade? In other words, what if our parade celebrating the Christmas season turned viciously political? In my opinion, that might be when we get out of the parade business."
Across the street from City Hall about two dozen people held signs and chanted. They rallied around the name
Flag Down Hate.
"It's more than the flag itself, too," said Ashley Watson, a Lafayette resident and a Purdue Ph.D. candidate who helped organize the protest. "They drive around our community waving the Confederate flag as a form of intimidation, an action similar to hate groups. They say they welcome all people. I recommend they look up the recent KKK parade in North Carolina - which they look identical to - and see the message they are sending. ... The public has the right to assert that our community values don't include organizing around white supremacy."
For their part, Lafayette Truck Squad drivers waved from behind the wheel. At one point a woman walking alongside in a club jacket - featuring a U.S. flag and a Confederate battle flag crossed over the motto, "Freedom to fly them freely" - came up to protesters: "Candy, anyone?" When no one bit, she dropped the armload at their feet.
Stuart-Mosby Historical Society Celebration
Please save the date of Saturday, January 21, 2017, for what promises to be an exciting day as the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society holds its annual celebration of Lee-Jackson-Maury Day.
The ceremony, which is free and open to the general public, will be held once again in the Old House Chamber at the State Capitol in Richmond, Virginia.
The event celebrates the birthdays of Confederate heroes Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807), Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (Jan. 21, 1824) and Mathew Fontaine Maury (Jan. 14, 1806). This year, the Society is fortunate to have two of these Southern heroes as well as one of its own as special guests!! Society member Wayne Jones, who portrays Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, will appear along with David Chaltas (as Gen. Lee) and Danny Buckner (as Gen. Jackson) in a presentation titled "Faith in the Army of Northern Virginia: The Stories of Generals Lee, Jackson and Stuart."
Send a Christmas Card to JEB STUART
I was honored when Colonel JEB Stuart, IV, direct descendant of our celebrated hero, penned the Foreword to my 16-chapter biography of his grandfather.
It has been brought to our attention that Colonel Stuart has been under the weather for a considerable period of time.
The Stuart family has made it known that Colonel JEB would welcome letters and cards.
Please send your prayers and wishes to Colonel Stuart at his home:
1111 West Avenue,
Richmond, Virginia 23220
EVERYONE NEEDED TO SAVE MONUMENT!
Even if you can't attend the Meeting in Gainesville, Florida on the 13th, you can help protect the OLD JOE monument.
Send an email to the Commissioners, particularly Byerly and Hutchinson and ask them not to dishonor American Veterans and to KEEP OLD JOE.
kcornell@alachuaco.us
rhutchinson@alachuaco.us
byerly@alachuaco.us
lpinkoson@alachuaco.us
cschestnut@alachuaco.us
Remind them that BOTH THEIR Advisory Boards (Historical &Veterans) have advised them to KEEP OLD JOE!
Remind them "How yesterday's veterans are treated today signal how today's veterans are treated tomorrow."
If possible, Show up and sign up to SPEAK TO KEEP THE MONUMENT IN PLACE
Date: Tuesday December 13, 2016
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: 12 SE 1st Street; Gainesville
Also, ask them to enact a County wide Veterans Observance Protection Act that will protect and provide stiffer penalties for vandalization of Veterans Monument.
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SEE RONALD REAGAN IN CONFEDERATE UNIFORM
Did you know that before Ronald Reagan served as President of the United States that he had served in the Confederate Cavalry?
Cavalry Charge may have been the greatest movie that "The Gipper" ever made!
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During the WBTS, Christmas was celebrated in both the United States and the Confederate States of America.
By the time the War began, the whole concept of Christmas and the majority of our present-day Christmas customs and traditions were already established, including decorating Christmas trees, giving gifts and anticipating the arrival of the Saint Nicholas.
During this period, Christmas was an especially difficult time for soldiers and maybe even more difficult for their families left at home.
During the War soldiers celebrated Christmas erecting small evergreen trees decorating them with hard-tack and salt-pork and singing carols. Some of them would dress their horses up like reindeer by attaching branches to their headgear.
The most famous Christmas gift of the war was sent by a telegram from William Tecumseh Sherman to Abraham Lincoln on December 22nd, 1864. "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 100 and 50 guns and plenty of ammunition, also about 25,000 bales of cotton". This marked the beginning of the end of the War.
During the War, Christmas was altered for children since presents were seldom, especially in the devastated South. At that time gifts were more necessity than luxury so the children would usually get homemade gifts, small hand-carved toys, cakes, oranges or apples.
Southern parents warned their children that Santa might not make it through the blockade.Northern newspapers published pictures of Santa Claus distributing gifts to Union troops in Nast's first Santa Claus cartoon (1863). They also published that all Southerners were "naughty" and would receive only coal.
Although many of the Christmas traditions had been established before the War,during the War, Christmas traditions were changed for countless children and parents.
Christmas was joyful and yet, for many people and especially children, it was very sad at the same time.
LLOYD BESSINGER STILL APOLOGIZING FOR HERITAGE
I think that Maurice's Piggy Park in Columbia, South Carolina may have had the absolute best BBQ in Carolina. Whenever I'd be driving through South Carolina I would stop at Maurice's for his world-famous Carolina Gold.
Maurice was a proud member of the SCV. He flew a Battle Flag from the restaurant's flag pole. He even offered copies of my book The Truth About the Confederate Battle Flag in the lobby of his restaurant.
That was until 2010 when his son Lloyd took over the business. When Maurice's health prevented him from running the business his son purged it of everything southern.
Maurice died in 2014. And I doubt a day has gone by that his son has not apologized for his Confederate Heritage. In fact, I'm convinced that every time sales dip a bit Lloyd drum
s up business by issuing another apology.
And the local "media" in Carolina are always eager to publish those apologies. It seems the media didn't love Maurice and his 11 BBQ places the way I did. I am constantly seeing media bits and so far have not reported on them. But the Dec. 8th article in the Charlotte Observer has taken the attack against my late friend to a whole new level of lies and vitrol. My dander is up!
Maurice Bessinger was a patriotic, God-fearing man who was proud of his Confederate Heritage, honored his ancestors, and made some damn good BBQ. It is really that simple. His children
and grand-children should show him the respect that he deserves. After all he built his business from nothing and without his hard work they would not be living their prosperous lives today. As for the media - you won - so show a little class and stop gloating years later.
Rest in Peace my dear friend!
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