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Petition to Ban Confederate Flag from Walton County Courthouse

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Why? It is not the flag that was voted on.

The folks (whoever they were) did not notice that the current flag had 7 stars, when it was brought to their attention they ordered the correct flag.
 
The folks (whoever they were) did not notice that the current flag had 7 stars, when it was brought to their attention they ordered the correct flag.

Too bad that is their problem. The flagpole should be there until the new flag comes in. This is completely ridiculous.
 
There is another memorial at the Courthouse on the South East side of the lawn. This memorial honors those from Walton County who died in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The US flag and the POW/MIA flags fly over this memorial which was paid for through donations. The inmates used to do the lawn maintenance at the courthouse and maintained both memorials. An annual Memorial Day remembrance is held at this monument every year.
The park on JD Miller road is named in honor of Mr. Padgett who was killed in Afghanistan. He was from DeFuniak Springs and employed by SWFD prior to his military service. Gum Creek Cemetery in Glendale does not have a memorial but does host a Memorial Day remembrance during which they place US flags on Veterans buried there and Confederate flags on the Confederate graves. At WeeCare Park in DeFuniak Springs there is a memorial to the law enforcement officers in Walton County who were killed in the line of duty. I believe there is a memorial at Freeport City Hall for service men but I will not swear to this one. I think there is one at Gulf Cemetery but I am not positive. I imagine there are others but i cannot think of them right now.
 
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Too bad that is their problem. The flagpole should be there until the new flag comes in. This is completely ridiculous.

Actually, what the BCC voted to do was leave the flag that was removed flying until the flag they voted on was ordered and erected. If the other one was still flying you would still be crying foul. Another no win.
 
They are trying their best to do what is right for the greatest number of people. I cannot believe the intolerance of those who will not even give it a try. I do appreciate Teresa for her comments as she does seem willing to try and work together.
 
Northwest Florida Daily News
http://m.nwfdailynews.com/article/20150730/OPINION/150739960/16102/OPINION


EDITORIAL: Walton's battle flag switcheroo

Posted Jul 30, 2015 at 8:59 AM
Updated at 9:25 AM

During Tuesday’s debate over the Confederate flag that flutters outside the Walton County courthouse, Commissioner Cindy Meadows asserted that a mysterious force was at work. “This issue,” she said, “has been pushed on us to divide us and promote an agenda.”
She was half right. A mysterious force is at work, that’s for sure, but it’s the commissioners’ puzzling, persistent romance with the 150-years-gone Confederacy.
Given a chance to remove the Confederate “battle flag” from a monument to Civil War soldiers on the courthouse grounds — petitioners had lined up against the flag, and at least a couple of pastors had denounced it — the commissioners chose instead to replace it with the so-called Stars and Bars, historically the first flag of the Confederacy, which once flew over the Confederate capitol in Montgomery, Ala.
One Confederate flag for another. One step forward, one step back.
In promoting this pointless swap, Commissioner Meadows was wrong on just about everything.
She said the issue had been “pushed on us” by vague conspirators. In reality, the issue was created by county officials who hoisted the Confederate flag in 1964 to protest civil rights legislation.
She said the same conspirators want to “promote an agenda.” Yes, the anti-flag crowd has an agenda, but as far as we’ve seen it’s an agenda of burying old racial hostilities and bringing Walton County into the 21st century.
And she said Tuesday’s flag “compromise” means “no one wins and no one loses.”
Try telling that to fans of the Confederate flag, who generally embraced the switch. One called it a “courageous stand for the commissioners (who were) present.”
Critics, meanwhile, vow to continue the fight.
What was merely a disagreement before is now a raw, aching division.
Take down the battle flag, commissioners, and if you absolutely must replace it, try the Stars and Stripes.
 
I understand an editorial is trying to influence opinion and does not have to follow excepted journalistic guidelines and that the Daily News article by Tom McLaughlin was fair and balanced. That said, this editorial is at best biased. Whatever it is it leaves out key points and paints a wrong picture of Tuesday's events. It is true several speakers petitioned the BCC to remove the flag and a petition with about 2,000 names was presented. It is also true that several speakers asked to keep the flag and several petitions to keep it were presented. One of them alone contained 2370 signatures. And Ms. Meadows was absolutely correct in what she said. We deal in today, not what some long-forgotten group of men decided over 50 years ago. Of the 57,000 people living here today, I bet less than 10,000 of them were alive and living in Walton County in 1964. And many of them were infants or small children like I was. So very few people are here that could have had anything to do with that long-ago decision. But the majority of those signing petitions want to keep a flag at the memorial regardless of what did or did not happen in 1964. And it was clear that many of the speakers on both sides were not from Walton County. Those are the outside forces that are using Walton County to further their agendas on both sides. I cannot see how pushing this has brought us closer, in fact it has damaged relationships and caused old injuries and wounds to be opened up once again. There are monuments all over this country flying a variety of flags. The Spanish flag flies at St. Augustine, Pensacola has removed the Confederate flag but still flies the French, British and Spanish flags. That is their business but it is silly to have a Festival of 5 Flags and call yourself the City of 5 Flags and not fly one of the 5 flags. And she was absolutely correct that no one wins and no one loses. Anybody who thinks this has been productive or that anyone has achieved what they want is dead wrong. Several people in the North are mad that the Battle flag was removed and want it returned. They are extremely upset as are those who refuse to even give this compromise a fair chance on the removal side.
I want to say again, this flag is flying over a Civil War memorial honoring Confederate dead. It DOES NOT fly over the courthouse. If it had been flying on the pole over the courthouse with the US and Florida flag I would say remove it. But that is absolutely not the case.
The commissioners made the best decision they could to try and honor the wishes of all their constituents. Supporters of the flag wanted a Confederate flag flying over a Confederate memorial and they still have that. The local blacks wanted the "X" flag taken down and it is gone to the Museum as they wished. That is the spirit of a true compromise and everyone should step back and give it a chance.
 
Yes the editorial is a stance by the Daily news. So it takes a certain side.

Was there story today by Tom M?

Tom is not the Editor.
 
No, Tom was yesterday. He is a very good reporter, although I hated to hear he was calling for me when I was at the SO. But that is another story.

I left out a memorial in Paxton for the American Revolution and commemorating the Bicentennial Wagon Train that camped there in 1976. It is located at Paxton City Hall. I am sure there are more.
 
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