Georgia Heritage Coalition - An Open Inquiry to Georgia Flaggers

Webmaster's Note: The following open inquiry from Jason Dawson is posted presuming a sincere desire for dialog on the subject matter. Please direct your responses directly to Mr. Dawson at Jdawson12@aol.com. We request that you keep your responses civil. If you want your response considered for publication on this page, please copy webmaster@georgiaheritagecouncil.org on your reply to Mr. Dawson. I will post a representative sample of responses, but cannot post them all here. Obscene or vulgar responses will be rejected.

An Open Inquiry to Georgia Flaggers – Commentary by Jason Dawson

I am thankful for this opportunity to address an issue of concern.

My name is Jason Dawson, I was born and raised in Marietta and now live in Smyrna.

I was enraged this week while hosting guests from out of state when I had to explain what the group of rebel-flag-waving people in Smyrna was up to and whom the nut-case with all of the rebel flag signs in his front yard is. I felt like I was driving past a Klan rally.

I have had run-ins with this person named Tim Pilgrim. Mr. Pilgrim and most of his group seem to think that since I am happy that the flag was changed I should move to New Jersey. If I may quote Zell Miller, "Georgia is 260 years old. For forty-three of those years, we were a British colony. For eleven years, a sovereign state under the Articles of Confederation. For more than 200 years, a member of the United States. For four brief years--that's 1.5 percent of our states entire history--Georgia was a member of the Confederate States of America. Yet it is the Confederacy's most inflammatory symbol that dominates our flag today. We all know why. And it has nothing to do with the bravery of the confederate troops..."

There is a better way to protect our history and it isn't with Klan style rallies all over Smyrna. The Civil war is in the distant past. Why don't you support our history as one of the thirteen original colonies and celebrate our part in the founding of this nation, that history is just as important and just as distant? The flag of the state of Georgia should represent us as a people in our current form.

I have had numerous run-ins with Tim Pilgrim and Marilyn Gilhuly and I can tell you they are hateful, hateful people. If I may give my personal and humble opinion, our heritage groups are losing their credibility and are becoming synonymous with the Klan and other throwbacks to a dark past. ---Jason Dawson

Response by Marilyn Gilhuly

I do not recall ever meeting or having contact with this man. I believe that I would remember such a negative encounter (or series of encounters as he describes it) and therefore I believe the man is mistaken or being less than truthful. I've had a recent conversation with Tim Pilgrim and he cannot remember any encounters with this man either.

Response by Steve Scroggins

Mr. Dawson:
Your letter illustrates a profound ignorance of American history. But don't feel alone...unfortunately, there are far too many Americans and native Southerners who remain captive under decades of misinformation and propaganda. Far too many people prefer to remain ignorant of our American history as it happened, preferring instead to settle for the mile-wide, inch-deep pseudo-history that makes them feel comfortable and to avoid the truths that "offend" certain demagogues, empire builders and victimology hustlers.

I don't think it too much of a risk to presume that you're the product of government public schools. I am too, but the difference is that I have continued to learn and by way of personal research and reading, I have educated myself on the truths our public schools do not impart. Your arguments make it clear that you have been thoroughly indoctrinated in the yankee version of the war and the meaning our beloved Confederage battle flag. I won't presume to enlighten you, but I do hope to goad you into doing a little more research and forming a more enlightened opinion for yourself. I challenge you to read Thomas DiLorenzo's "The Real Lincoln."

You apparently suffer with the same blind spot as Neal Boortz.

Flaggers protest the fact that the Confederate battle flag was removed from the Georgia state flag under a barrage of lies and distortions. The reasons put forth for removing the 1956 flag are all based on lies. The claim that the Confederate battle flag itself is offensive is, of course, based on historical ignorance of the war and what it was really about----it was about taxation, exploitation and coercion, not slavery. It's based on the often-repeated specious claim that the flag change in 1956 was motivated by racial malice and defiance to U.S. Supreme court rulings on desegregation. [ The Date Argument Rebutted ]

Many Georgia citizens will not now or ever accept these lies and accordingly, we will continue to keep the issue before the public eye. I do not purport to speak for most flaggers---I do not---but I think I can say that many will support the will of the people of Georgia as expressed in a Fair Vote. For many, many folks, this issue will never be resolved until the people get a REAL chance to choose or reject our stolen flag of honor. Even among the folks who don't prefer the 1956 flag, the fair-minded ones believe that the matter should be put to a Fair Vote rather than a backroom deal among politicians ala Barnes and Perdue.

The Confederate battle flag symbolizes the struggle of Americans to defend their homes and families and their sacred rights to (decentralized) self-government. Many of the problems Americans face today are a direct result of the victory of the centralizers in 1865.

We can and we do honor the memory of our colonial ancestors who fought to secure their independence from England. Our Confederate ancestors were trying to do the same thing---secure their independence from tyranny and centralized control. You see, the SOUTH WAS RIGHT to struggle to preserve a Constitutional Republic as delivered to them by the Founding Fathers. They were overwhelmed by the force of the yankee imperialists and our federal republic was replaced by an empire ruled from a distant central capitol. If you cannot see the connection here, then perhaps I would do better speaking to a brick wall. A return to a LIMITED and decentralized government ruling within the bounds of the Constitution is our only hope for long term survival. As a world empire, the United States is doomed to follow the path of previous world empires----self-destruction from within. If we forget our history, our future is in great peril.

I find your Klan remarks offensive and highly ignorant. Contrary to popular stereotype, the vast majority of current Klan activity and membership resides in the midwest and the northwest United States, not in the South. Search every book, library and website you can and you'll find that over 90% of photos depicting Klansmen will show them with a U.S. flag, NOT a Confederate flag. I challenge you to check this for yourself and then decide if your stereotypes are valid.

As to your opinions regarding Tim Pilgrim and Marilyn Gilhuly, they are just your opinions. I am acquainted with Pilgrim and I find nothing "hateful" about the man. He's a dedicated patriot in my view. He's entitled to express his views---including those on the flag---as much as you are.

We disagree on the credibility of our heritage groups. I think we made a believer of Roy Barnes, Tom Murphy and a host of others who defied the will of their constituents in order to please a vocal minority with money. Your ignorance blinds you to the fact that our American Heritage is being destroyed and re-written. The same people who want erase our Confederate history also want to erase our colonial history. Check out the new Georgia history Curriculum. [ Here, too ] High School history courses will begin in 1876.

You write that our flag should "represent us as a people in our current form." Following that logic, we would need to change the flag every ten years or so after each census...adjusting the colors to reflect...what? Our racial ratios? What flag, in your mind, would accomplish that?

The appearance and ethnicity of the people may change, but as long as we're governed by an English language [state] Constitution, our flag should represent the values of the current majority. I believe the 1956 flag already does. It represents a people willing to risk everything to preserve their liberty, their right to self-government. It represents an ideal and dedication to liberty to which we should all aspire. Like their forefathers in the American Revolution, our Confederate ancestors risked everything to preserve their right to self-government---for the belief that governments derive their just powers from the CONSENT of the governed. They were RIGHT and we should never forget that nor allow our descendants to forget.

Finally, I believe that if it were put to a vote, the majority would choose the 1956 flag. Unfortunately, we are currently ruled by leaders who don't represent the people and who have sold out to money and ignorant beliefs like yours, Mr. Dawson. We are working to remove these people who enrich themselves and ignore their constituents. If we cannot get a fair vote on the flag, then we truly have lost our self-government. And furthermore, we don't deserve to fly that flag of honor if we can't take back our government. The next ten years will tell the tale on this.