Georgia Heritage Coalition - Ball in MOC's Court

Steve Scroggins

Steve Scroggins is a volunteer contributor to the Georgia Heritage Coalition who lives in Macon.

The Ball's in MOC's Court Now – Commentary by Steve Scroggins

In writing my previous two commentaries ( MOC commentary 1 || MOC commentary 2 ), I described the issues related to the Museum of the Confederacy and their stated intent, based on a so-called 'policy,' to remove the REAL State flag of Georgia from the State flags displayed at MOC. These commentaries generated some correspondence to and from the MOC and from various MOC supporters to me.

One MOC supporter stated his belief that any attempts to "drag" MOC into the Georgia flag fight were "inappropriate." I agree, however, I contend that it's not me dragging MOC into it. On the contrary, IF MOC removes the '56 Georgia flag after four years of ignoring official flag changes, then it's MOC choosing to enter the fight or allowing others (certain "PC" Georgia UDC people) to drag the MOC into the fight to support the 2003 Perdue Counterfeit Georgia flag.

The REAL Georgia State flag adopted in 1956

By virtue of the fact that MOC has not enforced their own "policy" on State flags, I take it that their "policy" is either a convenient cover, or more likely a general guideline. But in any event, by conspicuously ignoring their own policy or guideline for four years, any move they make now would be making a political statement. In my view, the better statement to make would be to leave the REAL Georgia flag in place.

The MOC is in the midst of some major decisions of paramount importance. A look at their website reveals the issues. The current location of the Confederate White House is surrounded by the urban expansion of a growing hospital (VCU). The construction surrounding the current location, while hiding the MOC buildings within a wall of high-rise structures, is also making navigation to the MOC difficult by closing off access streets at various times to enable the construction.

Sincere supporters of the MOC have written expressing support for the REAL Georgia flag while at the same time hoping the MOC can survive its location difficulties. I don't know of anyone who wants the MOC to fail---except a few fringe Heritage-haters. Supporters have shared a concern that if the MOC elects to relocate the Confederate White House to National Park Service land, it may become another "museum to slavery" much like the travesties that NPS is imposing on various battlefields and POW camp sites they control. That would be a fate worse than destruction in my view.

From my view of the MOC's history, it appears that early on it was regarded as somewhat "PC." (See New Director puts Confederacy back in Museum of the Confederacy ) Later, when Mr. Rawls' predecessor, Mr. Campbell, was named Executive Director, he immediately displayed Confederate flags outside the museum and made other changes which signaled a move away from the "politically correct" mode of the past. My fear is that Mr. Rawls' stated intent to remove the REAL State flag of Georgia will be viewed as a signal that MOC is moving back in the wrong direction. Clearly, this is NOT the best move during this time when MOC needs all the support it can muster to survive its current challenges.

My hope is that wisdom and truth will prevail and that MOC will overcome its current and future challenges to continue its work in preserving the true history of the Confederacy.

Below are a few letters to Mr. Rawls at the MOC which were shared with me. Please consider writing your own letter to Mr. Rawls and other MOC board members to express support for MOC's mission and to firmly request that they avoid making a political statement by removing the REAL flag of Georgia.

You may contact Mr. Rawls at the following address:
Mr. Waite Rawls, Executive Director
1201 East Clay Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Email Mr. Rawls at: wrawls@moc.org

As the cliche goes, "the ball is in the MOC's court." Let's hope that MOC's leaders don't take their eye off the most important balls---the major survival decisions they face----to be distracted by entering Georgia's State flag controversy. MOC cannot afford to waste precious resources or support.

The Perdue 2003 Counterfeit Georgia flag

Mr. Rawls:

I have been a member of the "friends" of the MOC for the past several years. It has been brought to my attention that some ladies of the Georgia UDC have asked you to remove the 1956 Georgia State Flag and replace it with the flag that was forced on us by Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2003.

Gov. Perdue was elected by the people of Georgia primarily, I feel, because he made a promise that the the citizens of Georgia would be permitted to choose from among a group of flags which would include the 1956 flag which had been taken from us by defeated Gov. Roy Barnes.

In short Gov. Perdue lied to us and did not include the 1956 flag but instead gave us the "choice" between the Barnes Flag and a new flag that was designed for the special referendum.

As I understand it, the 1956 flag was designed after a suggestion went out from President Eisenhower to find a way to celebrate the upcoming centennial of the War for Southern Independence and a group felt that having the Confederate battle flag as part of the Georgia flag would be appropriate.

I might point out that the State of Mississippi put the State flag question to a vote when an attempt was made to take the "battle flag" off of their State Flag. That attempt was defeated by all citizens of Mississippi. I'm afraid that the liberals fear that the same thing would happen in Georgia..... they are not willing to put the issue to the test.

The attempt to completely denigrate all vestiges of Southern Heritage has gone too far and I don't think we should play into the hands of "political correctness."

I urge the MOC to continue to display the "REAL" 1956 Georgia State Flag.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Jones, MD, Adjutant
General Edward Dorr Tracy Jr, Camp # 18
Macon, GA
GA DIV SCV

I gather that Mr. Rawls began sending out "form" replies to many of the letters he received using the same language that was contained in his response to me. The statement that Jefferson Davis "stuck his nose" into state flag controversies is ridiculous on its face. Davis had more critical issues to address and such inaccurate statements about Davis should not be allowed to pass unchallenged, especially from someone with the responsible position and "credentials" held by Mr. Rawls.

In his book, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Jefferson Davis demonstrated the depth of his cognitive grasp of Constitutional issues (both the U.S. and C.S.A. versions). He did not abuse his Constitutional authority even when the C.S.A.'s survival was at stake. To suggest that he would inject his personal views (as President) into State flags is as ridiculous as it is defamatory. At best, Mr. Rawls' reference to conflicts between Confederate and State governments is an invalid analogy which is completely irrelevant to the State flag display issue at hand. At worst, it is invoking the honor of President Davis and fabricating distortions to justify an unwise political decision.

Thank you, Mr. Rawls, for your prompt reply to my message.

Inasmuch as there is no historical documentation to the statement regarding Mr. Davis sticking his nose into state flag affairs, I will certainly expect you to make that correction in the information being released in whatever form by the MOC.

As to your assertion regarding meddling in state affairs, using Governor Brown of Georgia as an example, I suggest you and those at the MOC spend some time researching that position. While there was considerable agitation between virtually all members of the CSA government and Governor Brown, you might find that even most Georgians believe Governor Brown took an extreme position which became difficult to deal with. It was exceeded only by the position taken by the Governor of North Carolina.

A large part of the problem revolved around Georgia and North Carolina withholding troops and supplies for use in other areas. When their own states were in peril, it was President Davis who arranged for troops and leaders to join in the defense of both Georgia and North Carolina... something the governors of both states were reluctant to do for other states of the CSA.

This does not mean to say that Georgian and North Carolinian soldiers did not freely participate in the defense of the other states, they did with great valor and their volunteers far exceeded the averages of some other states.

When Lee surrendered, his army was threadbare and starving. At the same time, North Carolina held munitions, food, supplies and uniforms to equip a body of equal or greater size.

The root of the Georgia/Davis conflict can be directly traced to the fact that Georgia had proposed a candidate for President who was rejected by CSA leaders. Mr. Davis had nothing to do with that and was not himself a candidate.

Ironically, the Georgia candidate who exhibited his dissatisfaction with the entire Davis administration throughout the war, Robert Toombs, was the first to come to the aid of President Davis after he was imprisoned (in Fortess Monroe).

The kind of information you are putting out is not only inaccurate, it serves the interests of those who enjoy seeing Southern institutions cast aspersions on Confederate leaders. I trust you will do something to correct this unpardonable error.

Thank you again for your courtesy.

Jeff Davis, Chairman,
Georgia Heritage Coalition

In this case, in particular, I hold concession or compromise to be fatal. If we concede an inch, concession would follow concession—compromise would follow compromise, until our ranks would be so broken that effectual resistance would be impossible. --John C. Calhoun

Steve Scroggins is Adjutant of the Lt. James T. Woodward Camp 1399, Sons of Confederate Veterans, in Warner Robins, GA and a frequent GHC contributor of parody and political cartoons and graphics.