The Atlanta Chamber Journal

Flaggers repudiate Bill Shipp's inflammatory, divisive rhetoric
BY Ben D. Oversmith
ACJ Staff Writer

Georgia citizens known as “flaggers,” who are angry about the change of the Georgia state flag, have repudiated columnist Bill Shipp for being too harsh, inflammatory and divisive in his rhetoric.

In his latest column published April 14th in the Athens Banner-Herald (and in 60 some odd other newspapers across Georgia), Shipp describes Perdue as “rude," "stupid" and "a liar.” Flagger spokesmen, speaking on condition of anonymity, repudiated Shipp’s remarks as being "too harsh, mean-spirited and divisive."

“We agree that Perdue is a LIAR, there’s no question about that, but we draw the line at calling him “rude” or “stupid” as Shipp has done. We can certainly agree that some of Perdue’s behavior has been stupid, but we will not infer from that he is, in fact, stupid."

Presumably overwhelmed by guilt for 30+ years of writing what critics call “lies, cheap shots and Atlanta Chamber propaganda,” Shipp experienced what anonymous sources termed a “breakdown.” Shipp, sources suggest, went undercover and became a flagger.

Known across the state as an ideological enemy of the ’56 flag and flaggers, Shipp went incognito wearing various disguises and sunglasses to conceal his identity. Sources tell ACJ that Shipp learned where flagging events were to occur (by some underground source), then he grabbed a 1956 flag and his SONNY LIED sign and joined the other protestors.

“When we read his April 14 column, we wondered how Shipp knew that Perdue had been flagged all over the state,” said our anonymous flagger source. “That fact certainly has not been reported in Atlanta newspapers or on Atlanta television. The Marietta Daily Journal is the one exception; they have reported that Perdue was flagged 8 times in four days during his January statewide PR tour. Anyway, we were suspicious, so we reviewed some photos of our recent flagging events and found the same previously 'unidentified' flagger at numerous events. It was Bill Shipp.”

All the pieces of the intelligence puzzle finally came together for flagger organizers. "We had reports that a solo 'flagger' was 'ejected from the capitol numerous times,'" said our flagger source. "We knew that this person was not one of our known flaggers. So we asked our sources in capitol security to review surveillance tapes. He was in disguise, but there's no doubt that it was Bill Shipp."

Flaggers said that Shipp is welcome to flag Perdue any time he likes; it is after all his first amendment right. “He can flag Perdue and other scalawags any time he likes, but we must draw the line when flaggers go public with rhetoric that’s just too mean-spirited. Call Perdue a chicken, a liar, all those are true. But don’t question the man’s manners and ancestry and say he’s stupid. If Shipp wants to be mean-spirited and divisive, he needs to join some other group, like the NAACP, the SPLC or the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.”

Shipp's associates and coworkers at Georgia Trend, speaking on condition of anonymity, scoffed at the suggestion that Shipp has become a flagger. “That’s ludicrous. Look at his long record of being an Atlanta business advocate....see the bulk of his writing. He’s an Atlanta establishment man all the way. Bill [Shipp] is just a little over-worked, that’s all. We’re sure he’ll be fine after he takes a week or two off to relax.”

Gov. Sonny Perdue's office declined to comment on Shipp's recent remarks or status as a possible flagger.