“The flag must go!” That was the message the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) relayed at a rally on the front steps of the Dodge County Courthouse in reference to the Confederate battle flag that flies on the courthouse grounds on Tuesday, May 3 at approximately 5:30 p.m., just before a board of commissioners meeting was to be held.
Approximately 70 NAACP members came to the rally, most from outside Dodge County. Georgia NAACP President Edward DuBose and Dodge County NAACP President John Battle spoke at the rally. Battle stated, We’re here to say to the county commissioners…the flag must go! These commissioners continue to provoke hatred in this county.”
Dubose spoke saying, We don’t intend to stop this fight until this racist symbol is taken down. This is not about black and white, it is about a symbol that set this country back. There is nothing good about this flag flying.”
The commissioner’s meeting was moved to the Dodge County Superior Courtroom inside the courthouse to accommodate the large number of people that attended the meeting. In that meeting, Battle once again asked the commissioners to remove the Confederate battle flag from the courthouse grounds, but stated that he had no problem with it flying one day a year, on Confederate Heritage Day.
Battle went on to say that he had no problem with any residents or businesses flying the flag, because he could opt not to visit those people or stores, but he had to come to the courthouse to pay his taxes or buy his tag.
Dubose addressed the commissioners and said that he differed from Battle and did not believe the flag should be flown at the courthouse at all. He looked at county attorney John Harrington and stated, “You can be legally right sometimes, but morally wrong.” He looked back at the commissioners and said, “I shouldn’t be in Dodge County because of this issue.”
Dubose emphasized to the commissioners to “do what the people want”, and take the flag down.
During the meeting, the NAACP threatened to sue the county. Dodge County Commission Chairman Dan McCranie said that they (the commissioners) would probably be sued one way or the other, meaning that if they left the flag flying, the NAACP would sue them, but if they took it down, the Sons of Confederate Veterans would probably sue them.
Later in the meeting, Dodge County Commissioner Archie Dupree made a motion to ask commissioner Terry Niblett to reconsider his motion to fly the flag 365 days a year, which was made at a previous meeting and passed 4-1. Commissioner Niblett said, “We’ve already visited the issue and there is no new information presented at this time.”
If black people REALLY want to be FREE , why not give up the government services they all take advantage of? How can one be free and live on hand-outs from the government? In essence the GOVERNMENT is telling them, "We don't believe that you have the ABILITY and BACKBONE to make a living for you and all your babies, so we are going to pay you to stay in government housing, accept our little food allowances and be COMPLETELY dependent on US for your living. Poor little, dis-advantaged people!"
I keep hearing some blacks SAY they want to get the young people to work; clean up black-on-black crime; get the dealers off the corners, but they prove that becoming independent is the last thing on their minds by their very actions. Many of them even BRAG about how the government has en-slaved them. Why would some-one go WORK, when the government GIVES you money to stay home and be lazy and have baby after baby????
That is what the NAACP should be doing..getting the people out from under the slavery to the government, not perpetrating hate. How is fighting over a flag helping this cause?
Oh and Ms McDuffie..citizens of Dodge County have been going to work and living their daily lives for a long time now and, miraculously, the flag had never interfered before now.. This is just John Battle showing his prejudice and hatred for white people.
Yes, Virginia, black people can be racist, too.
I am a retired RN who raised 3 kids without foodstamps,child support or welfare. I found a way to become independent without the governments help(Iworked many 16 hrs days) and taught my kids how to become independent of themselves and I will admit along the way I had to take some good advice from some white friends and continue to do so.( I am very much against the NAACP and their stinking thinking about the Confederate Flag). My son owns his own computer business in Arizona and my youngest daughter is a 4yr degree RN who is a hospice case manager (she just closed on her first 200k house in Columbia S.C.) she is a single parent of a 4yrs old daughter. My oldest daughter died(at the age of 26) in Hawaii of asthma while attending the Univ.of Hawaii. But I am proud of the life God has allowed me to live as an independent person and I am proud of the independence I have taught my kids and yes we are miniorities who donot seek out the government for our well being and I be darn if any of my grandkids will fall into being a dependent of the government all because of the faith I have in God and myself and the knowledege and my friends he has given me. I will also teach my grandkids how to become independent. My 16yrs old grandaughter (in another state) is now taking college classes in high school and has earned a scholarship to college(she wants to become a neurosurgeon) and this grandmother is behind her 100% to tell her that the sky is the limit and she can become anything positive in life she wants to be. My grandson graduates next yr and he has a scholarship to college he wants to become a marine but whatever he wants that is positive out of life is okay with this grandma as long as he is not out on the street corner selling drugs or commiting a crime against society.
Pinkie thanks for speaking out and not sugar coating all that you see that is negative among the people in the community. When one sugar coats things it doesnot help one a bit. I call all the negative things I say about what is wrong in the community, constructive critisim and if one cannot take it,take heed and try to turn their lives around then they will have no improvement in their lives and will continue to think their life style is going to get them to the next level in life, it might be a next level for them but it darn sure won't be positive one. I wish to help and encourage all the folks I can whether they are black or white because we do have some whites that are living a life in la la land also.
God Bless!
Missionary Cherokee
It just amazes me that Battle can WASTE time and MONEY on a non-issue when there are so many positive things that can be done to help the community.
That flag has been flying for a long time and has never interfered with anyone's way of life. Looks like somebody stepped on old John's toes, so he decided that he's going to show them just what kind of hate and hell he can raise.
Anybody ever hear of Black Liberation Theology?
Totally racist teachings, just ask old John, he knows.
And Cherokee, I can read the pride in your words and you are right to be proud. You and your family sound like the epitome of what all Americans can achieve if they so desire. Good on you and yours!
People can find fault with anything and complain about everything, but taking a piece of cloth down from a memorial will not help that feeling inside. If you feel you don't measure up, John, work on yourself. Don't drag all of Dodge into your hole. And that goes for all of you people calling it racist; it isn't; it's just a piece of cloth with colors. The racist feeling you have is inside YOU> ~change you and the flag will not be an issue anymore.
The subject here is the NAACP and their agenda. They help BLACK people and as I said before; we all know that blacks are not the ONLY race receiving government hand-outs. Education and understanding is a wonderful thing; try it.
I am hoping that the white community can see that since only 70 people out of the black community attended this meeting, this must tell them that the majority of blacks here(what I had stated in one of previous comments) in Dodge County is not following what John Battle does.
You are right commissioners stick to your guns and donot let the so call NAACP have their way and if they sue I hope you sue also and include me in your lawsuit as one who is suing the NAACP, I would probably be the first minority to take sides with the Condefederate conscerning this controversey. If the NAACP is wrong then they are wrong and I refuse to take sides with them because they are trying to cause a confusion where there is none. As a minority who has lived in another state,worked as a registered nurse and have dealt with all races in life I see no need for this controveresy. When I came back to Eastman aafter being gone for 47yrs I found that some whites here treated me better than some blacks and folks might say it was because I brought money here to spend in the local stores(because I had to set up house) but I would tell them if a person is going to be perjudice against you he or she doesnot care about the money you spend, they will still show the perjudice side of them. It was how how conducted myself with them and had to live and be a healthcare worker to all races so therefore I am a people person and see no color of the skin but the person themselves.
I have a mixture of races in my family with my grandchildren having other blood(french) in them. I never have and never will teach my kids or grandkids hatred against anither race. I am a christian and God loves us all he requires all races to living according to his word which are bible principles and if a man did this he would not have time to waste over fighting another man about a flag or something that happened hundreds of years ago,he would be constantly asking God how to help his fellow man in a positive way so they can survive on a day to day basis.
In the future there will be an organization led by me by the name of Faith Advancement for All People(FAAP). Whether one is white,black.blue,orange or purple this will be an empower organization for all races.
You keep saying two different things you are like a ship off course hopefully you can find a pastor that can put you on course and help navigate you safely to come know our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and we know that God will take us home if we ALL find Jesus as our personal Saviour.
I truly think that you are not trueful about this mess the NAACP has started I think you want them to quit as God wants them too, so we can live PEACEFULLY among our fellow man in Dodge County and throughout the world no matter what color of skin they have,man(whether he is blue,red,white,orange,purple,gold or black) is a man and he was created by God who will have the final say so over ALL of us on this website. God Bless!
Time to forgive and forget. Race means nothing, we have a black president! He's not perfect but no one is!!
Let the flag fly high!
The above statement is the most important part of the article. NAACP is stirring the pot, causing problems when there are none, otherwise. Too bad the NAACP can't but that energy to work in the black community and combat the problems there....nope, can't do that, it would be too difficult and complicated. It is far easier to point to a flag and complain, whine, gripe, etc.
The Confederate Battle flag is not a racist symbol, but it is a symbol of the South and her people of all creeds, colors, and religions. We in the South look to the good in the Confederate Battle flag, just like we look to the good in the United States flag. Both flags have been misused by groups and individuals yet that does not take away the good in either. We all can find faults in everything and everyone, but mature adults will always promote the best and try to improve where we fall short.
Fly the Confederate Battle flag; for the South, for her people, for all of our ancestors; black, white, red, and brown!!
Salutes to the Dodge County Commissioners for their continued stance of honoring the past, in the present!
He is going around acting like a nut the squirrels will be out soon in full force so I hope he just keep his mouth shut and go sit down somewhere.
Many others had been to the "Americas" before him yet he and others chose to take and make slaves out of people who were not naive but kind.Superiority & Entitlement has always been the problem of Most(Not All)caucasions, especially males. History proves that if they want something,they will have it by ANY MEANS NECESSARY. They have taken from every other race/continent/culture of without remorse, and call them barbarians In the name of Christianity,they have shed more blood& taken more lives and caused more harm than any other race. Yet all other races are ignorant. Their poorest believe that they are better than other races simply because he was born with "white skin".Today their tactics are not so blatant as before but they still MUST dominate others by denial of equal education, jobs,pay, and equal opportunity in all things.And promote Christianity for submission and forgiveness to withstand the ongoing cruelty. Fly the flag so that all races will look back on history and continue to remember the TRUE nature of the BEAST
Honey if you ain't seen all the programs, education freebies and jobs set aside for ONLY people of dark skin, then you have your head...oh never mind!
With the mind-set some people have, there will NEVER be enough done in their lifetimes to make up for wrongs done by others hundreds of years ago. Get over it and get some education. Uncle Sam will pay for it, I promise.
John Battle is living in another day and time someone needs to tell him to wake up and smell the coffee.
The Civil War was nowhere near the pinnacle of racial equality. That began in the 1950s-60s. Both flags represent a common ideal; that you should fight for what you believe in. The Union fought for their beliefs and so did the Confederates. The flag under scrutiny here IS still flown by some out of spite who are blind as the NAACP is, but most people raise it to honor their relatives and countryman who fought for what they believed in.
Comparing the KKK to the NAACP is like saying someone who was tortured, beaten and murdered is the same as someone dying in their bed peacefully of old age.
The KKK is an organization that was created by and for white supremacy because it's members feel that they are better than people who have brown skin, purely by grace of being born with white skin. They don't just think they're better than brown people. They want/wanted to rid the country of what they deemed to be unworthy pests. They organized bombings, murders, assassinations, and lynchings of black people for things like looking or speaking to white women, or worse, having the audacity to exist in the same space as a white person. They are a violent, hateful group that promotes bigotry and racism.
The NAACP is a group that was organized to fight for the most basic civil rights of black people. Rights that should have been guaranteed to them by the Constitution just for being a citizen of this country. While there may well be many members of the NAACP who are prejudice against white people or who harbor resentment from a lifetime of living as a second class citizen, their focus was not on exterminating or bullying whites. They fought hard so that black people could enjoy the same benefits as whites, receive equal pay, work and play in the same places, drink from the same water fountains, eat at the same restaurants, attend the same schools, receive the same education, and many other things we take for granted today. They did not specifically organize terroristic events, hurling bricks through people's windows, burning down their houses and destroying their property, murdering them and terrorizing them.
They are nothing like the KKK.
The local sheriff of this parish has the most power of any public official in Louisiana and in the US. If he stands with the citizenry , then the edicts of the corrupt court system will not stand.
If we do not put an end to this cultural marxist oppression, we will be continually oppressed until we have no rights of any kind.
Wake up!
cheated on their thesis, who cheated on their
wife , who had trouble with whiskey ? who
cheated on their religous people, by taking
the title rev. while denying the virgin birth ,
as well as the birth , death and arising .
comparing christian belief to mithrisum.
we all know hatred of whites is the glue
that holds the naacp together.
So therefore a lot of comments including mine was addressed toward black people. I agree there are some white people who are recieving government assistance but if John Battle had not started this issue over the Confederate Flag then there would not have been any need for myself(who is a minority)or anyone else to comment about the blacks.
I have been trying to send out a wake up call to the black community for a long time because I see some needs for improvement in the blacks community and this mess over the flag has given me an opportunity to do. I see so much that the blacks need to be doing in the community(they need the help of the NAACP) to better themseleves and some of the whites need some self improvement they need to take some positive criticism and work on themselves also. We are living in days where the government might decide to pull the plug on what they are assisting people with and I am one who try to stay in tune with the world around me and make those aware who donot know what might be happening from day to day.
Even the ones like myself who have worked hard all my life I have to continue to stay prayerful about the SSA program,medicare and keep in tune with AARP.
I hope all who have read my critisim about blacks realize that the flag flying at the courthouse that John Battle is making a big issue over, realize this should not be the focus of our day to day living and to all blacks please donot let it posion your minds and get you in the mentality that the white man is your enemy. Put your faith and trust in God and he will put people in your path to help you along the way and sometime it will be a white person . When I think back to how far I have gotten in life my thanks goes to God,the white man and some black people. Please donot let your minds be poisoned by the Confederate Flag issue because as a human race we all have to live on this planet earth together until God calls us home. If you donot have a church home then I would advice you to find one or attend a place of worship and there you will find that to dislilke another race is very much against the teaching of the true God (Jehovah) and his word the bible.
It is so sad that people say they love Jesus but on the other hand dislike their fellow man.
God bless all!
Missionary Cherokee
Missionary Cherokee
This is what I taught my children and continue to teach it to my beautiful grandchildren.
We all need to lend a helping hand to people of all races and they to us. Many black people in my life have given me a hand-up when I needed one and proved to be my friend, as have some whites.
That flag does not affect the daily lives of most of us; John Battle just wanted to stir hate and prejudice. That is really sad because some people look to him as a leader. So sad that he did not find a way to be positive and actually help people come together.
I believe we should teach our children that, yes, there are some things in this world that may displease us, but it should never affect or reflect on who you are and how you feel inside. And the only way it will, or does, is because YOU allow it. Nobody can dictate to you about your feelings for YOURSELF. God bless you, Cherokee, you sound like you adhere to the teachings of the Bible and the common sense that ML King espoused. May life continue to be good to you.
Missionary Cherokee
Under that flag, many thousands of Africans were transported to slavery in the New World. No Confederate-flagged ship ever made a slaving-run.
All Jim Crow laws in Southern States were passed by reconstructionist legislatures firmly under the thumb of the federal government flying that flag. (Plenty of Northern States, and the District of Columbia, had Jim Crow laws as well.)
That flag is the favored flag of the Ku Kluxers. See http://pointsouth.com/csanet/kkk.htm for pictures.
So -- if you want to cry down an offensive flag that stands for slavery and racial hatred, go for Old Glory.
Do they not realize they might be stirring up trouble for the BLACK citizens of Dodge County?
All Black citizens who are against what the NAACP is doing should speak out against the NAACP as a miniority citizen of Dodge County . I donot care what man thinks of my opinion but I want to live in peace and stay on the battle field for God.
The only way for me to do this is to not take sides with the NAACP who is trying to fight a battle when there should not be one to fight agains man in these days and times.
They should let it go and leave well enough alone. I am asking all WHITE citizens of Dodge County to not take a look at all miniorites on this issue as being behind John Battle and his mess. I have polled blacks on this issue and the majority I spoke with wants the NAACP to let it go and for all to live to in peace where this is happening in Dodoge County. This town is too small for such nonsense,the blacks have to work along side and deal with the whites here on a daily basis. There is no State or town where the black can go where they donot have to deal with a white man. Black people use your heads and retrain your mind from the past,let the past be the past. You will not go forward by looking in the past if you want to progress in this life and if you donot want too then please donot hinder the minority citzens of Dodge County who are not about this mess that the NAACP is creating I beg of you to take heed to what I am saying and let it go. To all my christian brothers and sisters no matter what race you are satan is roaming the earth as he has never roamed it before and all with a spiritual war can see this. We are to put on the whole armour of God as we have never put it on before because he is trying to stir up much trouble in these last days and use anyone he can against us and the NAACP is being used by satan. God Bless ALL!
Missionary Cherokee
We donot have to be like the so called pharisees of bibical time by showing our faces at a news conference but we can pray any where at anytime and not be heard or seen by man but by our lord and saviour Jesus Christ and our great God (Jehovah). God Bless ALL!
Missionary Cherokee
It seems that some people will not rest until all things that celebrate our history are gone. Well, if some people have to give up symbols, then others should, too. Black history month, black-only colleges, BET, black beauty pageants~~ these are all symbols of separation, and they should be discontinued.
And it is not a question of FEAR as much as a question of fairness. Some people say ~"You must give that up, but I am not giving up one single thing." And they go on to say~" Any black who does not stand with us, is an Uncle Tom." Well, you can stand by yourself, because fair is fair, black or white~ and it is not fair to keep removing all symbols of history.
Jesus was not afraid to tell man about a loving God as I am doing and that loving God Jehovah wanted PEACE.
Jehovah is a God of PEACE this is one of the missions that Jesus had on Earth he was not afraid to tell man that Jehovah wanted PEACE as I am doing on this website. Today we are not logged on here by chance but because this is a debate that has taken a different turn toward religion so I can say God wants us to be PEACEFUL among each other in Dodge County and let the issue over the flag go(let the flag fly).
Now let me ask you to get your bible and read some scriptures about PEACE---1corinthians 14:33,2Corinthians 13:11 and Hebrew 13:20 and then get back on this website and let us discuss it,it looks as if this has turn into a bible study site and this could be a good thing for some of us to learn about PEACE.
Now to my christian brothers and sisters out there if I quote a scripture that is wrong please correct me. God Bless!
He probably would say,you see it was never a race I created I just wanted to see how you would TREAT each other as a HUMAN BEING.
Let us all continue to pray for worldwide peace and especially here at home and please donot forget to pray for some rain.
We need peace and rain more than we need to fighting among each other over what,simply a flag.
Eastman is a quiet town and the distrubance that is going on is a bunch of hog slop.
The confederate sons nad daughters have a right to honor their past even it is about displaying this flag. If they cannot do this then the MLK parade should not be taking place here in January. Fair is fair and I believe in fair play. I can take the displaying of the flag because I understand what it truly represents and it doesnot have to do with SLAVERY it has to do with a SOUTHERN WAR. It would have been nice if MR Battle had gone to a library or on the computer to find out the true meaning of this FLAG now I am having to explain to the miniorities that are not educated enough to understand the TRUE meaning of this FLAG. Folks need to educate their minds about things then they would not be running round acting like a Jackass.
The problem lies within the folks themselves and the battle is all in their own minds it is not with another race that one think have wronged them. Their is a right way of getting things done. One can caputure a fly with honey better than he can with vinegar. The white prominent surnames are etched in this town and their roots run deep. Names that start with the M's the S's and the P's. So therefore one needs to think of the people they are trying to fight and not go up against them in this battle over this flag. How would one look to go against them and tomorrow need one of their help in trying to get something positive done here? Have some common sense even if you are not book smart. For the ones fighting about this flag they are out numbered in this battle and need to retreat they donot have any mighty warriors and sure donot have any backing from their chief(whoever that might be). If they say God then they are not serving the mighty God that tells us to have PEACE among ourselves and they sure is not serving the almighty God (Jehovah). God Bless!
Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you.
What would Jesus do?
Injustice to one is injustice to all.
You are trying to solve an earthly issue that might turn out to be violent but I was never about violence I was about my farthers business to lead folks to their heavenly home. Folks turn from your earthly ways and put your focus on heaven where things are peaceful. You will not find complete peace on earth you always will be fighting among yourselves about something but one day you will have to leave earth and so therefore try to make heaven your home. So leave them alone about that flag and follow me. God Bless!
If I read the banner correctly that was being held up at the news conference, it stated that the Lowndes County (Valdosta Ga) chapter of the NAACP is one of the chapters that is invovled with John Battle trying to distrub the PEACE. Well, Mr Battle it looks as if you have no backing from the blacks of Dodge County and this is a good thing but why are are you bringing outsiders to try and distrub the PEACE in our quiet enviroment(Dodge County) tell them to go home and see what they should be doing in their own community before they come here and try to start an uproar.
As I have previously stated most of the blacks here in Dodge County is not getting involve in theis mess because they want to live here in PEACE. They feel as if they donot have to put a dog in this fight becasue it is not worth fighting and I would say that the blacks are right to feel this way so all are sitting back and let that one man band, John Battle play on to a tune of supidity. I am praying that he will come to his senses and go sit down in a corner somewhere and regroup to come out with something positive that he can go to the white man and ask for some assistance in getting something positive done in black community.
We donot need to live and breathe hatred or teach the children of our future hatred these days. We all need to stay upbeat and keep and open mind and a positive attitude about life and this will take us very far in life.
If one is a decendant of slaves then they too might say they are the Sons and Daughters of the Confedercy because the slave owners were members of the confedercy.(Food for thought)
Is it toooooo Hard for people to understand that statement? Let me repeat it and see if it sinks into the understanding....
We ALL know that blacks are NOT the ONLY people receiving government aid. We all know the NAACP stands and works ONLY for blacks.
Is it clear yet????
I am a person who have worked hard like some whites and have accomplished somethings in life and my main accomplishment was a college education so I could raise and support my family without government assistance.
My advice to people of all races is to get a good education,work hard and play LESS because the REAL world is no JOKE and if college is not for you then, for whatever job you have be the best that you can be at it, even if it is digging a ditch,be a good ditch digger, with no laziness inside you.