Writing Samples

Blake Merrill

Mrs. Lovell

English 1102

19 April 2004

The State Deserves the Right to Vote

            After being the center of attention on battlefields of the Civil War the Confederate flag has now become the focal point of a battle being fought between the citizens in the state of Georgia. For forty five years the flag that flew over the Georgia capital contained both the state seal and confederate battle flag. The flag was adopted in 1956 when senators Jefferson Lee Davis and Willis Harden came before the General Assembly and offered the new flag design (Irby). The bill was passed, and on February 13, 1956 the flag was raised over the state capital (Irby).  In January of 2001 the flag came under fire when the State Legislature and former Governor Roy Barnes decided on a new design and passed it through legislation in only six days (Irby). The new flag consists of the Seal much more prominently displayed in the center of the flag and the five flags that have flown over Georgia. The flag was immediately greeted with much distaste form Georgia citizens calling it both a bad design and disgrace to the men that served in the Civil War. Seeing an opportunity to win the 2002 governor’s election, Sonny Perdue guaranteed the citizens of Georgia the ability to take a vote on which flag they want flying over the capital. However, instead of allowing the people to vote the old flag back into order, Perdue angered many citizens by only putting the Barnes flag and a new flag Perdue himself created (Copeland). Allowing the citizens of the State of Georgia to vote on the flag that flew from 1956-2000 would solve the controversy surrounding which flag the majority of Georgians want to see over the Capital.

            To understand why many of the citizens of Georgia prefer the former state flag, the historical value of what the flag portrays must be brought into view.  In Richard Irby’s “A Concise History of the Flags of the Confederate States of America…” it states the original Confederate flag was called the stars and bars and consisted of a circle of stars on a blue background in the upper left corner, two red stripes, and one white stripe. On the battle field, soldiers and officers could not tell the flag apart from the Union’s stars and stripes flag. So after the Battle of Bull Run, General P.T.G. Beauregard decided to adopt a flag that was distinguishable from the stars and stripes and was flown over every Confederate battle regiment (Azarian 6). He began designing the flag by looking at the designs of the different flags separate platoons of the army had taken on. A congressman by the name William Porcher Miles suggested a design that incorporated the ‘x’ shaped cross of St. Andrew. The x shaped cross is said to be the one that St. Andrew, the brother of the apostle Peter and patron saint of Scotland, was crucified on. Beauregard felt that since many Southerners traced their heritage back to Scotland the flag would help many of the soldiers feel pride (Azarian 6). The confederate flag first flew over the state when it had spread through the army and was a recognized symbol of the Confederate States of America. After the war Georgia returned to the union and decided to make a new state flag. Herman H. Perry stepped in and presented the first official state flag which was closely modeled after the original “Stars and Bars” except that the stars were taken off and the left side was completely blue (“The Georgia State Flag” 1). For the next few decades, changes such as adding the state seal and changing the dates on the flag were made, but there are not many records of why or how these changes were made. The flag was again changed in 1956 to the flag that has spurned the controversy and was removed by former Governor Roy Barnes in 2001 and replaced by his new design.

            After Barnes changed the flag to his design, there was public outcry that the new, “uglier” flag was a disgrace to the brave veterans of the civil war. The flag was labeled “The Nation’s Ugliest State Flag” by the North American Vexillological Association which studies flag designs (Copeland). There were also arguments about the religious and historical value the 1956 flag held. Many people felt that since one of the first State flags that flew was a flag modeled after the first flags of the Confederate States of America that one should still be flying over the capital. Also, many families of veterans felt like the changing of the flag was an attempt by the government to forget that part of American history. The veterans and other citizens argue that the flag never represented racism; it is simply a symbol of the history that has developed Georgia into the state it has become today.

As Georgia quarrels over its flag, many other states have also had similar troubles trying to determine how to save the sites and symbols that represent their southern history. Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas are engaged in heated debates whether or not they should have to change the names of schools and how they teach the history of the Old South (Copeland). Many old south support groups feel that taking away the Confederate symbols is an attempt to erase all of the Confederate history. Brag Bowling of the Sons of Confederate Veterans says, “Every time we lose one of these little fights, it enlists more fighters, and it makes the average person angry” (Reingold). Removing the confederate symbol from the flag has the veterans of the war descendents enraged and many others upset because they feel it is taking away from the state’s history.

            In the midst of all the controversy surrounding the flag an election was held in 2003 that elected Sonny Perdue governor of Georgia by a majority vote. The main point of Perdue’s election campaign was his promise to allow the citizens of Georgia to vote on whether or not they would like the old flag back. After winning the election, Sonny Perdue even said, “I think it’s apparent from the campaign that Georgia is somewhat a divided house on the issue of what symbol represents its flag, and today, I’ve asked my floor leaders to introduce legislation that would call for the people of Georgia to settle this, once and for all in a referendum” (“Analysis: Confederate Battle Emblem”). However, the vote did not come swiftly, and in 2004 the ballot that was used to decide did not contain a space to vote on the flag that flew from 1956-2000 (“Georgia’s Voters”). Instead there was a different flag choice that had been designed by Perdue’s staff and offered as another option. The flag was a rebirth of the old “Stars and Bars” flag that was used before the 1956 change. Many voters remain confused about why the Perdue changed the flag again and were upset with the fact that he was voted into office and did not deliver on the promise of letting the state settle the situation. Perhaps if he had done what he originally stated, which was he was going to let the citizen’s vote on the original two designs, the heated argument that has been going on for almost a decade would have finally been put to rest.

The public’s view is still one of dismay as they feel the new flag Perdue designed did not get enough attention nor did it go through enough public debate (Bhagwandin). Also, southern heritage groups that helped Perdue to become elected are up in arms over the fact that Perdue did not include that 1956 flag on the ballot (Copeland). In recent surveys, two-thirds of the people in Georgia want to settle the argument through a referendum showing the fact the Georgians just wanted a fair vote that would show which flag they wanted on the pole (Bhagwandin). One third voted that they felt the symbol was a reminder of oppression and racial division while over fifty percent said the confederate flag was a symbol of history and heritage (Bhagwandin). The state citizens showed in the survey that they did not feel the 1956 flag was doing any harm, and there was no reason to take it down. One of the underlining truths is that there was no vote to change the flag in the first place. When an argument was brought up about the flag Governor Barnes was feeling the pressure from social rights activist groups and hastily made the change to the flag. The changes in 2001 left many people feeling that the government of the state felt they could make serious changes to the state without any public input. After the 2004 referendum that allowed the public to choose between the two newer designs, many people feel that the state is just attempting to push more and forget all of the Confederate past.

            Opposition to the 1956 state flag began when many African American leaders from the civil rights movement in the sixties claimed that the only reason the flag was changed in 1956 was because it showed how the state was completely against desegregation. What the leaders did not comment on is the fact that the flag that flew previous to the 1956 change was also a flag based on an old confederate battle flag. The change of the flag was defended by the Southerners as a memorial to all of the soldiers that fought and died in the Civil War battles. More recent opposition was brought up when, in January of 2000, Atlanta was to host the Super bowl. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Joseph Lowery threatened to boycott the Super bowl and more events in the near future if the flag was not changed. Then in 2002 the civil rights groups approached the National Collegiate Athletic Association and demanded the Men’s Final Four be relocated from Atlanta to any other city because they felt the flag was promoting slavery and racism (Bhagwandin). The fact is the state of Georgia should be able to reserve the right to fly their flag anywhere and not have it challenged by those who are not involved or do not live in the state. The flag is flying in a new era where civil rights have become equal and where racism, although still present, has decreased dramatically.

 An argument can be made that drawing attention to the flag could just bring the negative aspects back rather than just leaving them to rest. African Americans are aware that if a vote was held for the 1956 flag it would most likely win. Rev. Charles White, the director of the NAACP’s Southeast Region, has said, “If it were up to the majority of the state of Georgia, slavery would still be legal, and lynching would be the law of the land” (“Blacks Protest”). What White must understand is that many people have put the past behind them and just want to see the old flag fly as a memorial to those who were killed in battle. A NAACP resolution from 1991 stated that all confederate symbols should be removed from all public places for the African American to be able to live their 14^th amendment right stating they have the right to work in a non-hostile environment. As the NAACP and others fight to erase confederate symbols from all museums and icons they must understand that many people in the south do not want to see a very important time in history washed away.

            Despite the repeated tries of Georgia’s state legislature many experts believe that the controversial argument over the state flag will never be resolved. The only real solution that could put the two sides at rest is a fair vote that incorporates all of the flags and the new designs. Then the people will be able to show which flag the state of Georgia wants flying over their capital building. Until then, the voters will continue to try and persuade the governor they elected to stand true to his word and have the vote. The citizens of Georgia should be allowed to vote whether or no they want the flag containing the confederate symbol or the other two non-publicized designs. The only true resolution rests in the voice of the people. The state of Georgia is part of country that prides itself upon the rights, and voices, of the people that live in the borders. Therefore, if a matter is presented that the people of the state have a right to be a part of there must be a vote. Otherwise, the government could lie and control every situation to end the way they wanted it to. Sonny Perdue should live up to what he used to get into office by allowing the citizens of the state of Georgia to vote with a ballot that has a place for 1956 Georgia flag

Bibliography

Azarian, Alexander and Fesshazion, Eden. The State Senate. Senate Research Office. The Flag of Georgia: The 1956 Change In Its Historical Context. Atlanta: SRO, 2000.

“Analysis: Confederate Battle Emblem on Georgia State Flag.” Morning Edition. Narr. Bob Edwards. Perf. Susanna Capelouto. Washington D.C. 13 Feb. 2003. Proquest. Odum Lib., Valdosta, GA. 13 March 2004<http://gateway.proquest.com>.

“Blacks Protest Georgia Governor’s Call for Vote on Bringing Back the old State Flag.” Jet. (3 March 2003): 103. Ebscohost. Odum Lib., Valdosta, GA. 13 March 2004 <http://gateway.proquest.com>.

 Bhagwandin, Sharon. “Resurrected Confederate Flag Issue May Cause Problems in Georgia.” USAenews. 13 March 2004 <http://www.usaenews.com/lainc_nodues.htm>.

Carrillo, Karen Juanita. “Georgia Lawsuit Will Challenge the State’s Flying of a Confederate Flag.” New York Amsterdam News. (2001): 4. Ebscohost. Odum Lib., Valdosta, GA. 13 March 2004 <http://mars.lib.uga.edu/cgi-bin/homepage>.

Copeland, Larry. “Georgia Leaders Try to Skip Controversy in Flag Vote.” USA Today 2 March 2004. Ebscohost. Odum Lib., Valdosta, GA. 13 March 2004 <http://mars.lib.uga.edu/cgi-bin/homepage>.

“Georgia Voters Choose State Flag.” CNN.com 2 March 2004. 14 March 2004 <http://us.cnn.com/>

Irby, Richard. “A Concise History of the Flags of the Confederate States of America and the Sovereign States of Georgia.” About North Georgia. 14 March 2004<http://ngeorgia.com/history/flagsofga.html>.

Reingold, Beth and Wike, Richard S. “The Confederate Symbols, Southern Identity, and Racial Attitudes: The Case of the Georgia State Flag.” Social Science Quarterly (1998): 568-561. Ebscohost. Odum Lib., Valdosta, GA. 13 March 2004 <http://mars.lib.uga.edu/cgi-bin/homepage>.

“The Georgia State Flag.” Netstate. 14 March 2004 <http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/ga_flag.htm>.