The Sons of Confederate Veterans have raised a giant Confederate flag 139 feet in the air (and lighted at night) over one of the busiest Interstate roadways in all of Florida, but what is most disturbing is that this is just phase one of a Florida State wide program to have giant confederate flags installed near other busy Florida intersections and also to get Confederate license plates approved for Florida registration of vehicles, are you kidding me it ain't 1964 anymore, the Confederate Battle flag was also the standard of the KKK.
By the mid-20th century the Confederate battle flag had been fully appropriated by the Klan and other extremists, who displayed it at cross-burnings and lynchings and to show resistance to black demands for civil rights and equal treatment under the law.
See the Sons of Confederate Veterans website here
SEFFNER (TAMPA INTERSTATE I-4 &I-75 JUNCTION) - Amidst renewed controversy over the Confederate flag, the symbol of the old South is flying over Seffner.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans has hoisted the flag -- which, at 30 feet by 50 feet, they call the world's largest -- at a plot of land near U.S. Highway 92 and Interstate 75, and visible from I-75's busy interchange with I-4.
The display is in honor of Jefferson Davis' 200th birthday, the group explained. Davis was president of the Confederate States of America until his capture by the Union in 1865.
The same group announced plans over the weekend to erect the flag permanently as part of a private memorial at that same location, generating mixed feelings among many in the Bay Area. The Confederate flag has largely disappeared from public places. It was removed from the Hillsborough County seal in 1994. However, the private flagpole falls outside the jurisdiction of Code Enforcement. Late Tuesday, the Anti-Defamation League came out with a statement strongly condemning the decision to put up the flag.
"While the Confederate battle flag is seen by some as a symbol of cultural pride, the flag has an historical association with slavery and has been used by hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan to symbolize white power and superiority," said the ADL. The group says it plans to support the NAACP's work to try and overturn the legal authorization for the flag.
"Many Americans of all races, national origins, regions and religions regard the Confederate battle flag to be a modern-day symbol of racism, intimidation, hatred, oppression and violence - all of which are in stark contrast with American values," the statement continued.
The League says it's sent a letter to the Hillsborough County Commission condemning the flag.
From the website of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, a letter explaining that the Tampa flag is just part of the larger State wide program "Flags Across Florida", and how to donate cash.
Commander John W. Adams, Co-Chairman
Flags Across Florida – Tampa Site
303 Wisteria Ct. Deltona, FL 32738
Toll-Free: (877) 473-5235
jadams54@cfl.rr.com
March 6th, 2006
Dear Friend of Southern Heritage,
It is with the greatest personal excitement and anticipation that I write you this letter. I have the pleasure and honor of announcing the beginning of the fundraising phase for the development of a unique and special piece of property at the major junction of Interstate 4 and Interstate 75, in Hillsborough County just outside Tampa, for the Flags Across Florida program.
This property is owned and controlled by the Florida Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans and actually abuts the interstate. Simply put, this is SCV private property! This interstate junction handles over 200,000 vehicles per day. The property has been under our control since shortly after it was purchased in January of 2004. It was given to the Florida Division by a very sympathetic donor who is also a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Since January 2004 we have meticulously done our work to acquire proper approval for site development from governmental planning and growth officials in Hillsborough County and to have the property legally zoned as a legal non-conforming plot for a “lighted public park”. We have also obtained authorization from the FAA allowing and permitting the placement of a 139 foot flagpole. This site will be developed as a park with parking in front, and a monument and flagpole area in the main section.
We have engaged the services of an award-winning architect from the Tampa area to create for the SCV, a visually stunning and conceptually unique Confederate Veterans park. The park will feature inscribed walls for names of donors, and their ancestors, historical markers, and dedications, and will be complemented by artistically designed landscaping to form what we believe will become a focal point for Confederate-minded folk across the nation.
Rising out of the center of the site will be the crowning glory - a 139 foot flagpole which will fly a 30 x 50 foot Confederate Battle Flag with proper and sufficient lighting for nighttime illumination. The site will be dedicated to the Confederate Nation of 1861-1865, to its people, to its president, to the soldiers, sailors and marines of that nation and to the Cause of Freedom for which they fought.
This is your opportunity to be a part of this effort. Fundraising is on three levels:
1. Individual (name sponsor or ancestor) Inscriptions;
2. Memorial Marker Donations;
3. Corporate Donations.
If you have any questions concerning this program, please contact us at the number listed above. This “Flags Across Florida” site, although owned by the Florida Division, will be self supporting. Funds raised for this site are kept in a dedicated bank account and are not commingled with any other funds. Oversight, control and development of this site is the responsibility of the Florida Division, SCV, and its local camps. Our mission, in this time of ceaseless attacks on our heritage, is to make certain that our community and our children never forget that the sacrifice and suffering of the Confederate people was for the highest and noblest of ideals.
Sincerely,
John W. Adams, Co-Chairman, Flags Across Florida
