Hillsborough County to be home of the "World's Largest" Confederate Flag?

[Pewter Spot]

A giant Confederate battle flag may soon be flying near a Tampa highway intersection.



A Confederate heritage group called the Sons of Confederate Veterans plans to fly the 30-by-50 flag atop a 139-foot pole, the highest the FAA will allow.

The group, which bills its Confederate flag as the "world's largest," expects to have it in place by 2009, The St. Petersburg Times reported.

The group has building permits but still needs $30,000 to complete the project, which will be located on private property at the intersection of Interstates 4 and 75.

Organizers say the flag is not a racist statement but a piece of history. They hope it encourages people to stop and see a monument to Confederate soldiers that they plan to build.

Local NAACP president Curtis Stokes, however, says he was shocked to hear about plans to have the flag flying next year.

"I'm surprised that they would allow something like this to go on in Hillsborough County," he told The St. Petersburg Times.

Douglas Dawson, the Sons of Confederate Veterans' Florida commander, told The Times he is aware that a giant Confederate flag flying 24 hours a day over two of the Tampa area's busiest roads will cause controversy.

But he says it is important to honor ancestors and celebrate heritage.

Some local business owners are worried the flag will drive customers away, even if they are not personally offended by it.




I highly doubt Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Barack Obama or Jeremiah Wright will allow this to happen. Even though it's in support of a historical museum.

[TURBO]

now THERE is something to be proud of.

 

[cyberdude557]

Its called Southern Herritage.

[TURBO]

it's called a symbol of "hate", but you rednecks can paint that picture any way you want to.

[Pewter Spot]

Hate or not, it's a symbol of Southern Heritage and that should be respected.


And btw, who said we're rednecks? I hate country music and not one of my family members live in a trailor or out in the "counrty".


I've seen Rap Video's sporting the Confederate Flag.

it's called a symbol of "hate", but you rednecks can paint that picture any way you want to.

i know i saw this on news this morning? i just don't get how waving this flag can you make you proud? imagine if they would've won the civil war. we wouldn't have the free nation we have today. well if you want to call it that...
but it would be a lot worse in my opinion. how about by showing you're pride by waving an american flag, not a flag that represents racism and slavery.

[SnookAU]

Simple solution to this problem.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans should fly THIS flag instead:




The average person is too stupid to know what flag that is so it would avoid any complaining. 

That's what they did in Georgia for the new state flag and NO ONE complains about it anymore. 

Ignorance is Bliss.

[John Galt?]

Its called Southern Herritage.

Until the next storm, then it will be called hazardous debris or deadly missile.

And for a City heavily dependent on tourism, it is a determent to the economy.

[cyberdude557]

The South is alive and well...

[TURBO]

The South is alive and well...

slavery isn't!

and they lost the war...

[SnookAU]

While we're at it, they should go and dig up and remove all the graves of Confederate soldiers, too.  Afterall, they lost the war.  Why should those guys be honored with a peaceful resting place?

[TURBO]

While we're at it, they should go and dig up and remove all the graves of Confederate soldiers, too. Afterall, they lost the war. Why should those guys be honored with a peaceful resting place?

a bit extreme don't ya think?

we lost the viet nam war, are losing the iraq conflict, are you suggesting that we dig up our dead from those two wars as well?

I don't understand your oruginal point.

[MrFreakinMiyagi]

While we're at it, they should go and dig up and remove all the graves of Confederate soldiers, too. Afterall, they lost the war. Why should those guys be honored with a peaceful resting place?

, are losing the iraq conflict,

Not really

[Pewter Spot]

are losing the iraq conflict

This is an unsubstantiated and pathetic left-wing wacko opinion.

[SnookAU]

a bit extreme don't ya think?

we lost the viet nam war, are losing the iraq conflict, are you suggesting that we dig up our dead from those two wars as well?

I don't understand your oruginal point.

It was sarcasm.  That's all.

My point is that just because the Confederacy lost the war, doesn't mean people can't be proud.  The "SONS of Conferate Veterans" sounds like an organization that honors their ancestors that fought in the Civil War.  I don't see a problem with that.

Digging up Confederate soldiers graves is a ridiculous idea.   It was sarcasm. 

That's why I even suggested flying the first national flag of the Confederacy instead of the traditional redneck version of it.  Seems to me that, the SCV would be fine with that because its actually the TRUE flag of the Confederacy... AND it wouldn't draw ANY controversy because the average idiot on the street would have NO idea what it was.  Both parties get what they want -- one get to fly a Confederate flag and the other isn't offended because they don't even know what the flag is.   Worked for the Georgia state flag.  I'm sure it would work in this situation.

I'm actually going to email that idea over to the Florida Division.