How Democrats can avoid the next fight over the Ga. flag
Is it possible for the upraised middle finger wielded by so many of you in metro Atlanta’s traffic lanes to become — in say, the next 100 years or so — a greeting of welcome and brotherhood?
Your answer to the question, believe it or not, could determine what kind of future Democrats have in Georgia. At least in the near term.
At the state Capitol, we are on the verge of yet another culture war over our state flag. Early this month, while they were emasculating Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in Macon, Senate Republicans took a spare moment to declare that all members of that chamber will be required to recite a daily pledge of allegiance to the Georgia flag.
The 1879 Georgia flag
The author of the proposal, state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, said he had no intention of igniting a debate over state sovereignty. But inside and outside the Senate, those who would like to see the federal government shrink to its 19th-century waistline will certainly see it as a sign of favor.
Two important Senate Democrats, both African-American, are having none of it. “An abomination,” said Minority Leader Robert Brown of Macon.
“I think what is being done here is symbolically saying we are somehow not a part of that country that remains America,” Brown said.
The 1956 Georgia flag
Emanuel Jones of Decatur, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, thinks likewise.
But two other Senate Democrats, both white, said they would have no problem with a pledge of allegiance to the state flag — and we will get to their reasons in a bit.
Last Monday, the executive committee of the state Democratic Party held its post-disaster assessment of the November elections.
About 30 attended in person, including many of those on the statewide ballot. An additional dozen or so listened in via a conference call.
It was not a happy group.
African-Americans, the unquestioned base of the Democratic Party, spoke of being underappreciated. White Democrats from rural Georgia complained about being ignored.
Many pointed that, even though Roy Barnes, the nominee for governor, had a desperate need for female voters, little support was offered to the party’s most prominent female candidates — Carol Porter, the candidate for lieutenant governor; Georganna Sinkfield, secretary of state; and Mary Squires, insurance commissioner.
The 2001 Georgia flag
Georgia Democrats are fractured and demoralized, and they will spend the next two months searching for new leadership and a new direction. A racially tinged fight over the state flag and the Tenth Amendment when the General Assembly convenes in January would come at exactly the wrong time.
It doesn’t necessarily have to happen. Those who forget history aren’t just condemned to repeat it — they are eternally destined to get angry at the wrong things.
The current flag of Georgia was, in fact, patterned after the first national flag of the Confederacy. A state version of the Stars and Bars was adopted in 1879, not long after the departure of the federal troops who had occupied Georgia since the end of the Civil War.
It was indeed a middle-fingered salute. Similar gestures came from other Southern states.
But in Georgia, the power of the insult diminished over the next seven decades — to the point that a new middle finger was required in 1956 during the South’s fight to preserve segregation. Georgia’s all-white Legislature adopted a new flag featuring the inflammatory Confederate battle emblem.
With the adoption of the ‘56 flag, the old flag assumed a new meaning. State Rep. Tyrone Brooks, D-Atlanta, an African-American, began to advocate a return to the Stars and Bars — to the point that white legislators began referring to the first flag of the Confederacy as the “black” flag.
This is why Barnes pleased very few when, as governor, he finally brought the ‘56 flag down in 2001, replacing it with a blue banner.
Barnes lost his 2002 re-election bid to Sonny Perdue — who promised a vote on the ‘56 flag and its Confederate battle emblem.
The 2003 fight to sabotage the new governor’s pledge could be called the last great Democratic victory in the state Capitol. The most influential but silent figure behind the effort was Jimmy Carter — one of the few times the former president ever inserted himself into state affairs.
The 2003 Georgia flag
Carter insisted on a return to the Stars and Bars flag — the middle finger of 1879 and the “black” flag of the 1980s. State Rep. Bobby Franklin, a Cobb County Republican, produced an initial design. State Sen. George Hooks, a Democrat from Americus and occupant of Carter’s old Senate seat, perfected it.
African-American lawmakers lined up in support. Kasim Reed, the future mayor of Atlanta, engineered the new flag’s passage in the Senate. Terry Coleman, the last Democratic speaker and a Carter protégé, cast the deciding vote in the House.
Hooks is still in the Senate and has declared that he’s eager to lead the first pledge to the state flag. State Sen. Jason Carter, D-Decatur, who was elected this spring and is the grandson of the former president, says he will recite the words gladly.
If Democrats want to avoid a damaging split, they will have to reframe the situation handed them by the GOP.
Yes, the notion of sending even a subtle signal of rebellion would be unacceptable to most Georgians. As Barnes noted during his campaign, the Yankees do have nuclear weapons now.
But the idea of watching Republicans swear daily fealty to Jimmy Carter’s flag — this is something that people might pay to see.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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169 comments Add your comment
cs
November 20th, 2010
11:54 pm
What about the education you ask Martha?
number 10 of the The Communist Manifesto
10.Free education for all children in public schools.
Business Man
November 21st, 2010
12:15 am
There you go again Jim, kicking the fire ant hill. It is a non-issue and you know it. I remember when you used to be a serious politcal reporter. Try to go back.
Rule .303
November 21st, 2010
12:34 am
Seriously? This is really old news…I mean like 2002. Even the flaggers don’t care anymore. Jumbo G, you’ve lost it.
mike
November 21st, 2010
2:28 am
While education in this state is near the bottom when compared to the rest of this country, and the economy is in the pits, the best thing those goobers elected is to bring up pledging to a stupid flag. You dumb red necks should be proud of yourselves for looking like a bunch of morons. But when you grow up under the education system here in Georgia this is what you get. Politicians who are illiterate or crooks and take your pick on those two.
JuneBaby
November 21st, 2010
2:33 am
Enter your comments here
JuneBaby
November 21st, 2010
2:48 am
“I Pledge Allegiance To The Flag Of The United States Of America, And To The Republic For Which It Stands, One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All.” That is the only pledge to a flag that i will ever make. I will neither pledge to, or salute the Ga State Flag, as long as the current party of morons, along with the imbeciles who elected them constitute the power structure in this state. I will never vote to secede from the United States Of America, and will oppose any faction that does. If This State trys to leave the Union, then i promise to take up arms, if asked, on behalf of the union in opposition. 150 yrs of history repeating itself!!!!!
Native Georgian
November 21st, 2010
5:33 am
Jim: Must be s slow time for important political items.
The way you wrote this makes it seem to me as if you are
trying to stir up unwanted controversy. No one has
yet proposed a change of the state flag. The proposal is to pledge alligence to the flag at the start of official state government secessions. If a legislator wishes not to do this, they can simply remain silent.
light on policy
November 21st, 2010
6:39 am
As a practical matter, what would seccession look like for Georgia’s economy? Who or what would back our currency given the bank failures of this state and FDIC takeovers?
light on policy
November 21st, 2010
6:43 am
Regardless of political affiliation, it should be a scary thought for Nathan Deal to be involved in signing fiscal policy. The good news is that all our seniors won’t have to worry about Federal SSI. The tea partiers would have their wish
Keep doing this GOP
November 21st, 2010
6:56 am
But………..but……….. we have to legislate important issues like people putting microchips into and on their bodies and making sure if you run over it , you can bring it home.
And there are posters who say there is loonie Democrats ?
Selah
November 21st, 2010
6:59 am
“Wisdom, Justice, Moderation”. We cant possibly embrace such notions. What an outrage! What a plot to take us back to slavery! This must be about race, right? Everything is about race.
Yankee in Gooberville
November 21st, 2010
7:01 am
A new golden calf for the pagan idolatry of the idiot right wing
Bill Campbell
November 21st, 2010
7:20 am
The rest of the Democrats will get the boot in 2012!
Omarish Yahirash
November 21st, 2010
7:22 am
The only good Yankees are those in the graveyard!
riff-raff
November 21st, 2010
7:59 am
We pay these dumbasses to go to Atlanta do this?We need to clean all of them out.
An American Patriot
November 21st, 2010
8:27 am
Save your Confederate Money Boys, “The South’s Gonna Rise Again”. Yankees, go home…..Blacks, take the chip off your shoulder, we didn’t sell you into slavery, your own people (Blacks) did…..go spit on their graves.
Tom
November 21st, 2010
8:51 am
Hey Jim, Tell us just what the Pledge to the Ga flag says? You forgot that! Man,is it sometrhing terrible?
Freedom Fries
November 21st, 2010
9:15 am
How much all of you posters want to bet that 80 percent of all the work in the 40 day legislative session will be over drawing district maps? The other 20 percent will be deciding what state agencies will lay off employees in order to balance the budget.
One Party Rule
November 21st, 2010
9:17 am
Remember, during the upcoming legislative session, one party rules the entire state Capitol. Instead of fighting Democrats, the GOP will be in-fighting over district maps.
Sea Worthy
November 21st, 2010
9:27 am
“The idiots in Atlanta…” That says it all!
NB Forrest
November 21st, 2010
9:40 am
The flag issue is over! Barnes defeat means the end of the war. Symbolically we lost but realistically we won. Our enemies are now in the minority party and they can whine all they want while we run the State. Nice to have them put in their place……
Dohickey
November 21st, 2010
10:00 am
A bigger and more important story is how the GOP is giving each other huge raises with our tax dollars while the state suffers.
the mehlman rings twice
November 21st, 2010
10:04 am
Right Dohickey! After reading what Sonny Perdue just did why not change the flag to a big white banner with a big green dollar sign in the middle of it?
the mehlman rings twice
November 21st, 2010
10:08 am
light on policy @ 6:39 am
Excellent point! Also notice that most of the bank failures are in rural areas, areas not controlled by “those idiots in Atlanta”?
Wendy Breeze
November 21st, 2010
10:19 am
I’m sorry, but WTF does the GA flag have to do with ANY issue in Georgia today? I’m so sick and tired of all these arrogant a-hole politicians, GOP and DEM, coming up with BS distraction after BS distraction to keep us arguing among ourselves while they rape and pillage the state and country.
I just read this morning that the govenor’s staff just received raises?! While the state and school systems are lying off people, these SOBs feel they are justified in getting a raise?
I don’t have a solution, but I’m smart enough to know the answer sure as hell doesn’t lie within the Republican or Democrat parties. How much longer can we allow this crap to continue?
Wendy Breeze
November 21st, 2010
10:20 am
sorry…but I meant ‘laying off’
Wendy Breeze
November 21st, 2010
10:23 am
Dohickey you’re part of the problem, too, you dummass. It’s not only the Republicans giving their staff raises…..Read something other than the funny pages, dummass. Across the country, they, Democrat and Republicans alike, are handing out raises like candy while their states suffer.
DLink
November 21st, 2010
10:34 am
Just a question, where is all that money going from the GA 400 toll now that 400 is paid for? Seriously, argue flags, and mysterious pledges all ya want. WHERE’S OUR MONEY GOING?
Russ 555
November 21st, 2010
10:42 am
Dumb idea. Very dumb. Why am I not surprised?
Biff Jones
November 21st, 2010
10:55 am
America’s new politically correct pandemic that will lead to our destruction . “Kissing the Black and Brown Ass”.
Stanford
November 21st, 2010
11:12 am
The GA flag facts come to one simple FACT – Sonny Lied!
You should be accustomed to republican lies; that’s all they do.
The Flaggers have turned into ‘Baggers, but they are still being manipulated by their rich republican sponsors. The GOP uses their hate, fear and ignorance to trick them into voting against their own best interest. The republicans will continue to drag up these phony issues because they have nothing else to offer the middle class; they will continue to be the party of the rich, for the rich.
Tax cuts will be paid for with a return to middle class taxes on food and drugs, new hidden fees and cuts in essential services. Our highways are jammed with traffic, bridges are crumbling and our teachers, firefighters and police officers are being laid off. We’ve had more than eight years of republican dominated government at the state, county and city levels; we are deeper in debt with no end in sight or any plan for the future except to continuing the divisive GOP polices to put the burden on working families and the blame on someone else.
DannyX
November 21st, 2010
11:26 am
The Georgia Republican Party was given a huge mandate. The voters have spoken.
The anti-Tea Party one party rule Republicans that run this state have been told to carry on.
Ethics? Who needs them said the voter.
Transportation? Its just not important.
Education? Why bother?
Water? Whatever.
Bank failures? The Fed will bail them out.
No lets get down to the business of the People. Word on the street is that Deal wants Hartsfield/Jackson Airport in state control during his first term. He’s said to be very jealous of Sonny’s new roads and Port Authority jobs program awaiting the current governor.
Deal wants H. Jackson Airport in state control so he can lay the groundwork for the start-up of “DanD Airlines” (Deal and Daughter Airlines.)
A vote for Deal was also a vote for DanD Airlines.
It’s called a mandate Democrats, get over it.
yuzeyurbrain
November 21st, 2010
11:32 am
Democrats get over it. The election is over and you lost. Now don’t take the bait for every trivial act of stupidity that the Republicans dangle before you in an attempt to keep their Tea Party base distracted. Save your ammo for important things. The salute to the Ga. flag ain’t one of them. Be patient. Remember, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The Republicans will overplay their hand and it is only then that the people of Georgia will reject them.
BeamMeUp, Scottie
November 21st, 2010
11:52 am
I am fully convinced that these people (the GA legislators) are all in it for the contacts and the money. If you want to know why I feel this way, just spend a little time watching them on GPBS. We have the morning prayer, the pledge to the flag, the morning preacher (and his sermon), the morning doctor, and his/her speech, the………it goes on, and on…….and they just keep adding things!
They work three months of the year – 3 hours a day, usually 3 or 4 days a week (until the end of the Session), in a Capitol 10 feet deep in lobbyists – who have PREPRINTED slips of paper to call the person out of the Chamber – while in Session. They have Secretaries passing out these slips of paper to Pages, who take them into the Chamber – where the Legislator reads them and checks off a box, telling the Lobbyist if they can get up and come out of the Session! Do you think there is anything important going on behind those Chamber doors???? Looks like to me that the Lobbyist in the hall has the power! And when these people that ran for office are not in the Capitol, they are running to breakfast, lunch, dinner, receptions, etc. by these same people that packed the halls. (Yes, I know, they do have Committee meetings that do some work, but my opinion is that there is a lot more eating, drinking, and partying than working.)
We can talk about education, transportation, and water all day long, as long as we don’t pass anything that will interfere with my BAR-B-Q!
Native Georgian
November 21st, 2010
12:04 pm
Let’s put it to a statewide public vote and see how quickly the prior state flag flies again. This is one of the reason that Barnes lost the governor’s race no matter how much the liberal AJC and its followers deride the majority of Georgia citizens their choice. The 1956 flag is the one we grew up with and it’s the one we want. Get over it already; the South is Southern.
On a related note, it’s nice to see you “progressives”, socialists, democrats and liberals squirm. You may have 30% of the US population on your side and control of the white house and senate now, but we are not going to give up the fight easily. Eventually you too will get hit in the pocketbook and start to look at things rationally. There is no free lunch, and you are the minority!
DannyX
November 21st, 2010
12:27 pm
Native Georgian is exactly right.
The Tea Party is not welcome in Georgia.
The Georgia Christian Coalition of Good Ol’ Boy Republicans will crush you. Save your rhetoric for Obama and the Democrats.
You Tea Party radicals better not come here talking about “We the People” and stuff.
Our Governor will be expected to haul in big bucks from DC like our current Gov has done. In fact Sonny fired off a letter on behalf of ALL Republican Governors demanding more federal dollars.
Our politicians are career politicians. Get over it Tea Party. And we make our Republican leaders rich. Its an entitlement.
Give up our meal ticket lobby friends? Get lost.
There will also be more Georgia Power give-aways, and short skirted Atlanta Gas Light lobbyists.
There will also be Atlanta Gas Light give-aways- and short skirted Georgia Power lobbyists.
Get this through your thick skull Tea Party People, you are not welcome here.
We don’t want your kind around here!!
DannyX
November 21st, 2010
12:39 pm
Hey Tea Party…..
Keep your hands off my Government Football!!!!!!
Go Bulldogs!
Cardinal Sin
November 21st, 2010
1:16 pm
Let’s vote on it and how ever it turns out, oh well!
Enough Said!
stephen
November 21st, 2010
1:56 pm
This is what happens when you elect a bunch of fourth graders to offic. I remember as a child learning the three words set into the state seal and appearing on the flag. Anybody out there in the legislature know all three? Yeah, i didn’t think so.
Would it be too much to ask them to deal with some of the problems that actally effect the citizens of the state?
Hector
November 21st, 2010
2:10 pm
Why can’t we vote on it!!!!
midtownguy
November 21st, 2010
2:15 pm
My Georgia Tech friends don’t like the “UGA Arch” on the current flag, go back to the 1879 one.
I mean, football is THE most important thing in this state, right? I mean Mark RIcht’s performance as coach is much more important that the silly Governor. He gets a lot more hits on the Sports blogs that the Governor does here.
We have better things to concentrate on, like catching up with Florida, Alabama, Auburn and now even South Carolina for Pete’s sake! We are surrounded by Crystal Footballs yet we don’t have ANY. I say lets furlough more state employees so we can pay more for a new football coach.
Ben Thinken
November 21st, 2010
2:19 pm
If someone were to write an article in the AJC suggesting that ice is cold it would quickly turn into a Democrat vs Republican issue.
PR
November 21st, 2010
2:19 pm
Who the hells cares about the state flag? The state has more important issues than the stupid flag. Georgia’s leaders need to get their heads out of their butts and start addressing important issues not the G*d Damn flag. No wonder this state is screwed up!
Ima
November 21st, 2010
2:23 pm
I suggest that the state flag be replaced by a solid red one with a big black G in the center.
The Government is the problem...
November 21st, 2010
2:27 pm
Yeah, if they drop all those college football programs, then maybe they’d have enough money to pave something outside of 285. I wonder how much tax payers money is wasted there each year? Who really has time to watch any ’sport’s’ anyway? Judging by the girth of the average american, I’d say plenty of people… Go Dawgs, give me a break. I’m no huge fan of any of the current parties, but eh dems are just that, dim.
DannyX
November 21st, 2010
2:40 pm
Breaking NEWS…
Gov Sonny Perdue has fired University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt and has named himself as Richt replacement.
“I was out of a job anyway and it was time for Richt to go. I have always dreamed of being a head football coach. I actually have experience, I did play a head coach in a Hollywood movie,” said Perdue.
Perdue, who is term-limited and can’t run again defended the once proud socialist football program. “Sick ‘em, woof,woof,woof,” he growled.
Coach Perdue will takeover after the last game.
lacy
November 21st, 2010
2:41 pm
No wonder our state is screwed up!! Our legislators are dealing with the state flag and other such petty issues, and Perdue is giving his staff huge raises while the state suffers economically. Come on, you rednecks in the legislature, do something about job creation, the economy, education, transportation, and water ; and for God’s sake, don’t worry about Martians implanting chips in our brains. We already dealt with that last time!!
CobbGOPer
November 21st, 2010
2:44 pm
They’ll have everybody screaming about the flag as cover, so Raw Deal’s army of lobbyists can complete their hostile takeover of the state government without all the scrutiny, and ensure fat pockets for themselves in perpetuity.
Chuck Allison
November 21st, 2010
2:44 pm
Jim Galloway, I have noticed that you never, ever seem to have anything to write about. If I were you, I would try to write an intelligent article so your boss won’t realize that you are having this difficulty and let you go.
Real American
November 21st, 2010
2:46 pm
They need to find out where Obama put all our guns so we can get them back.