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
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
169 comments Add your comment
midtownguy
November 21st, 2010
2:57 pm
Sonny as head football coach at UGA might not be a bad idea. He would run it just like he did State Government. Hire some good assistant coaches then sit back and do nothing except collect his paycheck and pray for victory.
DannyX
November 21st, 2010
3:15 pm
So true midtownguy.
Of course there would be the recruiting trips too. Sonny will travel the earth looking to score young recruits. China, Cuba, Russia, Israel, France, Thailand, Belize, Italy,Taiwan, and Hong Kong too.
All those places and dozens more have hidden football talent just waiting to be discovered. We’ll end up with a lot of place kickers, but so what.
Bring back some prize recruits Sonny!
Its up….. And the kick is good, woofwoofwoof.
missmollie
November 21st, 2010
3:21 pm
Georgia has a beautiful flag now, voted on by the Legislature…leave
it be. If you still want to fly the stars and bars go to an army surplus store and buy one and mount on your wall in your basement and
you won’t have to worry about being politically incorrect or hurting
anyone’s feelings. Buy you a CD or tape of Dixie and play it in your auto with your windows rolled up… PEACE!!!
DogGoneLiberal
November 21st, 2010
3:58 pm
Why bring this bull#h*T up again. The discussion has been done, get over it black and white people, there are other things like jobs and the economy we need to focus on beside a flag. Black people, stop trying to punish whites for their ancestors transgressions and white people this is not the post civil war south and all people have human rights, equal protection under the civil, moral and God’s law.
Gator Guy
November 21st, 2010
4:05 pm
Typical. Whenever one side takes control, they spend their term antagonizing the other side and getting absolutely nothing done. If you elect democrats, you get taxed to death. If you elect republicans, you essentially allow a corporate takeover of government. Our political culture has eroded so much that you either elect the lesser of the two evils, or you simply elect the other side every other time to bring things back to the miserable status quo after each side goes too far during their times of power. The political party has become more important to elected officials than the country, and that in essence, is why we continue to fail.
Liberal/Conservative
November 21st, 2010
4:12 pm
Who the hell cares?
Alex
November 21st, 2010
4:21 pm
@Independent: 5 million Dems in GA in 5 years? Good idea! You’d only need 1 million… or just register all the illegals in Dalton, Cobb County and Gwinnet County.
As for changing the flag, I can’t think of a WORSE or more POORLY TIMED idea. You ignorant Georgians better look around. You may not have a source of water after a while. The traffic is nuts as is the pollution. Your kids remain dumb with the next bunch being even dumber… the flag? Seriously. You all should just jump in front of a MARTA train if the flag is your number one concern.
A huge problem in Georgia is that the Georgia Democratic Party is apparently doing an absolutely crappy job of outreach. Seriously, how hard is it to convince those poor and no-toothed southern Georgians that the Democratic Party is trying to pass healthcare reform to help YOU? Instead of advocating for splitting up Fulton County, they need to go to the poor and show them how they are helping them. No poor person with a brain would ever vote for a pro-business conservative party unless they just hated minorities to an extreme. There is enough business and money in Georgia to engineer a blue wave crush.
double
November 21st, 2010
4:31 pm
Perdue and Irving very free with tax payer money.How much longer we permit this.Seems like the flag question is little compared with these raises.May be standard practice,but with economy as is think some responsibility should be shown.
the mehlman rings twice
November 21st, 2010
4:55 pm
On November 2nd the voters of GA sent a clear message and now Sonny just sent a clear message back to us.
Bobby
November 21st, 2010
5:07 pm
I pledge allegiance to the Confederate Flag with affection, reverance and undying remembrance. Those of you opposed to the public flying of the Confederate Flag and/or the playing of “Dixie” in public can move up North where you belong. Georgia wouldn’t be in such dire staits if we didn’t have to worry about so much political correctness.
UGA75
November 21st, 2010
5:09 pm
I am a disabled Vietnam Vet and have no problem honoring the original constitution which clearly stated we are first citizens of our state, then the nation. Our problems are largely created by the massive Federal Government, huge tax burden, and sending jobs overseas through programs like cap and trade. I agree with most everyone else here who says everyone’s priority should be jobs, smaller government (state and nationally), and hopefully improving our education system. If the legislators will do what they were elected to do they can do a Black power salute, wave the flag of their choice while saluting it or not, or just quietly do their job while ignoring those around them promoting idiocy.
TruthBe
November 21st, 2010
5:12 pm
The current Flag is fine and if they want to put the very honorable “Bars and Stars” back on the Flag that is fine too. But they should also get rid of all of the racist black give aways too. Georgia should be for all of it’s Citizens not just for the racist black politicans downtown. Black Politicans ONLY care about blacks and black issues period. Just look at Rep.John Lewis, Robert Brown, Emanuel Jones, and Mayor Reed.
TurthBeNot
November 21st, 2010
5:30 pm
TruthBe. Georiga is a one party GOP state now except for a couple of municipalities. So, with 90 percent under one party rule, you are going to single out a tiny group of minority lawmakers? Quit playing the victim card. You can’t control an entire state capitol, most counties, etc and still be a victim.
James Dean
November 21st, 2010
5:40 pm
You know, if we put all the controversy aside, I think most of us could say objectively (from an aesthetic perspective) that the 1956 flag is the only halfway decent looking one from that bunch…
James Dean
November 21st, 2010
5:41 pm
2001 looks terrible with an all-blue background, and 2003 is poorly proportioned. Then again, we all have better things to worry about. At least, we should.
Cardinal Sin
November 21st, 2010
6:39 pm
I say vote on it as most in GA want the 1956 flag but voting would make too much sense as we have to appease to the PC and the offended.
Enough Said!
Name (required)
November 21st, 2010
7:10 pm
Great, let’s get all the inbreds riled up over the redneck flag all over again.
Aren’t there important issues we should be focusing on rather than the ugly ’stars and bars’?
Winfield J. Abbe
November 21st, 2010
7:22 pm
Many posters above have basically said this: Mr. Perdue promised a public vote on the flag. He lied and failed to provide the citizens that opportunity for purely politically correct reasons. So far he got away with it. The lie is what is more important than the flag itself. A sitting governor lied to citzens. He also lied about the taxes when GA 400 was paid for. He also acted hypocritically when he claims to want to save money for the state but gives his cronies soft jobs in the state while others are being put out of their homes and jobs onto the street. Mr. Perdue also sold out the citizens of Georgia by wasting millions of dollars on a wasteful program at UGA when the Medical College of Georgia was in the position to use the money more effectively and efficiently. Mr. Perdue also stacked the Board of Regents with 12 out of the 18 members from UGA or cronies of them. This is why they recently approved the unnecessary and inefficient and foolish engineering school there. Do not keep blaming Republicans for all this: Remember, Mr. Perdue was a former democrat and largely responsible for the natural gas mess in Georgia too.
I still have a bumper sticker on my truck: “Let US Vote” with a picture of the beautiful stars and bars”.
How about it you politically correct cowards in the Legislature? Let us vote and also pass a new law providing for the public initiative in Georgia. Then perhaps citizens can get some badly needed changes in the corrupt government of Georgia for a change.
However, one must give credit to Mr. Perdue for obtaining the KIA plant on Southwest Georgia. However, he paid dearly for it.
the mehlman rings twice
November 21st, 2010
7:27 pm
Bobby,
You must be a victim of Zell’s lottery funded education system. If all us Northerners left do you think we would take our money with us? We certainly would not leave it they Georgia banks owned by Deal’s friends. Anyway, without northern money Georgia and most other southern state would have to fund their own welfare, namely, these rural grannies who collect their husband’s pensions and use their Social Security checks to go gamble in Biloxi. No more farm subsidies, no more rural extension services, etc.
sweettea-ga
November 21st, 2010
7:36 pm
I pledge my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America not an individual state. I am proud to be a native Georgian. That said, we need real leadership to help create jobs, build new infrastructure, improve education and a myriad of other issues that need attention. This flag “controversy is just pure worthless political posturing.
Winfield J. Abbe
November 21st, 2010
7:39 pm
I am not even from Georgia, but I love the song “Dixie”, and if some of you politically correct citzens don’t stand up and defend your great history and heritage, you are going to wake up one morning observing these do gooders tearing down your priceless monuments on Main Street in every town and county of this state, and it will all be “legalized” in some law passed while you were not looking over the shoulder of the politically correct cowards elected to the Georgia Legislature..
tom
November 21st, 2010
7:40 pm
Listen up-can’t you see and hear. We just had an election and the people of the great State of Georgia have spoken with their vote. The Republicans will run the State and not the Demorats. Georgians know who is needed in office to keep this a very PROgressive State.
Are they perfect? No. But their success rate is very high. I am proud to be a Georgian.
the mehlman rings twice
November 21st, 2010
7:45 pm
TruthBe@5:21
How about we get rid of white giveaways also, like sweetheart loans (even for daughters and son-in-laws), probation instead of jail, job entitlements, etc. We need to start with these politicans who only care about white issues like loyalty oaths, sleeping with lobbyists (and mother-in-laws), fantasy sporting goods stores.
brian
November 21st, 2010
7:54 pm
Its a piece of cloth nothing more nothing less. The only flag that matters is the us flag!!!!! Why is this an issue? I left this state because I could not go to work and keep a job because three companys i went to work for went under. Write your rep and tell them this is not the way to be re-elected.
GOPHOMIE
November 21st, 2010
8:25 pm
Who gives a $#!T about that stupid flag? Let’s just let it go and focus our energy and resources to creating jobs. Ya know, that stuff that actually MATTERS in our world today?
cs
November 21st, 2010
8:29 pm
LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!LET US VOTE!!
Kerry Craig Walker
November 21st, 2010
8:42 pm
Gov. Sonny Perdue let all of the people of Ga down when he did not allow the vote to take place….maybe we should have left the flag alone…this governor is a bit corrupted…but why should we put so much weight on a flag?…Gov. Perdue also covered up for the actions of Detective Preston Peavy when he attempted to frame me for crimes I did not commit…in fact, yes it’s true…I was the victim for God’s sake…search: kerry walker story
Sierra
November 21st, 2010
8:52 pm
The current GA flag looks like something the United Nations would design. It tries to appease everyone and pleases no one.
Rarely agree with the black Dems but I do on the pledge of allegiance issue. What about the state of Georgia deserves my allegiance? We are consistently near the bottom of almost every bad statistic you ever hear about: personal bankruptcy filings, school test scores, school dropouts, teen pregnancy, on and on. And we just elected a governor who will probably be imprisoned before his term is even up.
V. Johnson
November 21st, 2010
9:08 pm
It’s about jobs, stupid!
ryan
November 21st, 2010
9:21 pm
Yea why bring this to a vote people are loosing their homes because of the housing market Georgia loosing more small banks its the economy stupid this is worst than Harry Reid bringing up dream act
Political Mongrel
November 21st, 2010
9:28 pm
@Keith: Study history yourself. The founders were split between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. They were not universally in favor of state before nation. Just the ones you like.
4T9ers
November 21st, 2010
9:41 pm
It’s time for both parties to stfu…..we need people with real back bone in office.
Dave
November 21st, 2010
10:37 pm
Here’s a simple solution for the state flag: solid blue rectangular flag, with the state seal in white in the middle, similar to our very first state flag. Plain and simple, the best way to go. Nobody gets hurts, and everybody’s happy (well, most everybody anyway…). I wish we’d all get past this flag garbage, and concentrate on the things that really matter. And this is coming from a white conservative.
JLD
November 21st, 2010
10:41 pm
The confederate flag is a battle flag…………..the south isn’t going to rise again, the war is over and you lost!!!! Now if you want this thing to be flown to show what losers southerners are then keep flying the dam thing on the back of you pickup and your trailer.
Steve
November 21st, 2010
10:44 pm
The Dixiecrats are back in Georgia! They call themselves Republicans now.
Tom
November 21st, 2010
11:09 pm
Aren’t there more important things to cover this upcoming session?
Umm I don’t know, maybe JOBS???? Keep the current flag and don’t give the Dems something to complain about.
While yes the Confederate flag is from history, its also a sign that Georgia has not moved on. Its obvious enough all around our state. It is 2010 people!!!! Not 1861!!!
Georgia will NEVER prosper. You either have rich white kids who have never worked a day in their life; (most of them are lobbyists at the Capitol) or you have a bunch of rednecks with trash in their front yard. The middle class in Georgia is pretty much non-existent.
cs
November 21st, 2010
11:09 pm
Such fear liberals and whiners and yankee transplants have of our beloved Battleflag and Real State Flag, the one and only 1956. It is hillarious how they come on here and call us names and how backward we are. Home must not be all its cooked up to be for these idiots or they would have stayed their arses there.
Bill Orvis White
November 21st, 2010
11:48 pm
It’s pride, not hate – pure and simple. The politically correct crowd under King Roy and Jimmah Carter stirred this thing up and wasted taxpayer and legislature time. Sonny was handed this disaster which made him look bad. It’s not Sonny’s fault – look to the liberals who created this disaster.
In the end, the correct flag is the Confederate design because it is a symbol of independence. Again, if we had The Southern Coalition of the United States, all of these great Southern states could legally have the Confederate emblem on them.
No, you far lefties, this isn’t about being pro-slavery. The Civil War was about saying no to a huge centralized government that was telling these great states to do trade their way.
A new Southern Coaltion would be about operating under a pro-independence model. What is pro-independence? Pro-independence means that we get to make our own decisions on health care, education, the environment, jobs, religion and a dedication to a culture of life.
For far too long, we have taken marching orders from Liberal Washington whereby “leaders” like Hussein Obama, Wiccan Pelosi, Brain-Damaged Reid and Bawny Frank shoved secular progressive ideals down our throats.
We in great states like Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida and Tennessee need to stand up to installed-leaders who mock the values that we care about. I left out North Carolina because they went all liberal on the South with their public transportation and voting for Hussein Obama in 2008. Maybe they’ll change back to the right side in 2012.
We all have to remember that Hussein Obama is the worst and most incompetent president ever. Lil Hussein has a combination of Jimmah, FDR and Wilson mixed into one horrible stew. The result has left this country in its worst shape ever.
Amen,
Bill
Steve
November 22nd, 2010
12:05 am
What’s wrong with the flag we’ve got now, and why is this a focus? With all the controversy of the last flag vote, can’t we put the issue of a flag behind us? There are far worse things that we need to focus on than a silly flag, for crying out loud. The one we have now is not offensive in any way, shape or form. It if is, then get over it, and get out of the way, you silly backwards thinking idiots. There’s work to be done, and not on a stupid flag.
Bro
November 22nd, 2010
4:01 am
I suggest a flag with a marijuana leaf with Sambo running around it.
tim
November 22nd, 2010
7:39 am
The fact that Georgia is preoccupied with the stae flag explains why we have som much unemployment. Get your priorities straight and do some work. Georgia has had numerous flags and each meaing less than the one before. Ask most other staes they couldn’t tell you what there flag looks like they don’t care.
SuSu
November 22nd, 2010
8:01 am
This controversy is not a surprise in a state which requires all state employees to sign a Loyalty Oath before being hired. This Oath, dating back to 1953-54, is fallout from the McCarthy era and states that you will not seek to overthrow the State of Georgia government. Ignoring the fact that our state is one of the top 5 which needs overthrowing, the cost of collecting and maintaining these arcane documents makes me shriek in horror. Because we have an overabundance of politicians with not a single LEADER to be seen, this practice will continue until the stars cease to shine.
As a retired state employee I gladly state if I knew of a reasonable way to run the General Assembly out of town I would be at the front of the line to do so. They and our outgoing and incoming governors are the weakest group of pseudo “leaders” we have ever had. If they think they have a mandate to rule they need to consider the large numbers of people who did not vote FOR them but AGAINST someone else.
You do NOT have my oath to do anything other than to work for a better slate of candidates in 2012.
missmollie
November 22nd, 2010
8:02 am
If you really want to blame someone, blame Roy Barnes and Bill Clinton.
Clinton gave Barnes a citation for being responsible for removing the stars and bars. You might blame Jimmy Carter too??? You know what he stands for…Don’t blame Sonny, the entire Legislature voted for the
present, dignified, and beautiful flag…Let’s let it rest…
RainbowMittens
November 22nd, 2010
8:09 am
It is the height of idiocy to waste precious time and tax dollars on something so stupid. I have zero respect for either side for messing with this stupid issue. Quit wasting our time and money you dumb clucks!
missmollie
November 22nd, 2010
8:19 am
I try not to call an idiot a idiot even if he is an idiot. Expand your vocabulary and you want have to use idiot or stupid. “Poor judgment”, “no class”, “not very smart”, “not all his/her knives in the drawer”, and “not all his/her oars in the water”, “not very intelligent” to mention a few…
Danzy
November 22nd, 2010
8:48 am
The Republican party controlled the White House for 20 out the past 30 years. 1980-1992 (Reagan & Bush Sr). and from 2000-2008 (GW Bush). Pretty obvious who screwed things up, seeing how the GOP has ran the country the majority of the past three decades (1980-2010) Facts speak for themselves.
ROBOCOP
November 22nd, 2010
8:56 am
What this all boils down to in the end is a bunch of folks who have passed down from one generation to another their response to a civil war they lost almost 150 years ago. They would love a return to the good old days — including keeping one group of human beings under their control. They know they can’t afford to secede from these United States, but they want to promote a notion of being protectors of the Tenth Amendment. They’re a bunch of bigots who can’t get over the fact their great grandparents got their butts whipped trying to break away from the states in order to maintain a system of human bondage to make $$$$ at someone else’s expense. If they had any real morals, they’d move on to the real issues affecting this state.
ROBOCOP
November 22nd, 2010
9:02 am
Bill Orvis White
It’s guys like you who are the radicals. Yeah, sure — a set of states which just happen to be the same ones in the original list of traitors who want to have their cake and eat it, too: Southern Coalition of Independent States.
Go see psychiatrist. It won’t happen in your life time, you traitor.
The Centrist
November 22nd, 2010
9:17 am
After being elected time-and-time again as a Southern Republican, if they make a policy mess of things they are called a RINO. If they put some race-baited issue on the table, we are reminded that they are a former Democrat?
catlady
November 22nd, 2010
9:21 am
Well, with Nathan Deal as Governor and the other idiots in “leadership” of state government, I say we go with a white flag imprinted with the words, “Your slogan can go here for $10M.”