(Smokey Mountain News) About 20 Southern heritage supporters lined a bench of Haywood County’s historic courtroom in Waynesville Monday, a show of force county commissioners were likely prepared for as they took on the perpetually controversial issue of Confederate flags: are they a symbol of hate or of heritage?
Some wore suits; some wore jeans and T-shirts; and a couple others sported beards and leather biking vests.
The mixed-matched gathering came to talk to county leaders about their passion for the Confederate battle flag and present their argument for why the board should allow a pint-sized version of the emblem to adorn the base of a Confederate war memorial on the courthouse lawn.
The board of commissioners heeded the advice of several Confederate flag supporters and will spend the next few weeks researching the history and precedent surrounding the display of the controversial flag before deciding whether to permit it on county property. Until then, the flags will continue to be prohibited.
“If you create a policy, you need to make sure that policy applies to everyone across the board,” said Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick. “I think we probably need to do a little more research into this matter.”
Read the rest HERE!
