By Tiffeny Owens

STAFF WRITER

Gov. Robert Bentley’s decision Wednesday to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol has again revived debate over its role — a symbol for hate and discrimination or simply a piece of Southern history.

Bentley’s executive order comes on the heels of a groundswell against the Confederate flag. Earlier this week, South Carolina announced legislators will debate removing it from atop of its capitol, and major retailers scrapped merchandise with the flag.

Alabama Rep. Corey Harbison, R- Good Hope, said his constituents have told him they oppose Bentley’s decision and want the flag flying again at the Capitol. He acknowledges the governor’s authority to take it down, however Harbison said he wouldn’t have done it if he were in Bentley’s position.

“I’ve heard from different groups that say it stirs up hate and bad feelings from the past, but to me, it’s no different than a Civil Rights statue of a Alabama State Trooper beating up a black teenager. That causes hard feelings too,” Harbison said. “It’s what you make of it. Flags don’t hurt people. People hurt people.”

West Point Mayor Kenneth Kilgo, a military veteran and active in the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said he and many others are disappointed in Bentley’s decision.

“The Sons of Confederate Veterans of Cullman do not condone any type of racism, bigotry and discrimination against anyone,” he said. “What happened in Charleston South Carolina was a tragedy, and we pray for those families. But what that young man did does not represent our organization.”

Although disappointed by the governor’s decision, Kilgo said the Sons of the Confederate Veterans will continue with their efforts as a professional historical preservation society and present it through a Southern perspective.

“We are a federally chartered 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, and we have as our primary history Southern history education programs, grave marking programs, reenactment programs, scholarship programs and many other community, state and national projects.  Over the last two months we have marked the graves of Confederate soldiers in many cemeteries in Cullman and Winston Counties.”

Kilgo said in February, the camp dedicated its February newsletter to black Confederate soldiers to support Black History Month.  

“I think the governor’s decision is more about political correctness rather than discrimination and hate,” Kilgo said.

West Point is home to the Crooked Creek Civil War Museum at the battle site where Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Union Col. Abel Streight fought for several hours at Crooked Creek, then went on to engage in the Battles of Hog Mountain and Day’s Gap in April 1863.

Earlier this year, the Cullman County Commission approved no longer closing county offices in recognition of Confederate Memorial Day, a state holiday in April. Instead county offices will close on Good Friday, joining several counties across the state to switch.

* Tiffeny Owens can be reached by email at towens@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 256-734-2131.