Dear Heritage Defenders:

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful week. Things went very well at the Nathan Bedford Forrest celebration in Memphis last weekend.  I know that those who attended really enjoyed themselves.  It was a rough trip for HK, Kirk and Kirk's son William who accompanied, but they got back safe and sound. Kirk brings back news of a school heritage violation in Shelby County Schools (Memphis) that is being investigated. We do have some good news to report in Meigs County, Tennessee.

Meigs County

We were initially contacted by Ron Tharpe. Lt. Commander and past commander of the Patrick Cleburne SCV camp # 811 in Decatur, TN notifying us that Meigs County had denied them the right to fly the Confederate flag on Confederate Memorial Day on the county flagpole.  The Patrick Cleburne camp was steadfast in their stance.  HK Edgerton and Kirk D. Lyons traveled to Decatur, on very short notice, to a meeting of the County Commissioners to support the Camps right to fly the flag.  At that time the County attorney said he would prepare a legal memorandum on why displaying the flag on a County flagpole is inappropriate. The SLRC also promised to prepare a legal memorandum stating that the County was well within the constitution and the law in allowing the SCV to use the flagpole once a year. Lt. Commander Tharpe personally delivered our memorandum to the Commissioners at their meeting on Thursday, July 17.  The County Commissioners will vote on this matter and all indications are that they will grant the Cleburne Camp's request. Good job to the Patrick Cleburne camp and TN Div Cdr Earle for all their devotion and hard work!

Curtis Storey

Today we filed an appeal with the Third Circuit, United States Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Curtis Storey case. Curtis Storey, you may remember, was fired from his job as a Brinks Security Guard for displaying a Confederate flag on his lunchbox and bumper sticker.  Burns was assigned as a guard at a SONY plant in New Lancaster, PA.  The stickers were displayed for almost nine years with no problems.  Storey was finally ordered to remove the stickers or face dismissal.  This at a Sony plant where some management staff display Rising Sun Japanese Battle flags in their office.  Storey was fired and we filed EEOC complaints on his behalf alleging discrimination based on race, religion and national origin: Confederate Southern American. The EEOC denied the claim and lawsuit was brought on Storey's behalf in a US District Court in Pittsburgh, PA.  The Court dismissed our case after completely ignoring numerous affidavits filed to show that Confederate Southern American is a valid national origin and that the Confederate flag is a legitimate Christian symbol.  But we were not surprised or alarmed to be turned down at the District Court level.  We seek to make law; to insist on a new interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and for that we needed to be at the 3rd Circuit.  So now our appeal brief has been filed.  We will keep you posted!

Fund Raising Controversy

I wanted to take the time to address an issue currently pressing on the SLRC.  As case manager I don’t voice my thoughts and feelings very often, I just deliver the facts to you, our supporters.  Kirk recently sent a confidential email to some of the SCV Division commanders.  The email was requesting a resolution from the floor requesting funds of the first available heritage money to be given to the SLRC.  One of the recipients apparently felt compelled to forward this email to Allen Trapp, Commander for the Army of Tennessee and Pete Orlebeke, Past Commander-in-Chief.  Trapp and Orlebeke, with the help of disgraced former ANV Commander Charles Hawks, have forwarded this message on to anyone in the country with a computer.  The intention of forwarding Kirk's message was to try to humiliate the SLRC, to make us feel ashamed for asking for money.  Nothing in Kirk’s email message was untrue.  Just like in any business, things are tough. Especially when your own people are working against you and giving aid and comfort to nasty scalawags like Morris Dees.  If we cannot ask our own for money, whom can we ask?

Our Southern ancestors were men enough to see that our God-given sovereign states rights were being taken away. They stood up against a military behemoth and fought for those rights.  Think back at what our ancestors endured and what kind of men they were.  Our ancestors would be ashamed of the men some of my SCV friends pass as "Compatriots."  These same "Compatriot's that claim to be proud of their southern heritage, while shooting arrows at other SCV members who are trying to advance the Charge of Stephen D. Lee.  And just so you know, everyone at SLRC is associated in some way with the SCV.

To these "Compatriots" I say:  If your purpose of being in the SCV is to throw road blocks up for people that are actually working for preserving Southern heritage, why don’t you just save your breath, pack your bags and move up to New York City?  You might fit in better up there. You are not proud of your southern heritage and not worthy of your ancestry.

You apparently don’t want to see your grandchildren free to wear a Confederate flag shirt to school if they so choose.  You don’t care if your fellow Southerner can’t have a Confederate flag sticker on his truck working at the plant.  You just don’t care at all.

All you are doing is window dressing and I am sick and tired of watching an organization whose mission I fervently believe in careen around the many potholes and roadblocks erected by the likes of you.  Grow up and be real men or move somewhere up North where they might understand your sentiments more.

To our many valued and loyal supporters I say thank you again for your unselfish generosity that keeps the SLRC ship of state afloat.  Please donate today as there is two feet of water in the orlop deck.

Pledge to the SLRC today. Your pledge is tax-deductible!