HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93009_0063APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD
REQUEST FOR PERMISSION TO FLY THE CONFEDERATE FLAG ON
CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY: A group of citizens called Sons of the
Confederate Veterans were present to ask the board to allow them to
fly the Confederate flag at the County Government Center on
Confederate Memorial Day, which is May 10 in North Carolina. Mr.
Tom Allison represented the group in making this request of the
board.
Mr. Woody Woodard, president of the NAACP, spoke in opposition
to the flying the flag. He said he spoke on behalf of at least
14,000 residents of the county. He said he was not opposed to
persons flying the Confederate flag on their homes, but was opposed
to its flying on state and county office buildings.
Chairman Haire thanked Mr. Woodard for his comments.
MOTION from Commissioner Boone to grant permission as
requested by Mr. Allison, to fly the Confederate flag on this
building on Confederate Memorial Day in commemoration of the
300,000 veterans he mentioned, in particular in commemoration of
the 500+ men from Iredell County who sacrificed their lives
fighting for the Confederate Army.
Commissioner Hamby said she thought it was inappropriate to
fly the Confederate flag. She said she did not want to dishonor
anyone who fought for what they believed, but this Confederate
flag means many different things to many different people, and she
did not think it is fair to fly it.
Commissioner Boone noted that the first state to consider
seceding from the Union was Massachusetts, during the War of 1812.
After Lincoln's election as President, South Carolina and several
other states of the Deep South withdrew from the Union. North
Carolina elected to remain in the Union; Iredell County citizens
voted, by a margin of nine to one, against calling a state
convention to consider secession. After the firing on Fort Sumter,
Lincoln called on North Carolina and other states in the Union to
furnish troops to suppress the "rebellion." North Carolina
citizens had only two choices --either fight against South Carolina
and the other Southern states, or join them and fight against the
Northern invasion. Iredell citizens felt that had no alternative
but to case their lot with the Confederacy.
Commissioner Boone said that the causes of the War Between the
States were complex, and that many issues divided the agricultural
South and the industrial and mercantile North. Disagreement over
the protective tariff was at least as important as was slavery.
Indications were slavery would have eventually been abolished no
matter what the outcome of the War.
Boone concluded that the Sons of Confederate Veterans did not
intend to create any controversy, and they did not intend or desire
to offend any citizen of Iredell County. Their only intention was
to honor the 300,000 men who gave their lives serving in the
Confederate armed forces, and particularly the 500 Iredell men who
made the ultimate sacrifice. This should be no more controversial
than honoring the veterans of any of the wars we have fought.
Commissioner Madison spoke about his vote on the matter. He
said he thought everyone should be included in the county. He sees
this as one segment of the population who wants to honor its
ancestors. He said he would support the proposal to fly the
Confederate flag.
VOTING: Ayes - 4; Nays - 1 (Hamby).
PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATION STUDY - DAVID M. GRIFFITH COMPANY:
Mr. Hal Scott and Steve Foster, along with Martha Gouge of DSS in
Black Mountain, were present to discuss the personnel