Post by pavel on Jan 14, 2016 2:37:49 GMT -6
Confederate battle flag unwelcome at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
The Sons of Confederate Veterans have carried Confederate battle flags in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo parade for years without overt controversy.
That changed for 2016 after months of backlash against the flag following the June murders of nine people inside a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Like many parades and other public events, the Fort Worth institution has told participants the battle flag is no longer welcome.
Gary Bray, Texas commander of the SCV, said his group has been forced to leave behind the controversial flags for many parades in the past six months. The organization has been one of the most active in rallies and litigation to prevent the removal of Confederate symbols and monuments.
“I’m not a black man. I’m not a brown man. I’m not a red man or a yellow man. I’m a white man,” Bray said. “But I’m telling you that I’m segregated. I am a minority. And I’m being picked on by the state of Texas and everybody else, and I’m tired of it…We’re in 2016, and we’re supposed to have civil rights. We’re fair game.”
Read more: thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/confederate-battle-flag-unwelcome-at-fort-worth-stock-show-and-rodeo.html/
The Sons of Confederate Veterans have carried Confederate battle flags in the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo parade for years without overt controversy.
That changed for 2016 after months of backlash against the flag following the June murders of nine people inside a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Like many parades and other public events, the Fort Worth institution has told participants the battle flag is no longer welcome.
Gary Bray, Texas commander of the SCV, said his group has been forced to leave behind the controversial flags for many parades in the past six months. The organization has been one of the most active in rallies and litigation to prevent the removal of Confederate symbols and monuments.
“I’m not a black man. I’m not a brown man. I’m not a red man or a yellow man. I’m a white man,” Bray said. “But I’m telling you that I’m segregated. I am a minority. And I’m being picked on by the state of Texas and everybody else, and I’m tired of it…We’re in 2016, and we’re supposed to have civil rights. We’re fair game.”
Read more: thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/confederate-battle-flag-unwelcome-at-fort-worth-stock-show-and-rodeo.html/