The leaders and members of the heritage organizations of Georgia, represented here today, believe that we speak for the majority of Georgians when we state that recent pronouncements by certain leaders in civil rights organizations, in Atlanta City government and in the business community, relating to House Bill 380, are irresponsible and regressive.

For a speaker at a civil rights rally on the steps of the Capitol to state that there would be “no peace” if the citizens voted on their state flag, is irresponsible. It is a clear call for violence. It is a juvenile and patently un-American way to disagree. We call on the NAACP to repudiate his statements.

For the Mayor of Atlanta to state that allowing the people to vote on which emblem will represent them will result in “grave consequences,” when she should be calling on those she represents to go to the polls and be heard, shows intolerance and seems to call for violence. As a responsible leader, she should be calling on all Georgians to learn to accept one another, regardless of personal prejudices, not augmenting those prejudices and hatreds.

For the Director of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors bureau to speak out against the people having a say in their state flag, using imaginary economic projections, is another example of this regressive campaign. Obtainable governmental figures in other states where Southern symbolism has been victimized by campaigns of hate, shows clearly that there is no economic damage. In fact, the figures show that there is a considerable increase in profits.

For a citizen of Atlanta, who has been made obscenely wealthy by many Georgia customers, to make the statement that he does not want a flag change that will “offend a considerable portion of the population,” is an example of the brazen bigotry displayed by those of his ilk. Georgians are not so stupid as to forget that the flag change in 2001, wrought by the Governor’s expenditure of tens of millions of their own tax dollars, offended and deeply hurt the vast majority of voters. Were this wealthy Atlantan to tell the truth, he would state that he does not mind at all offending large numbers of Georgians, for that is precisely what he has done.

In speaking for the hard working citizens of Georgia, we state that if the civil rights community, the Mayor, the Convention Bureau and the wealthy sports team owner are afraid that ball teams will boycott their city, then they should pressure them to do the right thing. After all, it is they who will lose money. We, the working people, will continue to get by on our little pay checks. But, for these Atlanta leaders to state that a segment of the population should be censored or oppressed, so that they can make more money, is unacceptable to Georgians from all walks life.

We remind our opponents that this is America. When we are at impasse on any issue, we cast a vote. We do not call for violence, terror or economic sanctions. If these leaders truly understand the nature of the society in which they prosper, they will do the right thing and call on a fair vote, and settle the issue like ladies and gentlemen.  Apparently these leaders do not understand and must be told: the cultural heritage of any people, anywhere, is not for sale and its violent destruction will be resisted.

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