With the up coming Sesquicentennial of the War for Southern Independence, be assured that their will be more of an effort by those who will want to remove symbols of the Confederacy. My hope is that we can avoid these incidents with education. The Division has the resources to do this and we are working on more of them.

With that said, there is an ever increase on our students who wish to display their pride in their heritage, either by having a bumper sticker, shirt or the Confederate flag itself. We’ve had many this school year and many more, I’m sure, will come.

Here are a few guidelines to follow when faced with a student incident:

1.   Determine if flag has been used in any other incidents (go back a year or two) where it caused a substantial or material disruption.  In other words is there a history where the flag has caused a disruption?

2.   Get a copy of the school’s dress code.

3.   Check out the students discipline history – determine if he is a good student with no significant discipline problems at the school

4.   Determine if his parents are willing to proceed and stand behind the student.

5.   Are there any other students being singled out.

6.   What kind of symbols do other students wear without being punished.

7.   Have student try taking down flags and replace with SCV license plate, rear window screen or something not quite as flamboyant and see if he gets punished for that. Schools can usually control manner of display as long as they don’t try to control content. Have him wear SCV golf shirt or Dixie outfitter shirt (you choose it for him so we control message).

8.   Find out if student has Confederate ancestry – enroll student & father in SCV and have him buy SCV license tag.

9.   If flag is still banned it is time for an attorney to write letter to principal & school board and start administrative process.

10. Camp must sponsor student.

Notice the last guideline, the local Camp is the frontline of defense and offense on our Heritage. The local Camp can be the first responder in these types of incidents and must respond quickly. The faster the better and we are likely to be successful in correcting the situation. Remember what Gen. Forrest said, “Get there first with the most.”

When a Camp receives a report of a heritage incident (violation) the Camp Commander or Camp Heritage Officer should report the heritage violation to the Heritage Chairman in your Brigade. The Brigade Heritage Chairman should then contact his Brigade Commander and the Division Heritage Officer. Heritage violation responses are best handled at the local level, in cooperation with Brigade and Division level officers.

Any disrespect shown to our Confederate Heritage should be considered as “serious”. Remember to always remain calm and to respond in a manner befitting the dignity of the heritage we seek to preserve. Those persons or groups who cause a heritage violation often do so in a manner deliberately intended to provoke us into intemperate response. Do not play into their hands by over-reacting. We should always handle ourselves as the responsible Southern gentlemen that we are.

David Anderson

Division Heritage Officer