Confederate flags had flown daily at the Higginsville site and the Fort Davidson State Historic Site in Pilot Knob, Mo., until they were ordered down in January 2003 by Gov. Bob Holden's administration.
That decision came shortly after a comment by then-Rep. Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, who was running for president at the time, that the Confederate flag should no longer fly "anytime, anywhere" because it is a divisive symbol.
Blunt viewed that decision as being made "at the whim of a presidential candidate," said his spokesman, Spence Jackson.
"The governor has a long-standing view that the State Parks Advisory Board should make decisions after Confederate flags had flown daily at the Higginsville site and the Fort Davidson State Historic Site in Pilot Knob, Mo., until they were ordered down in January 2003 by Gov. Bob Holden's administration.
Blunt supported legislation, which failed to come to a vote this year in the House, that would have allowed the state park board to decide whether the Confederate flag should fly over Missouri's historical grave sites. Many black lawmakers opposed the bill.
Jackson said Blunt directed the Confederate flag to fly Sunday at the request of Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa, whose district includes the historical site. McGhee said he was acting on the request of several Higginsville residents.
There are others ways of including the confederate flag in a historical display that doesn't include flying it from a flag pole. One could mount it on a wall or put it in a display case along with other historical items. It seems to me this is the moral equivalent of running up a Nazi flag at Auschwitz. I think the whole "discussing with scholars about the appropriate display of the flag" is doubletalk. This part of the story is telling "Jackson said Blunt directed the Confederate flag to fly Sunday at the request of Rep. Mike McGhee, R-Odessa, whose district includes the historical site. McGhee said he was acting on the request of several Higginsville residents."
Mary Ratliff, president of the Missouri State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was irate when she learned Friday of Blunt's decision.
"It is just appalling to me that the governor would again raise a flag that is so humiliating and reminds us of the vestige of slavery that has divided our nation for all these years," Ratliff said.
What can I say - "The Culture of Life" at it's finest.
Below is a map of Missouri showing the location of hate groups within the state. Go here for a key to the symbols. I note St. Louis is filled with them. Even more disturbing is the fact that one is apparently about ten miles away from me (in Bridgeton).
Hate Groups In Missouri
