At Stone Mountain rally…
Confederate battle flag controversy
elicits some interesting responses

Recent complaints about the Confederate battle flag and Southern monuments and statues have elicited a variety of comments, including some of interest from Civil War re-enactors.

The flag particularly has come under fire after photos of accused Charleston, S.C., church shooter Dylann Roof surfaced depicting him with a miniature version of the banner. Since then, government officials, retailers and re-enactors have been criticized for selling the flag and any merchandise that depicts it.

At a recent rally at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta, flag comments from event participants were collected. Here are some things they had to say:

“It's a symbol, but it can be used in a lot of different ways. You have people that use a symbol in any depraved manner and twist it around. That's not right.” – Re-enactor Gary Newsman on use of the flag.

“Our mission is to portray the way things were during that period. We’re not taking sides. We’re a historical organization.” — President Ron Daniel, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Hernando Historical Museum on taking down the flag in front of the museum, which hosts re-enactments.

“We got a lot of unhappiness from some re-enactors. Others have understood very clearly.”— Lutheran Theological Seminary spokesman John Spangler on the reaction following announcement that the seminary would no longer use Confederate flags in the re-enactment at Gettysburg.

“The Confederate battle flag is a necessary part of history and it’s ... important to clarify history and not fall into some politically correct retelling.” – Union infantry re-enactor Mark Edmondson on the Confederate flag controversy.

“That flag probably shouldn't be flying at the capitol … but it's got a place in history. Our role as re-enactors is to teach history, not to present some watered-down misinterpretation of events.” — Louisiana re-enactor Grant Kohler on whether or not the flag should be flown.

“I can understand the removal from modern government buildings. I don't, however, agree with the removal from monuments, cemeteries and private locations.” — a post on CWReenactor.com, an online forum.

The rally was conducted near the bas-relief sculpture carved into Stone Mountain.  The sculpture shows Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee, President Jefferson Davis and Gen. Stonewall Jackson mounted on their favorite horses. The figures stand some 90-feet tall and together form the largest bas-relief carving on earth, covering three acres.

The carving was proposed and initially funded by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It took from 1916-72 to complete with one thirty-year gap when no work took place. The park, including the carving, was purchased by the State of Georgia in 1958 for more than $1 million.