Jonathan Romans Gets Served ! A Fine August Day at the VMFA

YOU'VE BEEN SERVED!  

Guess who showed up on the Boulevard yesterday?  When our Flaggers arrived at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) for an afternoon of flagging, they were quickly joined by this man.  Our readers may recall that Richmond Police had reported that they were unable to locate Jonathan Romans to serve him warrants for assault and disorderly conduct, issued after several recent attacks on our Flaggers. 

Our Flaggers immediately called the police and VMFA security came out to assist.  

After detaining him for nearly an hour, the warrants were secured and served.  Mr. Romans was not very happy and made quite a scene, yelling and attracting all kinds of attention.  

He will soon have his day in court and we will follow up to make sure he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  October will mark 5 years of our ongoing protests at the VMFA, after museum officials forced the removal of Confederate flags from the portico of the Confederate Memorial Chapel, on the grounds of Robert E Lee Memorial Park, established in memory of the Veterans who lived and died at the Lee Camp #1 Old Soldiers Home.

We acknowledge and respect the rights of any citizen to do the same, but will not tolerate those whose behavior violates the law or who attack our Flaggers in any way.  The recent arrests and convictions are sending a clear signal to social justice warriors in Richmond that their uncivil behavior will not be tolerated, and we hope that Mr. Romans soon gets the same message.

New Flags Installed at Memorial Battle Flag Sites in Danville, Virginia

At our last flag raising in Danville, Virginia, we asked for help from the attendees to collect the funds needed to pay for the 30' x 50' flag that was raised on Hwy 29 that day. We were absolutely thrilled when the Danville community ended up giving more than twice the needed amount, so that we not only covered the cost of the world's largest Confederate Battle Flag, but we were also able to order new flags for several of the other 13 Danville flag sites.

Today, our friends at Sky High Poles have been busy changing out flags, including this beautiful new Army of Tennessee Battle Flag now flying at the very first Danville Memorial Battle Flag Site, on 58 at the main bridge into town.

Maintaining these sites is a challenge, and we could not do it without the outpouring of community help and support that we have received, especially in Danville.  MANY THANKS to all of our supporters who have contributed to help raise and maintain these flags, and to the men who serve as guardians of the flags...in Danville, and across the Commonwealth!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHESTER I-95 FLAG?

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHESTER I-95 FLAG?

Thank you for your inquiry. We have been overwhelmed by the number of citizens who have contacted us, upset because they passed the site and did not see the flag flying. Our favorite messages are from those who say the salute it every time they pass by.

Several weeks ago, we began the process of extensive site improvements at our I-95 Chester Flag Site. The 50' flag pole needed repair and was removed. The site work is scheduled to be completed this fall and the flag will return. A re-dedication ceremony is planned.

The I-95 Chester flag site was the first Highway Memorial Battle Flag raised in the Commonwealth. Since it was raised on September 28, 2013, we have added 25 more to the skyline in Virginia. 14 of those are located in and around Danville, where members of Danville City Council voted to remove a 3x5 Third National Confederate Flag from the Confederate monument on the grounds of the Sutherlin Mansion, the Last Capitol of the Confederacy.

We have several sites currently under construction, including two in Charlottesville, where Charlottesville City Council wants to tear down the Robert E. Lee Monument, and will be scouting for sites in Portsmouth and Alexandria should they attempt to remove or in any way altar the Confederate monuments there. We are also watching the situation in Fairfax very closely, where a small group of agitators has pressured the school board into forming a commission to explore the possibility of changing the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School, in spite of the fact that students, alumni, and members of the community are overwhelmingly opposed to the change that would cost the citizens of Fairfax an estimated 3/4 of a million dollars.

The Virginia Flaggers Highway Memorial Battle Flags are dedicated to the Glory of God and our flags fly in memory and honor of our Confederate dead. They also serve as a reminder that there are still many of us with the blood of our Confederate ancestors flowing through our veins who will not sit idly by while the honor and memory of our Confederate Veterans is attacked...and will stand up to the politically motivated bullies who want to erase every vestige of our Confederate history and heritage from the Commonwealth.

Charlottesville Blue Ribbon Committee Vice-Chair John Mason Needs a History Lesson

Honorable Members of the Commission:

Professor John Mason, Vice Chair of your "Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces," has been quoted as saying that "Robert E. Lee, as everyone knows (?!), commanded the Confederate Armies in a war that the essential purpose of which was to preserve slavery and white supremacy."

This is "the propaganda of the victorious" in a nutshell, touted by "Court Historians" for a hundred and fifty years, and condensed for our politicized, sloganeering, short-attention-span, emoting, low-information-voters in our sound-bite, TV-commercial attuned era.

The truth of the matter - if anyone is interested enough to look into it objectively - is that Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Armies defending the South in a war waged against her by the North, whose essential purpose was invasion, conquest, and coerced political allegiance. 

If you take down the statue of Lee, you'd better take down the statues of George Washington while you're at it, and put up statues of Lincoln and George III - or maybe Karl Marx to satisfy the Radical Egalitarians - in their stead.

H. V. Traywick, Jr.

*Photo courtesy Judy Smith Photography

Charlottesville - Robert E. Lee Monument & Park Update/Call To Action

In the months since we held a "Save Lee Park" rally in Charlottesville and spoke at the Charlottesville City Council meeting that night, much has transpired .

Sadly, we regret to report that Mr. George "Tex" Wells passed away last week after a courageous battle with cancer.  The last time most of us saw Tex was at the "Save Lee Park" rally in Charlottesville in April. He was ill then and very weak...and should not have been standing out in the sun, but he INSISTED on coming and standing up for Robert E Lee, against what he felt was a huge injustice. A Vietnam Veteran, Tex  was well known for his portrayal of Gen Robert E Lee, and was a tireless advocate of the general and a fierce defender of our Cause. The South has lost a true hero, and many of us have lost a dear friend. Thank you, Tex. The general is safe. We won't let the miscreants get their hands on him or dishonor his sacred memory. Go rest high, Sir! *Photo courtesy Judy Smith Photography Since the rally and City Council meeting in April, the Council announced and appointed a "Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces".  This commission was appointed against the wishes of Vice-Mayor Bellamy and Councilman Szacos, who were visibly agitated at the idea of any delay in their plan to tear down the Robert E. Lee monument and rename LEE Park, but considering the severity of the backlash from citizens against the plan, City Council had no choice but to do "something" to satisfy the outcry of the public, and at the same time rein in and appease their rogue members, all at substantial taxpayer expense. Read the details of the Resolution that created the commission here:  http://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=43143 Link to the Commissions page on Charlottesville's website here:  http://www.charlottesville.org/departments-and-services/boards-and-commissions/blue-ribbon-commission-on-race-memorials-and-public-spaces As one might imagine, the members that were selected by City Council to make up this commission, with one exception, have little or no knowledge of Confederate history and heritage, have a history of anti-Confederate bias, and several have made public comments supporting monument removal.  Read the applications of those selected here to get an idea of how the deck has been stacked:  http://www.vaflaggers.com/brca.pdf VICE-CHAIR of the Commission, John Mason, as quoted in the Cavalier Daily: Cavalier Daily, March 23, 2016: John Mason, associate chair of the History department, said the symbolic nature of the statue and its message to the community are two of the major reasons it should be removed. "The statue should be removed because it’s a symbol of racism, intolerance and white supremacy,” Mason said. “Robert E. Lee, as we know, commanded the Confederate armies in a war that the essential purpose of which was to preserve slavery and to preserve white supremacy." Mason said the relationship between the statue — which has an unobstructed view on its four sides and sits in the middle of the park — and the viewer makes the viewer feel “small and insignificant.”   “That’s never going away,” Mason said. “So if we want a city that does not celebrate racism, does not celebrate the cause of the Confederacy, then we’re going to have to remove it." The bias of the "Commission" is clear and intentional.  Even so, after several public hearing where citizens OVERWHELMINGLY voiced opposition to the removal of any monuments or memorials, http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_ef708687-20f7-5f2c-a79c-18b3d2e150d0.html   the commission appears to be getting the message....   http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/city-commission-on-statues-and-monuments-inching-closer-to-recommendation/article_a14a796e-6084-11e6-ae42-07c854ebbb5d.html   On August 13, the commission gave a tour of local historical sites and invited the public to attend and comment.  http://www.nbc29.com/story/32753314/blue-ribbon-commission-gives-tour-of-controversial-landmarks   During  the BRC tour, Mr. Mason speculated that Paul Goodloe McIntire must have bought the statues with money his family made from slave labor. Commissioner Margaret O’Bryant quickly corrected him, noting that Mr. McIntire left Charlottesville with very little and earned his fortune in the North in Chicago and New York.  Mr. Mason’s comment was subjective in nature and intended to create a narrative that fits his prejudiced agenda. The following day, commission member Gordon Fields resigned.    CALL TO ACTION What can you do to help?   1)  Attend the next Blue Ribbon Commission Public Meeting TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 24, 6:00 p.m.  City Space, 110 5th St NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902 and make sure your voice, and that of our Confederate ancestors, is heard.   2)  Share your thoughts with the commission here: RMSfeedback@charlottesville.org or call, 434-970-3101. The commission has been instructed to report EVERY communication to City Council.  Be polite, but be firm that no monument should be removed and no context needs to be added to any existing memorials.   3)  Take a moment to contact Charlottesville City Council, even if you have already done so.  Send a message to ALL City Councilors.  Please be advised that emails sent via this link, or council@charlottesville.org will also be sent to the City Manager, Assistant City Managers and Clerk of Council.  Send a message to INDIVIDUAL City Councilors   Finally, we leave you with this update from Alexandria, Virginia.  After months of public hearings where citizens overwhelmingly spoke AGAINST removing any of the city's Confederate history, the commission there has issued a recommendation that the Confederate monument NOT be removed. Although the content of the article leaves quite a bit to be desired as regards truth and fact, we LOVE this headline...  The South lost the war but keeps winning the battle over Confederate memorials https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-south-lost-the-war-but-keeps-winning-the-battle-over-confederate-memorials/2016/08/23/23012f42-694b-11e6-99bf-f0cf3a6449a6_story.html 13 months after Nikki Haley used a completely unrelated tragedy for political gain by pressuring SC legislators into removing the Confederate flag off of the Memorial in Columbia, and inspiring and emboldening other heritage haters across the country to follow her lead, the tide has turned. Her career is finished and good people are finally standing up and pushing back, and putting an end to this nonsense. The commission in Alexandria got part of this right...the statue WILL stay, but rest assured there will be no PC "context" added, and Jefferson Davis Highway will remain. If we continue to stand up and speak out,  we will prevail...in Alexandria...and in Charlottesville... and across the South.  Stay tuned for more details and calls to action for Alexandria. In the meantime, we wish to remind these folks that the removal of and/or attempt to modify existing war memorials is a violation of Virginia State Law, and any attempt to do so will be met with costly civil litigation and criminal prosecution.  In addition, we have scouted several locations in Charlottesville for Memorial Battle flag sites, and have one under construction as of this update. We have only just begun to fight. To arms, Dixie!

Victory! Anti-Confederate SJW Convicted in Richmond General District Court

In June, we reported that charges had been filed against two separate individuals for assaults against our Flaggers.  You can find the original story here:  http://vaflaggers.blogspot.com/2016/06/violent-agitator-arrested-for-assault.html

Yesterday, both cases were heard before the Richmond District Court.

The case against Kristofer Goad, who verbally assaulted TriPp Lewis, was the first heard.  

 Kristofer Goad (AKA "Goad Gatsby")  See the video of the incident here...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SeEkanZ3XY  **WARNING:  GRAPHIC PROFANITY**

 This is the same individual who has tried unsuccessfully for several years to organize counter protests against us.  For some time, he would show up alone, on his tricycle, and attempt to drive us away by blasting profanity-laced rap music at very high volume levels.  Five years later, we are still out there, twice a week, and he has long since given up and gone home.


 The trial started with the judge asking TriPp to describe what happened.  When TriPp's testimony began, the judge stopped him and asked that all children be cleared from the courtroom due to the level of profanity the defendant had used.  When the prosecutor played the video, the profanity laced shouts and rage from the defendant could be heard echoing through the chamber, obviously effecting even those who could not see the video being played at the bench.

The defense attorney then tried to make the case that since neither the crowd nor TriPp had actually ACTED OUT when provoked, that the defendant wasn't guilty.  He moved to dismiss the charges based on this assumption.

The judge denied the motion and in his comments blasted the notion that somehow a crime had not been committed simply because the man being assaulted was a gentleman and kept his cool and did not react in any way.  He went on to say that one cannot direct that kind of language, in that manner, at an individual, or at a group ABOUT an individual, and not be guilty of breaking the law.  He found the evidence more than sufficient to convict.

At this point, he turned to TriPp and told him, "What happens from here is up to you, Sir.  Do you want this man to have a record?"  To which TriPp quickly and emphatically replied "YESSIR."  

He was convicted of the misdemeanor and ordered to pay a fine. The judge's final words to Kristofer:  "Clean your language up, young man"

Plans are underway to also file a civil suit.  Stay tuned...

 The second case, heard the same day in the same court, was to hear charges against this woman, for pouring the contents of her beverage on several of our Flaggers as she walked down the sidewalk in front of the VMFA.  Although she admitted to VMFA Security that the act was intentional, and there was video presented from VMFA security cameras that clearly showed her walking by and slinging the drink at our Flaggers, she changed her story when questioned in court and claimed the act was unintentional and that she only meant to pour the drink on the ground.  This after her attorney argued unsuccessfully that the act in itself was not battery.

Because of this, and the fact that she never looked at our Flaggers, or said anything to them when she did it, the judge found that there was reasonable doubt as to intent and dismissed the charges.

We also plan to explore the possibility of filing a civil suit in this matter. 


 Overall, we are satisfied that we were able to get the conviction and that even though the other case was dismissed, the arrest and trial will serve as a deterrent not only for the woman involved in that case, but for any others who think that just because they disagree with someone or what they say, they have the right to disrespect or assault them.  We will not tolerate it and will continue to prosecute any such incidents to the full extent of the law.  For those who escape justice in the courtroom, we know that God will vindicate and leave the final judgement in His hands.

Finally, we still have charges pending against this man, Jonathan Romans, who has a history of spitting at our Flaggers and shouting obscenities and holding signs that falsely claim that we are "KKK" members, and  prior convictions of curse and abuse.  Mr. Romans has four outstanding warrants currently, 3 for disorderly conduct and 1 for assault, but the Richmond Police have been unable to locate him to serve the warrants.

RICHMOND AREA RESIDENTS:  Please be on the lookout for this man and call RPD immediately if you see him. (804) 646-5100

RVA Monument Guards - Weekend Protests Report

Many of you contacted us to express concern about the risk of vandalism and damage to our monuments in light of the protesters who gathered in RVA over the weekend and announced plans to hold a rally at the RE Lee monument.

We have known about the planned protests for weeks, and communicated directly with the Richmond Police and the State Capitol Police regarding their plans and ours. 

 One of the most disturbing aspects of the planned protests was a professed communist group that specifically targeted the monuments.  We monitored their activity in the weeks leading up to August 13, and their attempt to tack on the "March to Destroy White Supremacy" to the larger protest was a dismal failure.  There were only a small handful visible among the hundreds of "minimum wage" protestors, and they garnered no attention from protest organizers or the media. We are pleased to report that when our monument guards arrived Saturday afternoon to begin their first shift, they reported that there had not been any damage of any kind to any of our monuments.

We doubled our patrols on Saturday as a precaution, with folks on duty throughout the afternoon, evening and overnight.  Monument Guards reported a heavy presence by the Richmond Police Department, and hourly foot patrols of the Robert E. Lee Monument by the Capitol Police, which continued overnight and into Sunday morning.

The Va Flaggers would like to offer our thanks and appreciation to the Richmond and Capitol police, who were out in force during the protests, and helped protect our monuments from suffering any damage, and to all of our Monument Guards who volunteered to help with increased monument patrols over the weekend.

"Dixie Rising" - Enhanced photo of "Vindicatrix" from the Jefferson Davis Monument on Monument Avenue in Richmond.  Available for purchase here...  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/dixie-rising-judy-smith.html?fb_ref=Default  Courtesy of Judy Smith Photography

 For over a year now, the RVA Monument Guards have been a presence on Monument Avenue, keeping a watchful eye over our monuments there and others throughout the Capital of the Confederacy.  If you would like to assist with this ongoing effort to patrol and protect our monuments, please send an email to RVAMonumentGuards@gmail.com for more information.

Danville 29 Bypass Gen. William Lewis Cabell Memorial Battle Flag Documentary/Update

A crew from Sky High Poles raises the Commonwealth's
largest Confederate Battle flag at a ceremony attended
by over 700+ supporters on land leased by the Va
Flaggers adjacent to US Rt. 29, just north of Danville,
Va, July 23rd, 2016, Photo Courtesy Judy Smith Photography

A crew from Sky High Poles raises the Commonwealth's largest Confederate Battle flag at a ceremony attended by over 700+ supporters on land leased by the Va Flaggers adjacent to US Rt. 29, just north of Danville, Va, July 23rd, 2016, Photo Courtesy Judy Smith Photography

On the day of the flag raising ceremony in Danville, there were a number of media outlets present.  One of them was a documentary film maker from Richmond.  Although we had no idea what kind of piece he was producing, we thought the finished product turned out very well and wanted to share it with all of you, especially those who couldn't be there that day...

https://vimeo.com/176180721

Although the video has been removed, the content of this report remains, and was one of our favorites...
http://www.virginiafirst.com/news/local-news/largest-confederate-battle-flag-flies-near-danville
DANVILLE, Va.

If you are driving on route 29 near Danville, you can't miss the World's largest Confederate Battle flag on the side of the road.

Standing at one hundred and nineteen feet tall and 30 feet by 50 feet in dimension, there is no confederate battle flag which can rival it.

This is the 14th battle flag installed near the last confederacy capital during the Civil War.

A group called the Virginia Flaggers decided to put big flags up all around the area after City Council of Danville prohibited flying the flag on city property.

"There are folks that want us to go away. They want our history to go away. They want that flag to go away, because they know what it really means and it really means resistance to tyrany and an over reaching federal government , and we're still fighting that battle today. This is our history, our heritage, and we're not going to lie down and let these people take it away from us," said Susan Hathaway, who is the founder of the Virginia Flaggers.

Though the flag is met with some opposition from the public, today there were no protestors at the ceremony.

The group says they have already been contacted by another Danville resident who wants to put a flag up and the group says they will not stop putting up flags any time soon.

Finally, sharing these great comments from a Danville resident, posted online. These words beautifully summarize the situation in Danville...and many other localities across America...

"For MOST it is about heritage, honor, and respect for their ancestors. They were ok with that taking place at the graves of the veterans and historic sites, but once the few places that had flags, statues, and monuments were attacked, their only recourse was to protest. The entire city of Danville stood as the Last Capital, not just the mansion, but preservationists were content with that one small monument in 40 square miles. I'd say they had already compromised as far as humanly possible. Are their protests big? Yes, but they (and their views) have been totally disenfranchised and eliminated. Their view and opinion is instantly disregarded by most and labeled hateful and racist ( before they can even articulate it). (The actions of) one idiot in SC with one picture buried in his Facebook posts was able to (be leveraged by others as an excuse to) destroy historic statues and monuments and change the names of streets, colleges, and sports teams. The COEXIST crowd doesn't really want that, they want inclusion, but only those who think the same."

‪#NeverForget‬
‪#ConfederateDanville‬
‪#LastCapitalCSA‬

The 29 Bypass Gen. William Lewis Cabell Memorial Battle
Flag as seen from the 29 Bypass .  Photo Courtesy Judy
Smith Photography

  

Great turnout and meeting last night in Mathews, Virginia, with the Lane Armistead Camp SCV Camp #1772 at the historic Mathews Courthouse! Thanks to Commander John Anderton and the men of Camp 1772 for the warm welcome and generous support!

For our Cause!
Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers