Fallout From The Va Flaggers Anniversary Celebrations - Changing Hearts & Minds

Last week was a big one for us in many ways. We have already reported on the great turnout and successful fund raising at our picnic on Sunday, but it turns out that there are more far reaching effects than can be measured by head counts and calculator totals, and we wanted to share a couple of things with our friends and supporters.

On Saturday, the day before the picnic, we held our regularly scheduled flagging of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  On October 1^st, we will mark FIVE years of (twice weekly) protests on the sidewalk on the Boulevard, and since we had friends and supporters coming in from out of town, we had a pretty good crowd, with over a dozen flaggers out forwarding the colors, lining the sidewalk in front of the VMFA. 

 

There was a lot of traffic out that afternoon, and we had a very special visitor.  Corporal Charles Bacon (AKA “Crosby”, a pet pig, joined the Flaggers and was an instant hit.  Adults and children were drawn to us and our little four legged ambassador served to open the door to MANY more conversations than we typically experience.

One Flagger filed this report: 

“Barry and I talked to a few people and I'm just amazed of just how uneducated some people...especially the college kids are. We talked to these two and the one said she was surprised how nice we were. She made the comment that we didn't seem to be the "norm" when it came to those who carried the flag. We let them know that we ARE the "norm "and that we're not hateful or racist people. We explained that the vast majority of us are just honoring our heritage and that we're tired of the attacks on our heritage, monuments etc…”

It was a FANTASTIC afternoon on the Boulevard with many, many good conversations, and opportunities to advance the flags of Dixie, and educate folks about our history, our veterans, and the flags under which they fought and died.  It would be enough if that were the end of the story, but there’s more…it gets even better…     


We found this post on Instagram:

 

Looks like a couple of guys saw our Flaggers on the sidewalk at the VMFA and decided to come to the picnic Sunday.  On social media, they talk about wanting to take photos and do interviews, looking to expose the hate and “racism” within our group.  Our greeter remembers them well and took extra time to welcome them and share literature and information since they appeared to be visiting.

In the end, they found NOTHING to report.  Several hours with over 300 Confederate Heritage Supporters, and NOT ONE trace of anything objectionable to report.  All they found was nice folks and some cool auction items.  Oh yeah...and “less seething than expected”.  :)

When asked what he expected to find, his friend reports “I expected a crowd just  out for something to do on a Sunday afternoon.  The allegations of extreme racism weren’t validated.”

They came searching for hate…and left with TRUTH.  How cool is that?

Have I mentioned how proud I am to be a Va Flagger?
#winning

Barry Isenhour
VA Flaggers
 

Va Flaggers 5th Anniversary Picnic/Auction - Celebrating and Giving Thanks!

 

Thanks to our wonderful supporters, guests, and Flagger family, our 5th Anniversary picnic and auction was our best ever!
We had the Mobile Flagger Response Unit set up for display and tours and it was a HUGE hit. She has been outfitted with a 55" screen TV and sound system. We debuted this Sunday at the picnic and the response was overwhelmingly positive. This is going to be a great tool for reaching folks with videos and other media that teach and recruit!

 

There was something for everyone, but the the theme of the day was FAMILY and our first ever "Little Rebels Boot Camp" was a GREAT success!  Many thanks to the men of the Capt. William Latane Camp 1690 SCV for all of your hard work in making this happen.  The kids loved it and I've had parents already asking if we are going to do it again next year. 

 

 

Everyone enjoyed the excellent music by Virginia Dare, and our friends from the Virginia Scots Guard Pipes and Drums.

 

 

Thanks to a large, generous crowd, and the wonderful donations received from across the country, we surpassed our fund raising goal for the third straight year!  

 

 We were honored to meet many folks for the first time, have the chance to visit with old friends and family, and get the opportunity to share some of our history as well as our plans for the future.

Message received Monday:

I would like to sincerely thank the The Virginia Flaggers organization for such a great anniversary event. This is the first time attending one of your events, and my family and I felt very welcome, there was such a family atmosphere that we felt right at home even though we were meeting people for the first time. Clearly this is a group of individuals with class and honor, and I look forward to supporting your group and attending events in the future.

Thank you again. -DC Ward

The Virginia Flaggers with to thank everyone who contributed in ANY way to make this day possible. We could never have made the event come together so well, with so much success, without the generous support and hard work of so many dedicated people.
We are already looking forward to next year!
With a grateful heart,
Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers

Kevin Levin Comes Unhinged as Va Flaggers Celebrate 5 Years of Success

Well folks, it appears that on the eve of the celebration of our fifth anniversary, we have, seriously, gone and done it this time. We have REALLY ticked off the anti-Confederate, leftist, pseudo-historian bloggers. I received several messages yesterday from supporters and friends letting me know that one of them, frustrated by the lack of audience on his own blog site, had submitted the contents of his most recent blog post to one of the liberal news outlets, who reprinted it word for slanderous word.

This is the same man who, a few years ago, falsely accused us of fabricating a story when Washington & Lee initially denied reports of a young man being asked to take off an SCV cap and turn an SCV t-shirt inside out before being allowed to visit LEE Chapel.

http://mybacksass.blogspot.com/…/kevin-levin-owes-vaflagger…

Once again, he uses the same old, tired “7 degrees of separation” theories to try and link us (and me, especially) to anyone and anything they think will FINALLY turn the public against us. It appears these neo-yankee bloggers seem to have been heavily influenced recently by a relatively new blogger who hides behind anonymity and tries to out-SPLC the SPLC with his fraudulent "links and ties" method of character assassination. Nothing new here, folks. Just another re-hash of the same old “gotcha” claims that have failed repeatedly over the past five years.

Why the obsession with the Va Flaggers and with me? Why the anger? What drives these men to spend so much of their time attacking decent, God-fearing people who have never done anything that should have the least relevance to them?

The answer is simple…

We. Are. WINNING.

Yes, winning. 14 months after Nikki Haley pulled her little politically motivated stunt in Columbia (how’s that working for ya, Nikki?) and the whole country seemed to lose its collective mind and jump on the “everything Confederate’s GOT TO GO” bandwagon, the fact is that there are now MORE Confederate flags flying than ever, MORE Confederate monuments standing, and MORE folks waking up every day and taking a stand against what has been exposed as nothing more than the left’s attempt to silence us by destroying our history and heritage. It is no coincidence that this slanderous article appears on the eve of the celebration of our FIFTH anniversary, and three years after the author’s infamous and embarrassing FAILED prediction:

"Prediction: There will be no Confederate flag on I-95 near Richmond" ... Kevin Levin Aug 18, 2013.

This, of course, turned out to be as completely inaccurate as did their NUMEROUS failed predictions over the past five years of the imminent and pending doom of the Va Flaggers.

In fact, we have experienced quite the contrary. Since the first flag was raised on I-95 a little over a month after his failed prediction, we have raised 25 MORE flags in the Commonwealth. We have several flag sites currently under construction, and if everything goes according to schedule, hope to have at least 30 roadside Memorial Flags flying in the Commonwealth before the end of the year.

Our numbers and support are growing daily, not shrinking. Our social media audience just surpassed 41K over the past 24 hours, and we get new requests to join our email list on a DAILY basis.

Requests for speaking engagements are coming in so fast that I can barely keep up with getting them scheduled. I have been blessed with the privilege of traveling across the country to share the inspirational story of the Va Flaggers, and the TRUTH about our Confederate ancestors. Along the way, I have had the honor meeting some of the finest folks in this country. For every hate filled tirade like his, we receive dozens of notes like this one, from a visit last week:

Hi Susan,
I cannot express how much we all enjoyed your informative presentation.
We always learn something at these meetings however your presentation was the best we have ever experienced. Your spirit and enthusiasm was absorbed by all of us. Remarkably, no one was sleeping thru your entire presentation! A first for our Camp!
Take care and keep up the Amazing work that you and the Virginia Flaggers do!
Sincerely,
Joe W.
Adjutant
Turner Ashby Camp 1567

While these bloggers may find a photo of one of our folks, in a public venue, standing next to someone they find objectionable…or an inappropriate comment on a social media site, made by someone with whom we have some sort of connection… the fact of the matter is that they STILL, after 5 years have found NOTHING to prove ANY kind of claims of “hate” within our group…because it simply DOES NOT EXIST.

And the REAL issue here…what REALLY puts a bee in their bonnet... is that ordinary Americans are getting sick and tired of listening to these people continue to spread the lie that we, our ancestors, and even the flags they fought under are somehow “racist”, or that monuments erected to honor our veterans have ties to “white supremacy”, and using these lies as an excuse to attempt to completely annihilate our history and heritage. Citizens are finally starting to rise up and push back against the nonsense, and they are (naturally) rallying to the Battle Flag and its symbolism of freedom and resistance to tyranny…and to folks like us who have never put it down.

The tide is turning folks, and they cannot stand the fact that we will not sit down, shut up and “get over it”. I count it all gain when it comes to being the target of personal attacks from folks like this. We must be doing something right if we’ve got them spending so much time consumed with our every move. At the very least, it means less time spent influencing others with their social justice laced brand of “history”.

Earlier today, we shared a letter from John Hall, and offer this thoughtful response from Carl Roden: 
http://southernfriedcommonsense.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-moral-difference-between-susan.html?m=1

Thank you both…and thank you ALL for your continued prayers and support. We are fully committed to continuing the work of advancing the flags of Dixie, defending the good name of the Confederate soldier, protecting our monuments and memorials, and raising more beautiful flags across the Commonwealth and beyond.

When it comes to these hateful personal attacks, just remember folks, they hate us... because they AIN'T us.

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers

They Smear Us Because They Fear Us

 

 

 

Mr. Levin,

Your hit piece on Susan only encourages we Southerns. More flags will go up.

From my upcoming book on Captain Corker

Captain Corker headed a group of the boys to visit the “Crater”**. This “spot presented special interest to the survivors of the Third as they had helped to drive the enemy back from the “Mine” on the terrible day of the “Blow up,” and in the charge lost their intrepid ensign. Mayor Gregory (Petersburg, Va.) took the old battle flag of the Veterans and planted it amidst wild cheers upon the ramparts at the “Crater” and again it fluttered in the wind where more than eleven years before it had blazed defiantly in the face of the foe and was followed into “the jaws of death, into the mouth of hell” as cannon “bellowed and thundered.”

“The Augusta Chronicle, August 15, 1875”

The South was Right

 

 John C. Hall, Jr.

Dixie Rising - Ole Miss Students Protest State Flag Removal In a BIG Way

Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty!  Students Flagging Ole Miss! 

 

 

A few months ago, the Virginia Flaggers raised money to purchase (2) massive 20' x 30' Mississippi State Flags, and sent them to Oxford in preparation for a roadside battle flag project there.  It appears that on Saturday, one of the flags somehow made its way to the student section, and was unfurled  as a show of support for the great state of Mississippi, and as a protest to Chancellor Vitter's decision to cave to the PC demands of leftists and remove the state flag from campus. The results were phenomenal. The crowd cheered and shouted in appreciation and awe as the massive flag waved and was seen by thousands!

There are reports that the flag was confiscated by the police shortly thereafter, who also carried out orders to harass students wearing a state flag sticker, carrying a sign, or carrying a state flag (without stick!)... BREAKING: "Police Confiscate Flags, 'Dixie' signs at game. Threaten Arrest." University of Mississippi - 9/17/2016 "Students attending the Ole Miss v. Alabama football game this Saturday at the University of Mississippi reported police confiscating Mississippi State flags and 'Let the Band Play Dixie' posters within Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium. University Police Officers were quoted by students as saying they were, 'ordered to take all state flags and ['Let the Band Play Dixie'] posters,' that their orders came, 'from the top,' and that they would use their, 'right to arrest,' those who did not comply. United States flags and non-Mississippi State flag or Dixie related posters were not confiscated.   Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPIkRczBq5I&feature=youtu.be Mississippi State flags, 'Let the Band Play Dixie' posters, and stickers resembling the Mississippi State flag are increasingly being seen on campus in protest against the University's October 26th, 2015 decision to remove the Mississippi State Flag from campus as well as the school's decision to have the school marching band no longer play 'Dixie.' "Today at the game, my younger brother had a (Mississippi State) flag in his pocket walking in. A woman saw it, asked him if it was an American flag, then made him unravel it and took it when she saw it was a state flag. That's absolutely ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as the fact that we have to smuggle the state flag into home games. Welcome to the dream school of Jeff Vitter , the University of Nowhere." ~ Jack Vincent Our friends at the "Our State Flag Foundation" report that while they have no clue who organized the giant flag unveiling, it has led to a HUGE spike in on-campus membership, which has been steadily growing in the weeks since they were admitted as an official student group and were allowed to set up a table at the Student Union. In addition, students are starting to speak out, with TWO excellent letters published recently in the DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN: http://thedmonline.com/ole-miss-become-university-nowhere/  http://thedmonline.com/letter-editor-stewart-parks/ The news from Ole Miss is encouraging, as seen in photos below from the Grove on Saturday, but the folks at "Our State Flag Foundation" need your support.  For more information on how Ole Miss students can join the group or how you can help fund the purchase of more flags, stickers, and posters, please visit their website:  http://www.ourstateflag.com/ You can also donate directly to the student-led effort here:  https://www.gofundme.com/olemissflag

In Virginia, Confederate Monuments and Flags Are On The Rise

A little over a year after Nikki Haley used an unrelated tragedy for political gain, kick starting an all out war on our heritage, the Confederate monument count in Virginia is now...PLUS one!

http://wset.com/news/local/group-constructs-private-confederate-monument

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 17th, the Campbell County Confederate monument and flags will be dedicated ON PRIVATE PROPERTY in a ceremony at 1:00 p.m. 2196 Red House Rd., Rustburg VA 24588

 

 

 

Thanks to the men of the Campbell County Guard, SCV, EVERY county in Virginia now has a Confederate monument. The Virginia Flaggers are honored to have had a small part in assisting with this project and will be present tomorrow for the dedication ceremony.

 

Well done, Commander Reggie Bennett, whose vision and leadership made this possible.  God bless the men of the Campbell Guards!

CALL TO ACTION: Alexandria City Council to Consider Future of Our Confederate Memorials

As we reported earlier, Alexandria's Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names has issued its final report to City Council.  You can find the details here:  https://www.alexandriava.gov/Confederate
 

Summary of the report:

Regarding the Appomattox statue: 
The good news is that there is no recommendation to remove the statue.  This is due largely to the fact that Virginia State Law, in spite of Governor McAuliffe's veto of a clarification bill, STILL protects ALL veterans' monuments and memorials.  The bad news is that there is a recommendation to add "context" to the monument.  We are ADAMANTLY OPPOSED to adding any context.  The meaning of the monument is CLEAR as told by the inscriptions:
 

"They died in the consciousness of duty faithfully performed."

 "Erected to the memory of Confederate dead of Alexandria, Va. by their Surviving Comrades, May 24th 1889"

 

 

NO ADDED CONTEXT IS NEEDED and we need to make this perfectly clear.  Anyone who thinks that this will appease the monument haters is WRONG.  Even though public opinion through the entire process was overwhelmingly against ANY changes, several members of the commission task force were disappointed in the final recommendations:

"The task force was divided in its decision; the two African Americans who served on the group said the advice should have gone further in clamping down on Confederate symbols."

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/alexandria-mayor-promises-to-keep-tight-rein-on-confederate-discussion/2016/09/14/ff19aade-79fb-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html

 Jefferson Davis Highway: 
The committee recommended to change the name, but thankfully, this cannot be done without the approval of the General Assembly.

Street Names:
The good news is that they did not recommend any name changes...the bad news is that they suggest letting individuals make recommendations to do so and suggested City Council evaluate them on a case by case basis. 


 CALL TO ACTION!
Contact members of Alexandria City Council and ask them to deny the ad hoc committee's recommendations to add context to the Appomattox Statue and/or change the name of Jefferson Davis highway within the city.
To reach the Mayor and Members of City Council, call 703.746.4500, or  send a group e-mail to the Mayor and Members of City Council .
You can also reach the council members using the individual links at the bottom of this page:  https://www.alexandriava.gov/Council
Make plans to attend the public hearing on September 17th.  During the ad hoc meetings, the speakers were OVERWHELMINGLY in support of leaving the monuments and memorials as is.  We need to make sure we have another strong presence and showing on Saturday. 
The public hearing will be held on THIS Saturday, September 17, in the Council Chamber in Alexandria City Hall, 301 King St.  It will begin at 9:30 a.m. with public comments regarding items not on the docket, and City Council will then discuss and take public comments on docket items, including the Advisory Group’s report.  Once the docket order is finalized several days before the meeting, it will be available at www.alexandriava.gov/Dockets.  A form to sign up to speak at the hearing will be linked from the top of the docket.
If you are an Alexandria resident, let your councilman know that you will be watching to see how they vote, help spread the word, and rally the troops to the defense of our Confederate veterans! 

In the meantime, we will be sending City Council our own communication, warning them that they may want to keep in mind how quickly the landscape changed in Danville when City Council there voted to remove one tiny 3x5 Third National Flag.

"They died in the consciousness of duty faithfully performed." 
 
Will our grandchildren be able to say the same about us? 

Rise up, Dixie!

Flagging NASCAR - Mobile Flagging Response Unit Deployed at RIR

Flagging NASCAR! 

Fresh out of the body and paint shop, The Mobile Flagger Response Unit was deployed to Richmond International Raceway this morning. Early in the afternoon, we raised a 10' x 15' Battle Flag on the 70' pole and the response was immediate and overwhelming!

 

Visible from almost any vantage point on the grounds of Richmond International Raceway, a steady stream of race fans made their way over to thank us and get a closer look at the giant flag.

 

Word spread quickly and we gave away hundreds of stickers and had the opportunity to speak to many folks, sharing information about our flags and how they could get involved in the fight to save our heritage.

 

  

  

We were very pleased with the results of this first deployment, and are excited about our plans for continued development of the Mobile Flagger Response Unit and the many, many ways it will help us forward the colors and advance the flags of Dixie!

 

 

Powhatan Lions Club Labor Day Parade

On Monday, September 5th The Va Flaggers and the Army of Northern Virginia Mechanized Cavalry were invited to join the Powhatan Troop Camp #1382 SCV for the 5th annual Powhatan Lions Club Labor Day parade. 

We were expecting a small crowd and brought about 7 dozen stick flags.  We were out of flags within the first 5 minutes. Support was overwhelming and we were greeted with applause and thanks the entire route, which was lined by thousands. 

 

Special thanks to the men of the Powhatan Troop, Camp #1382, SCV for the invitation and warm welcome. 

What a great day in Dixie!