Disgraced Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy Resigns From Albermarle High School Teaching Position

We learned early this evening that the City Councilman behind the effort to remove the Robert E. Lee memorial in Charlottesville has resigned from his position as a teacher at Albermarle High School!!

This follows community outrage after a Charlottesville author exposed numerous vulgar tweets on Bellamy's "Vice-Mayor" twitter account containing sexist, racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments, and  comes just weeks after Virginia Governor McAuliffe forced Bellamy to resign from the State Board of Education last month after commenting that he was "horrified by the content" of the tweets.

Bellamy was placed on administrative leave by the Albermarle County School Board shortly after the vile tweets surfaced, and his resignation comes after outrage from parents and the community, and in spite of efforts by the Albermarle-Charlottesville NAACP to influence the school board's decision.  In a letter sent to the Albermarle  County School Board earlier this month,  NAACP President Rick Turner urged Bellamy be taken off administrative leave and returned to the classroom.

In contrast to swift action by the Governor and the Albermarle School Board, Charlottesville City Council members have refused to ask for his resignation from City Council, expressed their devotion to Bellamy, and vowed to stand behind him.  At a City Council meeting earlier this month, Charlottesville councilmen, instead of condemning Bellamy and calling out his openly racist, homophobic and sexist comments and behavior, chose to instead launch vicious personal attacks against the man who exposed the tweets, as well as anyone who dared to speak out and call for his resignation.

As we reported last week, City Councilmen will meet in January to discuss the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Memorials and Race, a commission that was formed solely based on the prejudicial demands of Wes Bellamy and Kristen Szakos to tear down the Robert E Lee monument and rename LEE Park.  Based on the revelation of the true character of Mr. Bellamy, and the obvious racist intentions behind the entire stunt, the logical next step would be to abandon any and all discussion of monument removal or alteration. Since City Council has made it clear that they intend to move forward instead of stepping back and have no intentions of pressuring him to resign, removing Bellamy from office by recall would serve as a strong statement to City Council, and a warning to others who may be tempted to make similar attempts to destroy our history and heritage, across the Commonwealth and beyond.

An official petition to recall Bellamy has been drafted and signatures are being gathered from Charlottesville voters.  For more info about how you can sign the petition or help with this effort, contact: Jason Kessler 

Charlottesville City Council Hears From Critics Of Monument Removal Plans

Report:  Majority of Charlottesville citizens say leave the monuments alone

On Monday evening, December 19, Charlottesville City Council received the final report from its self-appointed “Blue Ribbon Commission”. 

Prior to the meeting, a few of us gathered in LEE Park to pay our respects. As usual, we found the locals very friendly.  Once they spoke with us and learned why we were there, they expressed their support for leaving the statue alone.  Most of those we spoke with were among the city’s homeless population, who felt that the $700K that City Council wants to spend to move historical monuments could be much better spent.  This young man approached us to voice his support, asked if he could have a flag, and posed for photos.

We arrived at council chambers early, and were quickly joined by a good group of men from the Kemper-Fry-Strother SCV Camp #19, the Va Division SCV 4th Brigade Commander, and a large contingency of Charlottesville citizens who were monument supporters.  We passed out signs and chatted with folks until the meeting started, at which time a look around chambers showed that supporters of the monument greatly outnumbered those who want to tear it down.

During the matters by the public section of the meeting, no citizens spoke in favor of removing the monuments.  Teresa Kay Lam, a Charlottesville native, gave a moving speech in favor of the monuments, and Susan Hathaway closed out the comments period with an address that ended with a promise…

"In the end, the monuments WILL remain, and the names of Lee and Jackson will be spoken with reverence and honor in the Commonwealth long after each of you are forgotten. We have the law and the majority of citizens on our side.  You would be wise to consider both when making your decision.”  

You can view the entire speech Here

The presentation of the report proceeded much as we anticipated.  It was basically a read through of the report, which can be found Here

The report includes details that direct City Council to consider that if/when the Lee Monument is moved to McIntire park, that they be sure and not put it on a hill, or elevate it, in order to make sure the monument does not have a position of “supremacy”.  Everything from throwing a cover over the LEE monument to changing the landscape to hide it, are suggested as options in the report. 

After the presentation, commission member John Mason (an associate professor of history at UVA) was compelled  to interject a statement to City Council in which he stressed that “White Supremacy” absolutely was a central theme of the Confederacy (he referenced the infamous Cornerstone Speech) AND of Robert E. Lee AND of the men who built the statue and that any descendants who deny that fact are simply running from the truth.  It quickly became clear that Mr. Mason’s false narrative was the central theme of the commission’s deliberation.

Despite their best efforts to suppress truth, the report DID mention that the citizens who voiced their opinions in meetings and communications overwhelmingly supported leaving the statues in place and concentrating on adding others as desired.  It mentioned the petition to remove the monument (which has garnered less than 1,000 signatures) but failed to mention the petition to KEEP them (which has garnered more than 10,000 signatures).

There had been some speculation that council might act upon the recommendations last night, but their comments quickly revealed that was not the case, and pointed to division within the ranks. Mayor Signer, who initially said he would reserve comments, went on to say that council has set aside $500K to act on the report and then indicated that he is in favor of keeping the monument in place.  He estimated that almost 80% of the constituents he spoke with favored leaving the statues alone.  Szakos was visibly shaken by his remarks, recoiled, and immediately spoke up and said that almost ALL of the citizens she has spoken to want the monument removed.  Mr. Fenwick, probably the most reasonable of the lot, reminded his colleagues that all of the ideas and aspirations in the report are just words until the money is appropriated to make it happen. 

They did not act to vote on any recommendations, and scheduled a work day in January to discuss the matter further.

Our take-away from the evening was all positive.  We had a good showing of support and, in our opinion, the revelation of the true intent of Bellamy, Szakos and John Mason, and their false narrative of putting Confederate Veterans and their descendants "in their place" was telling to even those in the audience who were not necessarily proponents of the monuments.  No vote was taken to move the monuments, and Szakos and Bellamy are not going to get an automatic stamp of approval of their monument removal efforts. There is a divide forming on council. Your calls, emails and letters are having an effect. There is a chance they will actually vote to leave the statue alone, but even if they don't, we are prepared to take immediate legal action. The statue isn't going anywhere. The only thing they get to decide is how much money they are willing to waste by attempting to move it when they know full well they cannot legally do so.

We will close with what we consider the highlight of the evening. When we stepped out into the hall after the meeting, we were approached by a lady of color (presumably a Charlottesville native) who said she wanted to thank us personally for coming out.  She went on to say that she thinks it is important that all perspectives are heard and appreciated us sharing ours.  We agreed, thanked her for her kind words and had a nice conversation.  We have no idea where she stands on the issue, and did not even care to ask, but we believe she is typical of most Charlottesville residents who have ALL grown weary of the divisive and petty antics of City Council under the influence of Szacos and Bellamy.

News report of the meeting, with poll, Here

Two New Roadside Confederate Battle Flags Raised in Virginia This Week

The Virginia Flaggers are pleased to announce the dedication yesterday of our 24th Roadside Battle Flag in Virginia, and the 15th raised in Danville since Danville City Council voted to strip the 3x5 Third National from the Confederate Monument on the grounds of the Last Capitol of the Confederacy.

In a private ceremony, an 8' x 8' Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag was raised on a 40' pole on Mount Cross Road, and dedicated in memory of our dear friend, Mrs. Nancy Pritchett, a Danville native who passed away three months ago. Mrs. Nancy was a true Southern lady and a fierce defender of the honor of her ancestors and the flags under which they fought and died. In July, she dressed in full dress and brought her oxygen to attend the Cabell Flag dedication, despite failing health and temperatures over 100 degrees.

Winter weather did not prevent Nancy's friends and family from gathering for the dedication and those in attendance reported many honks of approval from passing traffic. Once the flag was raised, neighbors came by to shake the hands of the crew from Sky High Poles, and voice their approval for Danville's newest roadside flag.

This flag was dedicated to the Glory of God, in loving remembrance of Mrs. Nancy Pritchett, and in memory and honor of our Confederate heroes.

"The world shall yet decide in truth's clear far-off light

That the soldiers who wore the gray, and died with Lee, were in the right."

*******************************************************************************************

One week earlier, on Saturday, December 10th the Lane-Armistead SCV Camp #1772 conducted a ceremony to raise their first Roadside Memorial battle flag!  The dedication took place at 11:00 a.m. near Saluda, in Middlesex county Virginia. "After a prayer given by Richard Morgan,the 56th Va. Infantry fired a 21 gun salute as the flag was raised and the Gloucester Artillery fired their cannon several times as Jeff Barbour played TAPS on his bugle. Around 60 people showed up on this windy,cold morning to watch the beautiful 8 foot by 8 foot battle flag raised to the top of the 38 foot pole." The gentlemen of the Lane-Armistead Camp report that this is the first of what they hope will be many battle flags that will be raised in the middle peninsula.  They are actively seeking land for additional battle flags and we are thrilled to see even more flags rising to fill the skyline in the Old Dominion State!

Charlottesville Residents Launch Official Process to Recall Disgraced Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy

In the wake of the revelation of numerous racist, homophobic, sexist and vulgar tweets posted on social media by Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy, there has been an ongoing push to remove him from Charlottesville City Council.  Even though an online petition gathered nearly 1,000 signatures in a matter of days, and despite the fact that the Albermarle County School Board placed him on administrative leave and the Governor of Virginia forced him to resign from the State Board of Education, members of city council not only have refused to ask Bellamy to resign, but went as far as to express their unwavering support for the disgraced Vice-Mayor.  In response to the lack of action from city council, and on the advice of legal representation, a grassroots group of Charlottesville citizens has drafted an official recall petition, requesting that he be removed from office for “misuse of office’.  All registered voters in the city of Charlottesville are eligible to sign, and are asked to contact themaddimension@gmail.com for more information.  Efforts to collect the required signatures will begin this week, and once received, the petition will be filed in Charlottesville Circuit Court, with the goal of removing Wes Bellamy from Charlottesville City Council. 

Vice-Mayor Bellamy is the driving force behind Charlottesville City Council's push to tear down the Robert E. Lee monument and rename LEE Park.  

"General Lee has no historical ties to the city of Charlottesville," Bellamy said in an email statement. "Several current residents have stated that they believe the statue was used as a psychological tool to show dominance of the majority over the minority during this time period.”

Calls for the statue's removal by Bellamy and fellow councilman Kristen Szakos led to the formation of a Blue Ribbon Commission, which consisted almost entirely of like-minded leftists who were appropriated $10K to "study" the issue.  Their final report, which is still not available online, will be presented to City Council a week from tonight, Monday, December 19th.

Regardless of the recommendations of the commission, and no matter what the council votes to do, the fact remains that it is still ILLEGAL to remove, alter, or destroy memorials in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thankfully, our legislature had the foresight to see that our veterans may need protection from the winds of political correctness as they shift and blow across locations such as Charlottesville, heavily influenced by outsiders and those with leftist agendas that could, if unchecked, lead to the removal of any monument or memorial they deem "offensive" on any given day.  

We have been working closely with legal counsel and should the City Council make any move toward removal or alteration, we will be prepared to file immediate injunctions, as well as civil and criminal lawsuits which will ultimately protect the memorials, while costing the city thousands of taxpayer dollars and tying up immeasurable city resources trying to do the bidding of one hate-filled man.

Christmas In Dixie - The 2016 Mechanicsville Christmas Parade

Virginia town, rich in history and tradition, proudly celebrates its Confederate heritage as it ushers in the Christmas season. 

The day of the 2016 Mechanicsville Rotary/Ruritan Christmas Parade was cloudy and chilly, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds who gathered to usher in Christmas in the small town just east of Richmond.  The parade is a popular tradition, with over 100 units participating in the 2 mile route, which is lined with crowds of spectators.  

We were honored this year to once again have the Edmund Ruffin Fire-Eaters Camp #3000 Color Guard, under the leadership of Commander Joe Wright, lead our unit, joined by Greg Randall as Stonewall Jackson.  Throughout the parade, they were met with cheers, salutes, and folks standing to honor the soldiers and their flags. 

 

We had over 50 participants in our unit, including folks who came from Farmville, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and across the Commonwealth to join us.  We also welcomed our brothers and sisters in the Sally Tompkins Chapter #2, Order of the Confederate Rose and the Army of Northern Virginia Mechanized Cavalry.

Again this year, our stick flags were a HUGE hit.  We gave out over 1,000 and ran out before the parade ended, much to the dismay of folks who had lined up to get one.  We were overwhelmed by the positive response and cheers of gratitude that we received.  Children and adults alike were literally begging us for flags. 

The Captain William Latane SCV Camp #1690 was right behind us in the parade lineup, and we could hear the crowd roar every time they stopped to fire their muskets.  Just behind them, the Hanover Dragoons, SCV Camp #827 had a BEAUTIFUL float.  We later found out that they took home the trophy for the 2016 Mechanicsville Christmas Parade Best Motorized Unit Large (non-commercial) !  

Congratulations, gentlemen!  

We have received numerous calls and messages this week, thanking us for our presence in the parade, and for the gift of flags that we distributed.  In turn, we would like to offer our thanks to parade organizers for the wonderful job they do, and to all of those who came out to lend a hand and make it possible.  We are already looking forward to next year!  

 

The Truth About the Rise of the Confederate Battle Flag

The scandal that erupted in Charlottesville this week surrounding Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy, and our coverage of it due to the direct connection to his efforts to remove the Robert E. Lee statue and rename Lee Park, has led many Charlottesville citizens to reach out to us. One conversation I had this week with a Charlottesville resident was particularly poignant.

This gentleman said that he first heard of us when Bellamy originally started his war against Charlottesville’s Confederate history and heritage by announcing his intentions to convince City Council to tear down the Robert E Lee monument and rename Lee Park. Although he had never really had any deep affection for the Confederacy, the young man told me that something about the fact that one man was trying to erase history, displace a beautiful monument, and divide the community really bothered him so he went down to Bellamy’s press conference to hear what he had to say. When he got there, he saw the usual Charlottesville leftist activists, contrasted by a number of folks carrying Confederate flags. He went on to say that the sight of those flags really caught him off guard and he admits hesitating when considering whether to approach us. He said that when he did approach and struck up a conversation with a couple of Flaggers, it quickly became clear that we were the good guys… decent, God-fearing Americans fighting with no agenda other than to save our history and heritage from politicians looking to make a name for themselves.

Even so, he remembers that his first impression of us with flags was that we were the “fringe” of the heritage movement.

Fast forward to November, 2016, and he says it is obvious to him now that we are no longer the fringe, but have moved firmly into the mainstream. He said the election in November has proven that citizens are sick and tired of being labeled “racist” for standing up for what they believe in, and that our efforts, and the manner in which we have conducted ourselves over the years have helped to bring our fight to the mainstream.

He closed by sharing that six months ago, he had a view of the battle flag that wasn’t exactly negative, but mostly indifferent, tainted by the media and others’ efforts. Now, he says, he sees the battle flag for what it REALLY is…a powerful symbol of resistance to tyranny and he understands perfectly why more people are picking it up and carrying it.

Even the press has mentioned this phenomenon recently. I have seen several articles talking about the “rise of the Confederate flag”. Of course, the leftist media, still twisted up over the election results, and needing some way to explain why there are MORE Confederate flags flying now than in any time in recent history, attempts to tie it all to the mythical rise of “racism” or “white supremacy, but that old, worn out, FALSE narrative is losing all traction.

The rise of the Confederate Battle Flag has nothing to do with race or supremacy, but has everything to do with Americans being fed up with being called “racists” and “white supremacists” just because they hold conservative, traditional beliefs or disagree with those who don't. It’s about a growing anger and defiance against the onslaught of attacks against our monuments, memorials, flags, and history, each incident a direct and deliberate assault against the honor and valor of the Confederate soldier, our Grandfathers. It’s about Americans standing up and coming together to stop the PC destruction of our country. It’s about standing in defiance against an overreaching and tyrannical Federal Government.

It’s about all of these things, but for the Virginia Flaggers, it always has been, and always will be, first and foremost…about the Confederate soldier.

~Susan Hathaway
Photo courtesy Judy Smith Photography

VICTORY In Alexandria! Confederate Monument To STAY PUT!

It appears that Alexandria's lawmakers have taken the pulse of their constituents and decided that trying to move the monument would not be good for their political careers! They have REFUSED Alexandria City Council's request to petition the legislature for permission to remove the monument. 

"Appomattox" will remain right where he should! 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/not-so-fast-alexandrias-confederate-symbols-will-stay-put-for-now/2016/11/30/9f7bd61a-b731-11e6-959c-172c82123976_story.html?utm_term=.d6d97c8913d3 

"State Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), the senior local legislator, told the council that there was no reason to think the legislature would approve an exemption from a state law that prohibits the relocation of war memorials.

“It wouldn’t help us advance the rest of our priorities, and it’s not a productive use of our time,” Ebbin said.

Del. Charniele Herring (D) agreed, adding that there is no legal basis for requesting an exemption. Del. Mark Levine (D) said that after the council’s vote, he received about a dozen calls opposing the statue’s move and none in favor.Ebbin had earlier signaled the unlikelihood of getting such a bill through the legislature, calling it “a non-starter” unless the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which owns the statue, would publicly back the idea of moving it. Mayor Allison Silberberg (D), who met with the group’s local president, said the organization would not take such a stance."

God bless the ladies of the Alexandria UDC Chapter who DID NOT BACK DOWN OR COMPROMISE!

After the Alexandria City Council voted to try to move the “Appomattox” statue out of this intersection, someone posted a sign on its base calling council members “cowards.” (Linda Kramer Jenning) 

What a great day in the Commonwealth!  

Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy Under Fire For Racist, Homophobic, Sexist Tweets

Several news outlets are reporting that there are growing concerns among Charlottesville residents and increasing calls for the resignation of Vice-Mayor Wes Bellamy after the revelation of numerous social media posts by Mr. Bellamy which contained lewd, vulgar, sexist, racist, and homophobic material.

The Daily Progress was the first to break the story:  http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/past-bellamy-tweets-draw-ire/article_2c5a86fa-b514-11e6-88b1-878551ca38ab.html

Followed shortly by UVA’s Cavalier Daily.  WARNING:  GRAPHIC CONTENT!  http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2016/11/wes-bellamy-charlottesville-twitter

Bellamy is the man behind the push to tear down the Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville and rename Lee Park. Working with fellow councilman Kristen Szakos, Vice-Mayor Bellamy bullied council into spending over $10K to appoint a "commission" to evaluate the statues, based on his false "white supremacy" narrative. Clearly, Bellamy is the true "supremacist" in Charlottesville.

Ironically, Bellamy recently led the lynch mob against a UVA professor who made a social media comment comparing the Black Lives Matter group to a hate group.  The Vice-Mayor called for his removal as a guest lecturer, and a boycott of his business.  Bellamy organized and led a protest at his restaurant, based on one social media comment. 

Shortly after the illicit tweets surfaced, Bellamy locked down his Twitter account, but the links had been archived and in his public apology, Bellamy did not deny that he was the author.  Interestingly, when a local news outlet offered an apology for a post which Bellamy deemed inappropriate, he refused to accept it: “Yes, the station did offer an on air and social media apology, but for many, including myself that is not enough.” – November 12, 2016  His supporters are pointing to his more recent tweets and claiming he is a “changed man”.  We tend to believe it is more likely a timely illustration of politicians "saying one thing in private, another in public", as former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton put it. Those of us who have been involved in the fight to save the Robert E. Lee Monument and Lee park were aware of Bellamy’s blatant disrespect for us and our heritage, but even if he had not waged a war on our history, his behavior should shock all decent Virginians, especially those with school aged children, as Mr. Bellamy is a teacher in Albermarle County, and was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve on the State Board of Education.

Anti-Trump Vandals Strike In The Last Capital Of The Confederacy..And Get A BIG Surprise!

A business owner in Danville wanted to make a statement with his new sign and our own Judy Smith helped design one that would be a daily reminder of Danville City Council's decision to bow to pressure from local agitators and desecrate the Confederate Memorial on the grounds of the Last Capitol of the Confederacy by stripping the Third National flag from the monument.  

He also happened to be a Trump supporter, and when the new sign was installed, he had workers place the Trump campaign sign shown in the photo below (temporarily) over the new sign:

Last night, vandals in Danville decided that they couldn't take seeing the Trump signs any longer, and apparently climbed a ladder to tear down the sign, as well as several others in town.

Imagine for a moment the look on their faces after they ripped down the Trump campaign sign and realized what their criminal act had revealed...

(You can still see the remains of the campaign sign on the corners.)  

You just can't make this stuff up!  

We hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!  Special thanks to Tommy Goddard and his crew at Sky High Poles in Danville for sharing the photos and information.

#winning
#NeverForget

Dixie Rising - FOUR New Roadside Confederate Battle Flag Memorials Raised!

 

Lane-Armistead SCV Camp #1772, Mathews, VA

On the heels of a blog post by one of the pseudo-historian, Confederate hating bloggers, declaring that the "Retreat of the Confederate Flag Continues", we received word today of THREE new Roadside Memorial Battle Flags that were installed today...one in Virginia, and two in North Carolina...this on top of one installed in the Old North State last week!

Someone really should tell Mr. Levin to stop making stuff up.  It just makes him look SILLY! 

ROXBORO, NC - Hwy 158 East (Oxford Highway) 2 miles east of town The Roxboro Grays, SCV Camp 1932 have finished installation of a 40' pole for a Roadside Battle Flag Memorial.  A flag raising/dedication service will be held on Saturday, December 10th at 10:30 a.m. The memorial will be dedicated to Brigadier General Matt Ransom. Ransom was field general of the 35th N.C. Many Person Co. soldiers were under his command.   HIGHWAY 321 NORTH JUST ABOVE THE NC/SC STATE LINE Maj. Charles Q. Petty’s Mechanized Cavalry SCVMCNC installed a new flag and pole at their SCV camp sign!  Welcome to NORTH CAROLINA!   HIGHWAY 49 SOUTH, ALAMANCE COUNTY, NC Late Saturday afternoon ActBac NC finished installation of their first roadside battle flag project.  The 40' pole will fly an 8x12 battle flag and will be dedicated to the memory of 1st  Lt Jeremiah Holt 63rd NCST Co F , KIA Winchester VA 1864. Information on the pending flag raising/dedication ceremony will be released soon.   RT 3, NEAR SALUDA, MIDDLESEX COUNTY, VA The Lane-Armistead SCV Camp #1772, raised a 40' Roadside Memorial and Battle Flag on Saturday afternoon! The flag dedication ceremony is set for 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 3rd.  https://www.facebook.com/events/633669463506799/   That's THREE new massive battle flags raised in the Old North State this month... and the 27th raised in the Commonwealth since the fall of 2013, and from all indications, there are many, many more to come. Retreat: an act of moving back or withdrawing Perhaps Mr. Levin doesn't quite understand the meaning of the word,  but keep in mind that this is the same man who once boldly predicted "that there will be no Confederate flag on I-95 near Richmond" (bless his heart!). The Va Flaggers offer our most sincere congratulations to all of the dedicated men and women who worked so hard to make these latest Memorial Battle Flags a reality.  There is no more beautiful reminder of the honor and valor of our Confederate veterans, and the Cause for which they fought and died.