Honk for Confederate Pride

[TooFarTampa]

I can't believe I beat Walton GOP to posting this. Enjoy ...

from tampabay.com/buzz

Rep. Don Brown, R-DeFuniak Springs, has filed legislation to create a new license plate featuring the Confederate battle flag.

But the controversial nature of the flag and failure to establish a plate before makes for a difficult road to approval.

The plate, featuring four Confederate-era flags as well as buttons worn by soldiers, was designed by the Florida division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group pitched the idea last year and got nowhere. Proceeds would be used for education programs and graveyard restoration.

Florida, like other Southern states, has struggled over the image of the Confederate flag and the plate will surely stir controversy. In 2001, Gov. Jeb Bush discreetly removed the flag from the Capitol. His successor, Gov. Charlie Crist, has made inroads with the African-American community that sees the flag as an enduring symbol of racism.

"A lot of people are making a big issue out of it," Brown said. "But all we're doing is giving individuals the right to choose to make a statement about their heritage." That's no different, he said, than people who want to see Martin Luther King Jr's name grace street signs. Browns says he is one of them and has sponsored a bill to rename part of Highway 90 in Walton County after the slain civil rights leader.

A handful of other states have Confederate heritage plates, including Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina.

 

[TooFarTampa]

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/02/honk-for-confed.html#comments

 

[Beach Runner]

Say it ain't so!

 

[hnooe]

Doesn't Don Brown (R) have anything better to do up in DeFuniak. Don't we currently have enough vanity plates already..I guess he is up for re-election in Nov? ....enough said.

On the positive side, I like the graphics of the plate, classier than car flags or a plastic bumber sticker. Unfortunately, the message that flag sends still remains misconstrued, and always will.

 

[wrobert]

I can't believe I beat Walton GOP to posting this. Enjoy ...

from tampabay.com/buzz

Rep. Don Brown, R-DeFuniak Springs, has filed legislation to create a new license plate featuring the Confederate battle flag.

But the controversial nature of the flag and failure to establish a plate before makes for a difficult road to approval.

The plate, featuring four Confederate-era flags as well as buttons worn by soldiers, was designed by the Florida division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group pitched the idea last year and got nowhere. Proceeds would be used for education programs and graveyard restoration.

Florida, like other Southern states, has struggled over the image of the Confederate flag and the plate will surely stir controversy. In 2001, Gov. Jeb Bush discreetly removed the flag from the Capitol. His successor, Gov. Charlie Crist, has made inroads with the African-American community that sees the flag as an enduring symbol of racism.

"A lot of people are making a big issue out of it," Brown said. "But all we're doing is giving individuals the right to choose to make a statement about their heritage." That's no different, he said, than people who want to see Martin Luther King Jr's name grace street signs. Browns says he is one of them and has sponsored a bill to rename part of Highway 90 in Walton County after the slain civil rights leader.

A handful of other states have Confederate heritage plates, including Georgia, Louisiana and North Carolina.

I did not get a google on it until late.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Doesn't Don Brown (R) have anything better to do up in DeFuniak. Don't we currently have enough vanity plates already..I guess he is up for re-election in Nov? ....enough said.

On the positive side, I like the graphics of the plate, classier than car flags or a plastic bumber sticker. Unfortunately, the message that flag sends still remains misconstrued, and always will.

And personally, I hate that...

 

[wrobert]

Doesn't Don Brown (R) have anything better to do up in DeFuniak. Don't we currently have enough vanity plates already..I guess he is up for re-election in Nov? ....enough said.

On the positive side, I like the graphics of the plate, classier than car flags or a plastic bumber sticker. Unfortunately, the message that flag sends still remains misconstrued, and always will.

Re-election has never played a role in Don's representation of his district. But he does get re-elected at some of the highest rates in the State of Florida, and has been rated an A+ legislator by several non-partisan organizations.

I also believe that we have way too many vanity plates in this State, but in a country with a 1st amendment, is it fair that we allow some to have plates for their causes yet others are not allowed because as a majority we do not care for their cause? If the plate is allowed, one can just choose not to purchase it if they do not support the message.

The bill was submitted at the request of a group of constituents. Do we want someone in office that represents everyone, or just represents people that they agree with?

The plate does look kind of neat, imho.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Re-election has never played a role in Don's representation of his district. But he does get re-elected at some of the highest rates in the State of Florida, and has been rated an A+ legislator by several non-partisan organizations.

I also believe that we have way too many vanity plates in this State, but in a country with a 1st amendment, is it fair that we allow some to have plates for their causes yet others are not allowed because as a majority we do not care for their cause? If the plate is allowed, one can just choose not to purchase it if they do not support the message.

The bill was submitted at the request of a group of constituents. Do we want someone in office that represents everyone, or just represents people that they agree with?

The plate does look kind of neat, imho.

good point, WGOP, I do buy the vanity plates for all my vehicles. You know that plate would look GOOD on my beach Bronco...

 

[wrobert]

good point, WGOP, I do buy the vanity plates for all my vehicles. You know that plate would look GOOD on my beach Bronco...

On another note, Representative Brown will be speaking to his OK styled immigration bill that he introduced also this session, at McLeans Restaraunt in DeFuniak Springs tomorrow at the North Walton Republican Club, 6PM. Agree with him or not, he is a very engaging speaker, born and raised in Walton County from the Portland area outside of Freeport. He is a hilarious story teller.

Many will remember some of Don's quotes about the various Governor's iniatives over the last few months. He is not a Crist fan.

 

[elgordoboy]

Re-election has never played a role in Don's representation of his district. But he does get re-elected at some of the highest rates in the State of Florida, and has been rated an A+ legislator by several non-partisan organizations.

I also believe that we have way too many vanity plates in this State, but in a country with a 1st amendment, is it fair that we allow some to have plates for their causes yet others are not allowed because as a majority we do not care for their cause? If the plate is allowed, one can just choose not to purchase it if they do not support the message.

The bill was submitted at the request of a group of constituents. Do we want someone in office that represents everyone, or just represents people that they agree with?

The plate does look kind of neat, imho.

I have a cousin who in our twenties would flip down his license plate when leaving his car and in Altanta. His tag read Forsyth and for those who do not know that county is where Hosea Williams (black civil rights activist) got hit in the head with a brick during a rally a couple of decades ago. He was afraid of people keying his car. I would find the confederate plate needlessly inflammatory plus I like my trucks finish as is.