Showing posts with label Southern Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southern Cross. Show all posts

Monday, August 23, 2010

Confederate Flag on License Plates

In 1998, an appellate court in North Caroline upheld a decision that license plates displaying the Sons of Confederate Veterans logo, which consists of the Southern Cross, may be issued. In "Sons of Confederate vs. DMV", the court noted,"We are aware of the sensitivity of many of our citizens to the display of the Confederate flag. Whether the display of the Confederate flag on state-issued license plates represents sound public policy is not an issue presented to this Court in this case. That is an issue for our General Assembly."

Vehicle owners in Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia may request state-issued license plates featuring the SCV logo. However, a local member was fired from his job in Memphis recently for displaying said logo on his vehicle. He is in the process of litigation, and the first court decision has been appealed. I will keep you posted on any further developments.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Confederacy Reflected on Six States' Flags

Following the Civil War, it was decided that each state should have a flag to represent itself, so in the late 1880's the process began. Not surprisingly, many southern states chose to represent themselves with replicas of their beloved, albeit lost, Confederacy. Over the course of time, criticism and controversy have surrounded these states' decisions, claiming that they are racist. The motto "Heritage Not Hate," has received skepticism as to its sincerity, and whether it is a cover-up for racism underneath.

Alabama's state flag is white with a red saltire cross, similar in design to the most recognizable flag of the Confederacy, the St. Andrews cross, otherwise known as the Southern Cross. Florida also has a red saltire cross on its state flag. Mississippi has the only state flag that still bears the true replica of the Southern Cross. This design is in the upper left-hand corner, with the rest of the flag resembling the Stars and Bars. North Carolina also has a state flag that resembles the Stars and Bars, as does Texas, and Tennessee's flag replicates the battle flag by its color scheme and design with a vertical bar on the fly that is reminiscent of the Stainless Banner. Two other states use similar colors in their flag designs: Arkansas and Missouri. Georgia received so much flack that it underwent numerous changes until finally deciding on a design that displays previous state flags.

It is fascinating to see how some state's flags transformed over the years. Texas and Florida both started out with the Bonnie Blue Flag. Interestingly, California also had a lone star flag, although it was considered to be a part of the Union during the War Between the States.