Letter to the Editor — Boycott may resolve issue with Confederate flag

Published 12:15 pm Friday, July 8, 2022

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

To the Editor:

The tall phallic flagpole with a Confederate flag attached to it outside Farmville has raised a lot of hurt and anger in the surrounding communities. Some say it is their “right” to proudly display such a symbol. In fact, a recent article in The Farmville Herald quoted County Administrator Doug Stanley that “the issue of the appeal has to do with the location and the height of the flagpole. It has nothing to do with the contents of the flag.” And yet none of that seemed to matter because the flag is still flying high.

Here are some suggestions on how to counteract this divisive symbol. So much for Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s concern about divisive concepts that are not even taught in any Virginia schools, but divisive real life symbols are OK.

Email newsletter signup

The people that put up the flag own a business nearby. Boycott their business. Money will usually get someone’s attention fairly quickly. Just stop buying any merchandise from their business. Maybe they will change their mind, maybe not. But it’s worth a try. The colonists boycotted goods from England and that ended fairly well.

Or how about if someone else who owns some land on this well-traveled thoroughfare puts up their own flag. Proximity to the Confederate flag would be good. How about a big fist with a prominent middle finger? Or how about a shout out to those masked men of yesteryear, the KKK……oh wait, they are still around 200 years on! That’s not divisive is it? After all, it’s all about what I want. My right to say whatever I like — you’re just too sensitive. And the First Amendment says it’s OK for me to say it.

Maggie Snoddy

Buckingham County