Confederate flag in Redmond 4th of July parade draws criticism | Local & State

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Redmond resident Cara Frank said she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a large Confederate flag fluttering in the wind as Redmond’s July 4th Parade passed her home on Sunday.

The flag was held by a man in the uniform of a Confederate general. Beside him stood two men in union suits, a soldier and a scout holding a Union flag (34 stars) and a Betsy Ross flag (10 stars). A sign on the side of the tank read: The Constitution is NOT negotiable. On the back, another read: Together we stand, divided we fall.

I’m angry and struggling to understand this, Frank wrote in an email to members of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event. I am amazed that this was not immediately denounced. White supremacy had its imprint on the July 4th parade today.

Frank was not alone in his frustration. Many residents have taken to social media to express their anger. Others defended the use of the flag.

I’m not sure why Redmond’s July 4th Parade would feature the war flag of the Confederates who attempted to separate from the United States of America, Redmond resident Larry Cole said in an email.

The flag was flown by Scott Stuart of Peoples Rights, a conservative group founded by activist Ammon Bundy in 2020 that advocates for community members to unite with their neighbors to defend their rights, according to the website. of the group. The group has locals across the country.

Stuart, a resident of Redmond, did not want to give his age or profession.

Frank said the use of the Confederate flag violated the Redmond Chamber of Commerce rule prohibiting the use of political flags at the event.

It is a real problem that must be resolved, she said. I expect to see these groups banned from future participation.

Stuart said the groups’ use of the flag was poorly understood.

My tank was a tank from Civil War history, he said. My relative is Jeb Stuart, a cavalry general in the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of General Robert E. Lee. I teach a course on the Battle of Gettysburg, and I teach it to the people at Peoples Rights. Its living history.

Stuart said he regularly teaches his class Taking the High Ground at public and private schools, as well as other educational institutions.

It’s a six-part series, and it’s been very well received by those I’ve been to do it with. Mostly eighth grade students in primary schools, he said. In the fifth part of this course, we break down Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. The core or the message centers on the fact that children will not be judged on the color of their skin but on the color of their skin. content of their character. “

Stuart said King’s message was “overthrown” by “leftists, progressives, communists, anarchists, the BLM movement, whatever you want to call them,” because these groups promote racism for their benefit. .

Its division. It divides the masses. Our message was: unite, for united we stand, divided we fall, he said.

BJ Soper, a conservative activist and spokesperson for Peoples Rights Oregon, concurred with Stuart, providing this statement:

Mr. Stuarts’ float was designed to express the idea that we are united and divided, we fall. Our American history shows this to be true. The discussion on this flag just goes to substantiate this statement. The simple fact is, no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, history is history and it cannot be changed. This flag is part of American history, for better or for worse, and our feelings on the matter cannot change that fact. The American Civil War was a travesty. Any war is a travesty. We should all strive to learn from the lessons and mistakes of the past so that they are less likely to be repeated.

Eric Sande, executive director of the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, said the use of the flag during the parade was not intended to be political and event organizers were unaware the flag would be used because it there was no approval process for tanks. Participants were only asked to follow the rules.

The July 4 parade was very well attended, which included the Peoples Rights group, Sande wrote in an email. The tank in question was a representation of the American Civil War with both Union and Confederate soldiers and the American and Confederate flags. I spoke with the float entrance, who is an American Civil War historian and he confirmed that the float does not make a political statement with the flag. We respect the sensitivity of this issue and will continue to work towards our goal of providing a safe and enjoyable parade for everyone.

Frank said the violation went beyond the use of the flag: Peoples Rights members handed out brochures to the public, and one of the group’s tanks won an award. She berated the Redmond Chamber of Commerce “for allowing hatred”.

You can’t filter racism in that flag and leave what’s pure and historic in the flag because that purity doesn’t exist, she said. White supremacy operates on a trickle down strategy, the trend that emerges from the parade spills over to the audience. Brochures were distributed to children. “

Stuart supported his argument that the flag is part of history to grapple with and that its use was apolitical.

Whenever you use flags or banners, they arouse emotions, he said.

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