Why make half of the people mad at you when you can get someone else to do the dirty work for you?
For those of you who have been orbiting Uranus, Danville has a Confederate flag flying on top of a Confederate monument on the city-owned grounds of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. It may be hard to believe, but that flag has drawn a bit of controversy.
Vice-Mayor Gary Miller said that he and Mayor Sherman Saunders were going to discuss the future of the Confederate flag at next Tuesday night’s Danville City Council work session. Last week, we published an article with our predictions on how the process would go, resulting in the removal of the flag in the end. Today, Sherman Saunders released a carefully worded statement saying that he would not being up the flag issue for discussion at the work session. Note the italicized word, people.
Let’s take a look at the statement from the “Mayor’s office”…
Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders announced Wednesday that he will not bring before City Council next week the issue of the Confederate flag flying on the grounds of the Sutherlin Mansion.
Saunders said he came to his decision following several discussions with City Attorney Clarke Whitfield.
“The city attorney’s initial position has not changed and therefore, pending any new information forthcoming to City Council, this issue in my view appears to be rendered moot,” Saunders said.
Last week, Vice Mayor Gary Miller announced that City Council would revisit the issue at its July 7 meeting. Miller made the announcement at Saunders’ request.
“While attending a national conference, I learned from many telephone calls of much media and citizen inquiry being made of Danville as it relates to the Confederate flag and the mass shooting that took place on the evening of June 17 at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston,” Saunders said. “As I am concerned about maintaining a positive image of our city, I was concerned that such renewed attention would depict just the opposite. In my discussion with the vice mayor, I asked him to state that City Council would be revisiting the actions it took in November 2014.”
At its meeting on Nov. 6, 2014, City Council voted to adopt a resolution advising the Danville Museum of History and Fine Arts that Council had determined under Virginia law it does not have the authority to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the Sutherlin Mansion, which the City owns and leases to the museum. The museum’s board of directors had requested removal of the flag, which is the Third National flag of the Confederate States of America.
Saunders returned from the conference and met last week with the city attorney. He met again with the city attorney on Monday and yesterday.
“It is my understanding from the city attorney that this issue is considered to be a ‘local’ matter,’” Saunders said. “As such, this matter was voted on and decided at the November meeting. I want to thank the vice mayor for his cooperation and for representing the City during my absence.
“Danville is a great city with wonderful, welcoming citizens. I ask that we remember that respect, love and a greater acceptance of ethnicity, individual differences and culture will enable Danville to become even greater.”
Well then. After reading this, you might believe that the issue is dead once again and nobody will talk about it. No need for any flag supporters, flag opponents or any outside agitators to show up to make their opinions heard, huh?
All that Sherman has said in his flip-flop statement is that he won’t bring it up for discussion. There’s eight other councilmen who just might and at least one of them probably will. This is an open invitation for Larry Campbell to waltz right in and open the discussion on this. Saunders wants the flag removed. That’s shown by his vote to go with Campbell’s last-minute flag removal idea back in November. This is a quite smart move in making this statement because if Larry Campbell starts the discussion going, Saunders can sit back, smile and say “See, folks? I didn’t start this. They did.”
There’s enough consensus on council for them to order the city attorney to get an Attorney General’s office opinion on the flag and then things will progress like I predicted in the linked article. Even if Saunders votes no on that proposal, there’s enough there to pass it anyway. In fact, Saunders voting NO on getting an attorney general’s opinion makes him look even more neutral by supporting City Attorney Clarke Whitfield’s current legal opinion.
This is just a way to let Larry Campbell take the heat from the flag supporters. Campbell is safe when he comes up for re-election even if flag supporters mount an organized campaign against him. Saunders may not run for reelection in 2016 but if he does, he’s going to need all the support he can get.
I see right through Sherman Saunders’ “Let’s all forget about it and be happy” flip-flop here. This flip-flop is a total flop to me. I’m not falling for it one bit.
To me the motivation seems more like it is to try to keep the nuts away from the public comment section of the meeting if he possibly can. I don’t think it will work. In fact, I bet they come out for every meeting for three months now that they are on alert, no matter what happens at the meetings.
I hope Mr. Smallwood is correct. This was illegal last year. It is still illegal. Exploiting a tragedy to attempt something illegal for political reasons is disgusting. If enough supporters show up and refrain from acting like boars hopefully it will pressure the city council into letting this issue die.
Lee tell us who are “the nuts” you refer to? If anybody dares to have an opinion other than yours they suddenly become “nuts”? If Saunders is sincere, he can rule Miller or Campbell (or who ever brings it up) as being out of order. If this goes to court the city needs to be ready to spend thousands of dollars in court. If the city wins, the other side will appeal it over and over. In the end the city will fail.
I agree with blackraisin, it is contemptible for anybody to try to exploit the events in Charleston for political gain………….that means ANYBODY!
There’s enough votes to overrule the chair if Saunders was to try that trick.
As for the potential lawsuits, an attorney general legal opinion saying that the city can move the flag would be all the evidence that they need to defend. Any other outside “aggrieved parties” would be gunned down by a motion to dismiss for lack of legal standing.
See Bruce’s coverage. My understanding is that the completely nuts idiots who raised their rebel flags at every opponent far outnumbered anyone with a salient point.
Correct. The “outside agitators” completely destroyed the nice respectful people like Jock (forgot his last name) and Vernell Gwynn.
Why do we assume the Attorney General would render an opinion that the city can move the flag without first changing the law that protects the monument?
I put my reasoning in this article, saying that one could easily say that the monument was still a monument without the flag.
“The Confederate Flag Controversy Script – Round #2” – New SouthsideCentral article at http://bit.ly/SC062615A
if no attorney general or state legislature LEGAL decision is needed in Danville’s flag then WHY must South Carolina’s general assembly have a vote of 2/3 to remove its flag? Why is Virginia any different when there is a law on the books?
Why must citizens endure lawsuits that will cost us or someone money. look at the county and the prayer issue. somebody gotta pay the bill !
Because each state has their own separate rules.
If a flag on a little monument is so offensive then why aren’t the buildings that housed the meetings, debates, made and enforced the laws of the Confederacy more offensive? Don’t stop with the flag. If those pushing for the flags removal are truly offended by its symbolism then they should be demanding that the buildings come down as well…
If you will not own your comments of this nature, then they are worthless. Claim them. No one is asking to do away with history. It is a flag on a monument. The flag can go on display inside with other historical items. Fly a flag that unites not divides us.