From the Chesterfield Democratic Committee, full letter on the “flip.” This is utterly ridiculous.
Chesterfield Democratic Committee Asks Board of Supervisors to Condemn Confederate Flag on I-95; Asks Community to Come Together to Request It Not Be Flown
Chesterfield – The Chesterfield County Democratic Committee released letters it mailed today to each member of the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors requesting they pass a resolution condemning the flying of an oversized Confederate battle flag in Chesterfield near I-95. Recognizing that the Board cannot legally affect the flag, the Committee instead asked for a condemnation because this is such a divisive symbol that could upset citizens, both black and white.
The Committee also referenced the significant negative impact this flag could have on visitors and, most especially, on employers deciding whether to bring their companies here. As the letter says, “We don’t believe that employers will want to bring their jobs to a County whose vistas and horizon are invaded by the Confederate flag. These employers will rightly fear that the message it sends to prospective employees is not a positive one. Jobs and businesses will go elsewhere,” hampering the excellent work being done by the Board of Supervisors to create good paying jobs in the County.
Believing this issue to be above politics or partisanship, the Chesterfield Democratic Committee also calls on individuals and organizations within the County, from our elected leaders of both parties, to civic groups, to religious groups, to the Chesterfield Republican Committee, to join with us in condemning this divisive symbol flying over our community in such a public and outsized manner.
Chesterfield County Democratic Committee
1401 Huguenot Road
Midlothian, Virginia 23113The Honorable Dorothy Jaeckle
Chairwoman
The Honorable Steve A. Elswick
The Honorable Daniel A. Gecker
The Honorable James M. Holland
The Honorable Arthur S. Warren
Board of Supervisors
Chesterfield County
Post Office Box 40
Chesterfield, Virginia 23832August 15, 2013
Dear Madame Chair and Sirs,
We write to you today about an issue of grave concern to our county and community, the placement of an oversized Confederate battle flag along the interstate in Chesterfield. While we recognize that you do not have any legal recourse and that individuals are permitted to place this flag on their private property, we ask you to stand together to condemn this action.
We know this flag is very disturbing and, frankly, upsetting to a great many members of our community, both black and white, and is similarly distressing to those travelers who will drive past it on interstate 95. This flag does not show us to be a welcoming county which we know we want to be. We believe this issue is above partisanship or politics.
We need to stand together as a community to say we do not want such a divisive symbol prominently displayed over the interstate. We strive in Chesterfield to be a welcoming place for all citizens who come here to live, work or play. Neither our residents’ nor our visitors’ overall view of the County should be marred by the sight of a flag that, in particular, has been associated with so much strife and distress over the years.
Moreover, we know that the Board invests significant effort in recruiting first class businesses to Chesterfield. We recognize how hard you work to ensure that good jobs at good wages are available for Chesterfield residents. We invest in our school system and in our infrastructure because we know these are assets valued by business owners for their employees. Unfortunately, this flag sends just the opposite message. We don’t believe that employers will want to bring their jobs to a County whose vistas and horizon are invaded by a large, looming Confederate flag. These employers will rightly fear that the message it sends to prospective employees is not a positive one. Jobs and businesses will go elsewhere.
Please take this opportunity to join with the Chesterfield community, above politics and partisanship that too often divide us, to condemn this flag and to ask the property owner and the organization, The Flaggers, to reconsider.
Thank you very much for your attention to this critical issue.
Sincerely,
The Chesterfield County Democratic Committee
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