(Confederate) Flags Across the Ouachita

by Al Benson Jr.

One Friday afternoon each year in the middle of April the Lea Joyner Bridge across the Ouachita River that separates the cities of Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana plays host to an unusual event.

On this day, members from many of the Sons of Confederate Veterans camps in the Monroe/West Monroe area gather on the bridge and display Confederate flags, all kinds of Confederate flags, to the public driving over the bridge and they usually do this during rush hour so there is lots of traffic. Some come dressed in Confederate uniforms, some don't, but everyone on the bridge for this gathering has some sort of Confederate flag to wave at the passing crowd. This event usually lasts through rush hour, so lots of folks get the chance to see all manner of Confederate flags waving as they drive on by.

This is a visible commemoration of the Confederate heritage of the area and these folks are not bashful about waving Confederate flags at people. They are not trying to "offend" anyone but they are thankful for their area's Confederate heritage and they are not about to hide their Confederate flags under the bed or in the basement as the politically correct leftist crowd fervently wishes they would.

The Confederate flag is a living symbol of their heritage. None of them looks upon it as a "racist" symbol. It has never meant that to them, but they have grown tired of seeing everyone else's  heritage being celebrated while theirs is denigrated. They have grown tired of observing strident Cultural Marxism being practiced upon the South by socialists and Marxists from Washington, D.C. on down, and folks, let me tell you, there are lots of socialists and Marxists in Washington and, unfortunately in many of our state capitols. Many of these SCV folks in this area have read Donnie Kennedy's and my book Lincoln's Marxists and they know what the deal really is.

I have been privileged to stand with them on two different occasions for this event, waving a Confederate flag (no I am not ashamed for having done so) and it is interesting to watch the folks driving by and see the different reactions you get from them. Some folks drive by and toot their horns and wave enthusiastically. Even though they've been brainwashed in government schools there is enough of the memory of their heritage left that a Confederate flag is a positive reminder of that heritage and they react positively to it. Interestingly enough, a lot of those who respond this way are younger folks. I take that as a good sign.

There are some older folks that respond positively and there are many others that look as though they'd like to, but can't quite bring themselves, in this politically correct environment, to go through with it. There are always a handful that, naturally, don't like it, and their responses vary all the way from the proverbial "middle finger" to things more verbally intense, but they are a minority, thank the Lord. One flag-waver I talked to today said he had had half a dozen or so black folks that had waived at him and his flag. Some black people, it seems, are waking up to the fact that some of the"racist" hogwash they have been fed is just that--hogwash. This is the kind of event that the local "news" media wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. If three people with Malcolm X flags showed up, they'd be there in droves, but Confederate flags are to be ignored as much as possible--even when they are patently visible.

I'd like to encourage other Confederate groups around the country to do something like this once or twice a year. I've noticed that there are "Confederate Flaggers" groups around, though mostly in the East, that come out to demonstrate against egregious  heritage violations, and that's good. Maybe we need more of them in other areas.

At any rate, the SCV camps in the Monroe/West Monroe, Louisiana area (and there are several) have come up with a unique way of displaying their Confederate heritage and it does get noticed, even if the "news" media can't be bothered reporting on it. You could say that these SCV camps do reach the public with their efforts--not because of the "news" media, but in spite of it!