Regressive Newspaper Columnist Promotes Disunity In Rock Hill, SC

Every year, the South Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans holds its annual state convention at different locations across the State. This blogger has had the honor of attending at least four of these in my now 15 years as a member of that proud group of men and boys.  

This annual convention is fairly standard. A place is chosen by committee and hosted by a local camp. This convention includes the display of artifacts from the War Between The States era, literature and reading materials, reference books, the sale of flags and other items for projects like money to get new grave markers to replace old banners and veterans markers, or for the preservation of artifacts in the local and State museums. 

During the opening ceremony the camp colors of the State Division SCV are presented and posted in the main meeting hall, lots of long (and I do mean looooong) presentations of camp awards and certificates are given out to those members who have contributed to the overall good of the organization's goals of preserving Confederate historical heritage across the State of South Carolina. 

This annual two-day convention usually draws anywhere from 400 - 1000 of the State Division's 3,000+ members, as well as provides a huge boon for the local economy of the local hosting city in the form of hotel reservations, catering, meals at local restaurants, ect. 

Naturally, I was pleased when I learned that for 2017, the annual South Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans State Convention would be held in the City of Rock Hill, just 20 miles from this blogger's home, rather than say Charleston, Columbia, or Greenville, which are much farther a distance to travel. 

Convention celebrating the Confederacy (Honoring the living descendants of Confederate Soldiers coming to York Tech campus 

By Andrew (Shitstain) Dys

Hundreds of Confederate flags will be on display at York Technical College early next year – despite the potential for controversy and even protests a year after the flag was dumped from the South Carolina statehouse In an act that gave aid and comfort to white supremacist racism and anti-Confederate heritage reactionaries more than it served anything else – as the school hosts the annual South Carolina convention of the South Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans not only use the Confederate Battle flag Army of Northern Virginia in their materials, logos and banners, the group refuses to acknowledge that the Civil War was fought over the South wanting to keep blacks in slavery. Actually they don't refuse to acknowledge the role of slavery leading up to the war in certain context, but they see the defense of Southern soil from invasion by the North by the Confederate soldier as the higher ideal. The group rightly and justifiably opposed all efforts to take down the flag in South Carolina. Again because they knew the only ones served by such an act where actual racists and white supremacists themselves.

Student enrollment figures at York Technical College for the decade leading up to this year show generally the student body of more than 5,000 students is about one-quarter black each year. Humm, interesting facts, but what is your point - other than to show that the school apparently isn't keeping up with affirmative action quotas?

But until The Herald told top administrators at the school that its Baxter Hood Center had contracted with the group to host the convention, administration officials didn’t even know that their conference center had inked a deal to host the convention in March.

More, some area leaders say Rock Hill and York County hosting a convention for a group that flies such a divisive and inflammatory flag Your opinion - one not shared by any majority of American people FYI could damage the image of the area. Riiiight, because two days out of 365 are enough to effectively turn the school and City of Rock Hill into a slum, huh Andy? News flash, the SCV take part in annual holiday and US Veterans Parades in most towns in York County every year without incident, or "damaging the image of the area" you goober. Rock Hill has an official motto: “No Room for Racism” and honors civil rights protesters in its road signs. It also honors Confederate soldiers and generals on several of its street signs too, FYI. In 2015 Rock Hill reversed convictions of Friendship Nine protesters from 1961 in an event that was national news. Which was both long overdue, and supported by a great many local members of the SCV in point of fact.

“With all the unrest going on in this country, Not our fault it would not be a good look for York Tech or Rock Hill and York County,” said William “Bump” Roddey, a York Tech alumnus who is the only black member of York County Council. Again how a two-day event by a credited historical preservation organization could accomplish this is left unexplained. “We have come a long way in this area, and this re-inflames what we are trying to get past.” Wow, a bunch of men in suits and Confederate uniforms attending a business meeting and gathering can "re-inflaming" anything....good to know we live rent free in shallow minds.

School officials have determined that the Sons of Confederate Veterans – which believes that the Southern cause in the Civil War was both just and proper Defending one's homes and families from an illegal and unconstitutional invasion by a foreign power IS very much just and proper, thank you very much – has a first amendment right to assemble. We do. The Hood center is owned and operated by the college, a state run school supported by taxpayers. In other words, by the people attending the event.

“We are aware of their emblem as potentially controversial, but we are apolitical,” said Melanie Jones, vice-president for college advancement at York Tech. As are we, ma'am....we try to be, though politics seem to have a bad habit of finding us, particularly regressive Leftist ones.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has a legitimate right to lease the space for the convention March 17 and March 18, Jones said. Other groups, such as the NAACP and political candidates, have previously leased space at the Hood center. What's good for politicians should be good enough for a historical preservation group that works hard to help out worthy efforts to preserve and protect battlefields, old banners and artifacts of American history in concert with organizations like the Civil War Trust.

However, those groups do not arrive with a phalanx of Confederate flags in tow. More's the pity for them -- oh and the SC SCV also brings the United States flag and the South Carolina State flag too.

The school, after being told of the event booking, said it has reviewed the contract and with a Friday afternoon and Saturday function in March, and does not see any disruption of the campus or students going to school by the event, Jones said. The school must balance its core mission of serving students with any event on campus, but for this event, York Tech “does not see a situation where that balance is off-balance,” Jones said. Truth be known, the students at York Tech might actually get some positive views of Confederate heritage preservation and Southern identity from those in attendance. Not to mention learn some really amazing stories about the Confederate citizen soldier and who he was as an individual, rather than some two-dimensional character in a Hollywood movie. The SCV strives to help advance the cause of educating youth.

The Confederate flag has been a state and national controversy for decades. Thanks largely to both reactionary and regressive forces - white supremacists and Leftist alike - who seek to misuse, or malign the banner for their own selfish purposes. For more than 15 years, the NCAA and ACC banned sports events after the NAACP urged a boycott over South Carolina flying the Confederate flag. Case in point!

South Carolina in 2015 took down the same Confederate battle flag that the Sons of Confederate Veterans use in all their materials and as part of their logo. That was done by legislators, and the media Establishment after a push by reactionary Gov. Nikki Haley, after nine blacks fellow Southerners and Christians were violently and cold-bloodedly murdered at a Charleston church. The suspect is a white supremacist piece of human debris and Confederate flag supporter racist misappropriator and defiler of Southern symbols who wanted to start a race war.

Roddey, the York County Council member, said tuition and fees from students and tax dollars from the people of York County and South Carolina support York Tech. A good many of which will be attending the SC Division SCV reunion.

“This is not the image we want in York County,” Roddey said. I presume you mean the royal "we" there, Bumpy?

For millions of Americans, the Confederate flag is wrongly viewed as a symbol of slavery and racism. More, it is generally accepted – except by Confederate heritage groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and about 57% of Americans according to last year's USA poll - not to mention millions across the world and hate groups of which Mr. Dys and like-minded SJW twits share a common wrong-thinking view of the flag that also fly the Confederate flag against the will of legitimate Confederate heritage groups and their supporters worldwide – that the war was fought because the Southern states wanted to maintain and expand the slavery of blacks and rejected the authority of the federal government to prohit (Uh, don't you mean "prohibit" here? Can we say: spell-check? Not to mention poor journalism) slavery.

It is clear that private individuals and groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans have every right to fly the Confederate flag. But the March 2017 convention will be on a campus of a public school supported by tax dollars, Of which I would remind y'all - for the THIRD TIME - that SCV members make up a number of said tax payers. Roddey said, and the public and student body are sure to see the flags that many find offensive. Well, we - unlike Mr. Bumpy here - have a higher opinion of the students of the school and their ability to think for themselves as individuals to ask reasoned questions of those who will attend the convention.

Just last month, a federal judge in a Mississippi flag dispute wrote that the Confederate flag is an “emblem of slavery, lynchings, pain and white supremacy.” More, the judge wrote that not just blacks are appalled by the Confederate battle flag. Not sure how the events in Mississippi have any real bearing on South Carolina in this context. Also the opinion of the judge in question is just that - his opinion. There is an expression about opinion and certain bodily orifices, but I will refrain. Also, not all black Southerners and Americans share the judge's misinformed and pro-racist view of that flag as shown HERE.

South Carolina taking down the Confederate flag from its Statehouse was a major news event all over the world – and yet taking down the flag was excoriated by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Considering that the act was one that promoted a regressive, pro-white supremacist viewpoint rather than a progressive, forward-thinking one advanced by the SCV and other groups worldwide, condemning such regressive actions was in fact justified. On its website, the Sons of Confederate Veterans say of the Confederate flag in South Carolina: “One comes down, many go up.” Prophetic words to be sure.

Yet the Sons of Confederate Veterans say there is no concern over their annual meeting – despite there being no doubt that the Confederate flag is among the most controversial symbols misunderstood and wrongly misused symbols in America  – if not the most divisive. Only to regressive Leftist snowflakes and Social "Just Us" reactionaries like you Mr Shitstain. The convention includes Confederate flag backdrops, sales of Confederate flag items, and its participants carry the flags. Yes there is in fact a backdrop or two, sales of flags and items - the money of which go largely toward funding cemetery cleanups and repairs to markers and monuments to soldiers, and the only flags carried during the convention are individual camp banners during the opening ceremony - of which the US flag is pledged to first and foremost. Unlike other groups and individuals, the SCV only kneel to God, NOT when the national anthem is played. More, the group is not open to the public false, monthly SCV camp meetings ARE in fact open to the public – only descendants of Confederate soldiers are eligible for membership. If I had the family history stuff to prove it, I'd be in the Sons of the American Revolution too - which also alas requires proof of direct descent for membership. What's your point here, Andy?

After the tragic Charleston killings in June 2015 – but before the state legislature and governor approved taking down the Statehouse Confederate flag – the Sons of Confederate Veterans rightly and justifiably denounced the killings at a news conference hastily assembled under the Confederate flag, but continued to support the flag In order to show the world that racists like Roof cannot win and have no authority or ability to steal what they have no moral right to and fought the reactionary and pro-white supremacist ideology promoting bill that took it down. The group also has had skirmishes with anti-flag groups in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other states after people opposed the flag. More than just "skirmishes" dude. A full scale Southern heritage preservation movement against hate, racism, and reactionary attitudes towards Southern symbols.

Bucky Sutton, commander of the Micah Jenkins camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans based in Rock Hill and host for the state convention, and someone this blogger personally knows! said that there is no concern about potential protests or anything else, and that the group is about celebrating the heritage of its members. Sutton said that “I am not ashamed” of his heritage of 44 Confederate soldiers that promotes the Confederacy and denies the war as being about slavery. Well, at least he denies that the Confederate soldier specifically fought for slavery anyhow....and I would agree with him on that one.

Sutton conceded that the Confederate flag is controversial but said “there is controversy in almost anything. Black Lives matter is controversial,” Sutton said. Something is always "controversial" to one butt-hurt person or another these days.

More, Sutton said he is “quite puzzled” why anyone would even bring up any potential problems with the group renting the space. I'm not. See, I understand how regressive, angry little snowflakes like you think, Mr. Dys. The group believes its heritage is under siege from those who would rewrite history – despite overwhelming scholarship that refutes the groups contention that the war was not about slavery. Not really what he means, doofus. The group has 3,000 members statewide but it remains unclear how many will attend in March. Well, if past conventions are any barometer, close to 200 or so. Some of us do have jobs to still go to.

The S.C. Board for Technical College Education, which provides oversight for the state’s 16 technical schools, has not faced any such situation before where a group that espouses the controversial Confederate flag rents space for an event, said Kelly Steinhilper, spokesperson for the state board. The local colleges have “autonomy” to handle their own affairs such as hosting events, Steinhilper said, and there “is no policy” at the state level concerning hosting a group that uses as its banner and logo a symbol that so many South Carolinians wrongly find offensive.

Roddey, the York Tech alum and councilman, said no one should be surprised if there are protests against the event. That would be unfortunate, would cause the sort-of "re-flaming" crap he referred to earlier in this weird anti-Confederate reactionary hit piece. Unfortunate, but would not stop the convention from happening.

The campus sits in the city of Rock Hill, but Rock Hill police have not yet received any request for extra security, a department spokesman said. Wow, don't y'all just love the veiled threat and attempt at intimidation there? It sure didn't go over my head.

Now for a little Southern Fried Common Sense.

The article written above by this race-baiting, hate-filled SJW troll was designed to serve one purpose and one purpose only -- and it had nothing whatsoever to do with promoting unity. 

This was nothing less than a message of division and hatred designed to attack the South Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans, to make them feel like unwanted criminals in the city of Rock Hill. 

As I pointed out at the beginning of this post, the events that take place at a convention have nothing to do with promoting political causes, nor fostering hatred of anyone. 

So why does this troll go though the trouble of attacking a paternal historical preservation group no different than say the Sons of the American Revolution. A group that gathers a couple times a year to clean graves of soldiers -- both Confederate and US veterans of all wars I might add -- who contributes and raises funds for battlefield preservation, sponsors scholarships, cleans roads, ect?

The answer is simple. 

The people who make up the Sons of Confederate Veterans are unashamed of their Confederate ancestor's service defending his homes from an illegal and unconstitutional invasion by a government they felt no longer represented them. They do not reject that service, but instead embrace their ancestors as recognized American Veterans no different than any other.  

Also the SCV does not recognize and indeed speaks out strongly against the misuse of the Dixie Cross (Confederate battle flag) as a symbol of hatred and instead promotes the positive display of that flag as a recognized living symbol of Southern identity among Confederate descendants of all races and religious creeds.

These are things that a SJW troll like Dys cannot accept, or choose to live with peacefully. A mentally warped and frustrated little snowflake -- probably even more so given what little regard people have for the biased printed US media these days -- who feels the need to lash out at what his limited understanding of Southern identity regards as an "act of hatred" despite offering no real proof that the SC SCV engages in such acts as the reasoning world regards them.

Of course, in the world of the Social "Just Us" Warrior, anything that does not follow a strict set of guidelines dictated by a group of alleged "intellectuals" and elitists in media and current popular culture, is an act of hate, sexism, bigotry, homophobia, ect. 

This special little snowflake -- who I shall now dub the Troll of the Rock Hill Herald -- and his strawman arguments, not to mention his thinly veiled threats at the end of his article, and his message of division and hatred may very well turn what would have been a peaceful weekend, one that would have profited the city of Rock Hill with the revenue that such an event would bring to local businesses, into a huge fiasco. 

The SC SCV will not back down. I know them well enough to know this. Nor will the local race-baiters and SJW agitators who will see this as a golden opportunity to enhance their own resumes to whomever they think will be impressed by their actions. There will almost certainly be counter-demonstrations, possibly even a very visible flagging across the city of Rock Hill next March, lawsuits, counter-suits, lawyer fees in the tens if not hundreds of thousands -- all because one anger-filled troll decided to make news rather than just report it, all to feed his own insatiable ego.

I promise to keep y'all updated on this story. I will be in the middle of it since I too will be attending the SC SCV Reunion 2017 next March.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/andrew-dys/article107005507.html#storylink=cpy