Conversations at the Confederate soldiers' monument in Waynesville, N.C.
From: hk.edgerton@gmail.com
On
Monday morning August 12, 2012, I would place a stick flag of the great
State of Texas adjacent to the Confederate soldiers' monument. It
didn't take long before who I believe to be the secretary of attorney
Bob Clark to come and tell me that she couldn't tell me not to stand at
the monument with the Battle flag, but that I needed to remove that
flag, pointing to the Texas flag. However, because she was a lady, I
chose to not even respond. She didn't even know what the flag was, but
because it was posted beside the monument, it had to go.
Shortly
after, a middle aged White lady would approach me. Sir, I drove pass,
and to see a Black man standing at the Waynesville County courthouse
with the Rebel flag. I said to myself, that man must not know what is
going on in this county. My daughter is in court today because her
friends burned a cross on my lawn because she started dating a Black
man, and sir she continued, this is only the tip of the iceberg. There
is a lot of hate in this county between Black and White folks. My reply
to her was;" ma'am the more the reason for me to be here". This flag
is a shared common heritage for all of us who are Southern. I wonder
what must be on the minds of those young people who head into court for
burning that cross and have to look over to me and see me standing here
in support of their ancestors as well as mine. She would hug me and
tell me that my point was well taken and was food for thought for her
self as well.
Next to come was a
middle aged Black man who would give me what is commonly referred to as
the evil eye. After holding up traffic, he would tell me that I needed
help. I told him that he was right, and that I had an extra flag in the
car.
On Tuesday evening, my
brother, Terry Lee would receive a call from my cousin Eddie Edgerton
who expressed concern about my safety after having conversation with a
Black resident of Waynesville about the stir I had caused strutting
about with that red shirt on that depicted the flag and strutting about
the town with the Battle flag. He went on to say that a White minister
had called him voicing the same concerns about my safety, and the Klan
who too might not like me being there. God bless them all, for I shall
post the Christian Cross of St. Andrew again on Thursday morning,
August 16, 2012 at the Confederate soldiers' monument at approximately
9:00am.
HK Edgerton
