We need your help to remove the Walton County Courthouse's Confederate Battle Flag that flies in front of the courthouse on county courthouse land behind the Civil War Memorial. For a third time since 2002, we are petitioning Walton County Commissioners to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the Walton County Courthouse.

Concerned citizens plan to attend the upcoming County Commission Meeting, 9am on July 28th at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs with this petition showing the support of those near and far who feel it's time to remove this flag. 

In 2001, Former Governor Jeb Bush made a courageous and bold move by removing the Confederate flag from the Florida State Capitol grounds. In 2002, citizens and the local NAACP asked Walton County Commissioners to remove the Confederate Battle Flag from the WC Courthouse grounds, and they denied the request. 13 years later, the flag is still on government property. 

Official records confirm that Walton County's Confederate battle flag was installed on the courthouse lawn in April 1964 in order to oppose the Civil Rights Act. The Walton County Commissioners voted on April 1964, weeks before passage of the Civil Rights Act, to approve the Confederate battle flag addition to the courthouse lawn.

The clear intent of the Walton County leadership at that time was to protest equal rights for all Americans.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of civil rights legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It ended the unequal application of voter registration requirements and segregation in schools, at the workplace and in public places. The Civil Rights Act was not just about race equality. It was about equal rights for women, minority religions, and all Americans.

Walton County sent a clear message that integration of the schools, equal protection for all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, voter rights, and civil rights were not accepted nor promoted in Walton County at that time.

Why in the world would we continue to fly a flag that represents this position? Do you want to go back to 1964 when African Americans, women, members of certain religions or immigrants did not have equal rights? Do you want to honor a decision to encourage segregation and unequal rights? If so, let the flag fly? If not, it should come down. This is 2015 not 1964. Commissioners should vote to take it down without delay on July 14th before we are a national embarrassment being the country's last Confederate battle flag standing on a courthouse lawn.

Around the country government officials are removing this flag from all state, city and county lands. Walton County should do the same especially considering it’s one of the nation’s last Confederate battle flags on courthouse land, showcased on the front lawn for all to see.

The County Commissioners should have removed this flag long ago as the flag was not put there with the original intent of the Civil War memorial. It was put there to protest equality and civil rights for all Americans. Now is the chance for our current County Commissioners to “right” a “wrong.” We are counting on the five 2015 County Commissioners to do the right thing and remove this Confederate battle flag from the courthouse lawn property and place it in a museum.

Please share with friends, neighbors and family. We are seeking at least 1,000 signatures for the July meeting and if that's going to happen, we need lots of help. Thank you!

FURTHER RESEARCH:

Click here to view the Walton County property map that shows the courthouse property lines. You will see that the Confederate Flag and the Civil War Memorial both reside on the front left side of the courthouse land on Walton County land.

Click here to view the DeFuniak Herald article announcing the erection date of the Confederate battle flag on the courthouse lawn- April 1964.

It's small print, so to make it easier, here is the text from the front page article dated April 16, 1964:

Headline: “Will Fly Confederate Flag Over Historic Monument”

The Board adopted a resolution requesting the Florida Park Board to erect one of their historical marker notices pointing out the Confederate monument on the courthouse lawn. The monument, a marble shaft topped by a hand pointed upward, was erected in memory of Walton county men lost in the Civil War, and is the oldest Confederate monument in the nation. The Commission also voted to have a Confederate flag flown on a pole near the monument.