Georgia's Sons of Confederate Veterans
chapter plans to "counter the new attacks against our heritage" with a lobbying campaign, a membership drive and the threat of legal action against the state.
The state issued an order this week to stop issuing the group's specialty plates after Gov. Nathan Deal pledged to "redesign" the tag to shrink or possibly remove the Confederate flag emblem. The move came days after a suspected white supremacist gunned down nine worshippers at a black church in Charleston.
Jack Bridwell, the Georgia chapter's leader, sent a note to members informing them that it has asked Deal and other state officials for a sit-down to explain the move. He said the group's attorney is reviewing the state's decision but and "we will certainly not rule out the possibility if the problem is not remedied immediately."
State law for more than a decade has required a "special license plate for the Sons of Confederate Veterans," with the proceeds of the sales going to benefit the group. State Sen. Vincent Fort and other Democrats have called upon Deal to eliminate the plate entirely, though it's unclear if he has the power to do so.
Bridwell also urged the chapter's members to reach out to state lawmakers to talk about "how those 'other' politicians are caving in to the hysteria without any consideration to the millions of Southerners who has and loves their Confederate Heritage."
And he said the group has enjoyed a "huge spike" in membership interest.
"We have not had this much popular support since our flag fight here in Georgia in 2001," he wrote in his dispatch.
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