The leader of Georgia’s Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter said Friday he 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 group outlined its plans as Democrats and other critics vowed to step up their plans to end state holidays honoring Confederate history and phase out license plates and other state symbols with the Confederate battle emblem.
Jack Bridwell, who heads the Confederate group's Georgia chapter, said in a note to members he has asked Gov. Nathan Deal and other officials for a sit-down to explain the state's decision this week to stop issuing the group's specialty plates. Deal pledged to "redesign" the tag days after a suspected white supremacist gunned down nine black worshippers at a Charleston church.
The group’s legal counsel is reviewing the decision, Bridwell said, but “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 this week urged Deal to eliminate the plate entirely and is drafting legislation to prevent the state from commemorating Confederate holidays.
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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