The state of Georgia has stopped selling Sons of Confederate license plates. And, state officials are looking into the possibility of redesigning the specialty license plate.
But, in the midst of a national debate over Confederate monuments and the use of the Confederate battle flag on public grounds, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is urging caution. It is, he tells an Atlanta newspaper, a part of the nation’s “heritage.”
“I’m not closing the door on anything. But we have to be cautious that we don’t get caught up on a sweep of emotion here, and fail to recognize the heritage that is associated with these symbols and these holidays,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Deal as saying. “We cannot deny our heritage and the purpose of many of these is to celebrate that heritage. I’m going to be cautious in that regard, and I would hope that everyone else would as well.”
More than a decade ago, state politicians and voters fought a battle over the state flag, which then featured the Confederate battle flag. The current flag, adopted in 2003, is modeled on the first flag the Confederate States of America flew.
Interesting, former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich, a Georgia Republican, told NBC’s Meet the Press the current state flag “may well be changed now that people are into a new cycle,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Of course, Georgia also owns Stone Mountain. The mountain features a massive carving of Confederate States of America leaders Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.
