The Fabricator
Franklin flag flap fans flames
A dispute has broken out over the display of the Confederate battle flag at an upscale Franklin subdivision. But it’s not what you probably think.
In this Confederate-centric community, the dispute is between those who like the current bedsheet-sized Stars and Bars flying above the gate into the Dixie Rebel Acres subdivision, and others who would prefer an even larger flag.
”There’s nothing wrong with the one we have out there now,“ said homeowners’ association president Robert E. Butler, who was elected two weeks ago at a neighborhood planning retreat in Lynchburg. ”But to truly take pride in our glorious Southern heritage, I’d like to see one the size of the side of a barn.“
On the other side of the sometimes bitter banner dispute is Butler’s opponent for the presidency of the association, Jimmy ”Manassas“ Thompson, who prefers to keep the smaller Rebel flag and spend the money on other neighborhood projects, such as classes for youngsters in Civil War reenactments.
”My Daddy and Momma were from the South, and their daddies and mommas were from the South, and their daddies and mommas were from the South,“ he explained.
Both Butler and Thompson bristled at the notion that the Confederate flag was simply a way to make their community unattractive to minorities.
”We’re an open, equal-housing-opportunity neighborhood,“ Butler said. ”Right now, I know of a couple of real nice houses for sale—one on Nathan Bedford Forrest Way and another one over on Old Dixie Plantation Boulevard. Anybody of any race or color who would like to live there is welcome.
”We just want people who would feel comfortable and at home.“
