Dear editor,

For months, I have read about why Crestview should remove the Confederate flag from the Lundy memorial. The reasons cited are that it is racist, that it is a memorial to traitors, and that it shows support for slavery.

I view it as a "politically correct" attempt to distort and suppress my heritage.

That history tells us the Civil War was not about slavery does not matter to these people. That this memorial has stood for years does not matter. What matters to them is burning the books and memorabilia of anything that might in any way hurt someone’s feelings.

This is why I beg my local citizens to join me in this pledge. If the Lundy memorial’s flag is ever removed, I will put the largest Confederate flag I can fit onto the back of my car.

I also pledge to readjust my routes so I drive through the middle of town as much as possible.

The politically correct will know that I will not be bullied into compliance. If they want to play this game, they should know that removing one flag will only erect another (and hopefully many more).

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A pledge against political correctness

Dear editor,

Does William Lundy deserve a memorial?I don't believe so.

After doing a small amount of research, I discovered that Mr. Lundy's military service claim had been discredited.

Page 202 of "Civil War, A to Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict," edited by Clifford L. Linedecke, reads: "Lundy,William, CS: A discredited veteran of the civil war, Lundy died on Sept. 1, 1957, and was widely believed to have been survived by only two other veterans. Lundy claimed to have served in the Alabama Home Guard in 1865, even though census records show he was born in May 1860, which would have meant he was serving under arms when he was a mere 5 years old."

According to William Foster in 1991, for an article titled "The Great Imposters" in "Blue and Gray" magazine, William Lundy is listed as 1 year old on the 1860 census; and from 1870 until 1930, he gave census marshals ages that reflected birthdates as early as 1853 and as late as 1860. He did not push his birthdate back to the 1840s until he applied for a Confederate pension from the state of Florida, the article states.

Perhaps some more research should be conducted to prove without a shadow of a doubt if a memorial is deserved or not.

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http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/opinion/send-a-letter

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Research casts doubts on Lundy's military service

Dear editor,

The Confederate flag has been a part of Crestview’s history at least since 1958, after the 84th Congress of the United States and President Dwight Eisenhower presented William Allen Lundy and two other Confederate soldiers with Medals of Honor embossed with two shields: one with the Union flag and one with the Confederate flag.

As far as I know, there is one Confederate flag flying in Crestview, and that is over a Confederate soldier’s memorial, where it is appropriate.

Before we give up our history because of a few people with a phobia to a piece of cloth with a little ink on it, I would like to see crime data from cities that have given up their freedom and their history.

If someone can show me one city where racial problems have disappeared or there are no more meth labs, no teen pregnancies or no children going to bed hungry because they took down a Confederate flag, I will discuss the hiding and changing of history with anyone.

But I do not think history should be changed because of a few who don’t like the color of my cloth.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: History should not change because of flag fears

Dear editor,

The Civil War was not started over slavery, and consideration of the "government freeing slaves" was a moot point till near the end of the war.

The Confederate flag is an honorable flag flown by honorable citizen soldiers, many of whom died for the rights of Southern citizens.

At the start of the civil war, there were more slaves in New York City than there were in all the Confederate states added together.

Slaves up north kept the factories going, and when President Lincoln stated that he planned to free the slaves when the North won the war, half the Northern soldiers left the fight and returned home.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Confederate flag is honorable

Dear editor,

Does the confederate flag represent Crestview?

I understand why some individuals think the flag represents their history, but consider how this flag has affected those of color in this region and nearby.

To me, as a black man, this flag represents hatred of a people, and it not only flies in the middle of my city for everyone to see, but it is also across the street from a motorcycle shop called Hangman.

Does anyone else notice this? I go by this scene every day and look in disgust. New residents may not even realize the flag stands at a memorial for soldier William Lundy.

Lundy deserves a memorial, possibly beside his grave — but please, not so blunt and in our faces.

I understand why all these people are fighting for his flag to stay, but does a majority know Mr. Lundy's history, or do they just know he died in Crestview?

Should Black Panthers who were from here have a memorial next to his? Should Indians that we took Crestview from have a bigger memorial? 

I'd like to think we don't have racism here. That we don't need a reminder of when my ancestors were slaves during a war in which the South fought to keep us as slaves. 

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Confederate flag doesn’t represent all of Crestview

Dear editor,

The PANDAS Network had been working with the local support groups across the country to have Oct. 9 declared PANDAS/PANS/PITAND Awareness Day.

PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndromes) and PITAND (Pediatric Infection-Triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders) are characterized by the body’s improper immune response to infection. Neurological symptoms — including loss of motor skills, loss of cognitive abilities and other temporary psychiatric reactions including OCD, ODD, Tourette’s and ADHD-type reactions — can develop.

The Florida PANDAS Parents group requested a proclamation from Gov. Rick Scott's office several months ago; it would have recognized the University of South Florida and the Rothman Center’s contribution and dedication to helping children with these disorders.

Unfortunately, Scott decided not to join the many other states, cities and countries recognizing Oct. 9 as a day to raise awareness for our cause.

Every day, one more child is identified as having PANDAS and is on the road to recovering a happy, healthy life. Through hard work, doctors around the world are becoming more aware of the effects of infection on mental illness.

Hopefully, some day, our children's suffering can come to an end.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Governor should have formally recognized autoimmune disorders

Dear editor,

The traffic light at Publix in Crestview is in dire need of being adjusted to allow more traffic to pass.

Traffic traveling on Highway 85 backs up both ways quite often.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Traffic light near Publix needs adjustment

Dear editor,

William "Uncle Billy" Lundy was much loved and admired by his fellow citizens of Crestview.

When he passed away as the last Confederate soldier in Florida, a memorial was built for him at the intersection of Highways 85 and 90.

At this memorial — and rightly so — was a flagpole on which flew the soldier's flag, which "Uncle Billy," along with thousands of other Floridians, followed into the din of battle; thus, it was called a battle flag, and was not only easier to see than older patterns, but also was very symbolic.

Its model was the St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland, which bore the white x on a field of blue. X in the Greek alphabet represents the letter c in our current alphabet, and was to represent Christ.

This was very fitting because the Confederate Army was the most Christian in the world.

It has been reported that the NAACP will be asking Crestview’s mayor and city council to remove this soldier's flag from William Lundy's Memorial, which was moved several blocks north and now resides on 1st Street.

If the citizens of Crestview want to keep this honorable monument and flag together — designed and built as William Lundy would have wanted it — and if you want to defend this memorial and our Southern heritage, please contact Crestview Mayor David Cadle at his office, 682-3812.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Call Crestview mayor if you support Lundy flag

Dear editor,

Looking through my calendar of national observances, it appears that October is turning into “food month,” beginning with World Vegetarian Day and World Day for Farm Animals on Oct. 1 and 2, continuing with National School Lunch Week on Oct. 14-18 and World Food Day on Oct. 16, and culminating with Food Day on Oct. 24.

World Day for Farm Animals, on Oct. 2, is perhaps the most dramatic of these. It celebrates the lives, exposes the abuses and memorializes the slaughter of billions of sentient animals raised for food. Recent undercover investigations showed male baby chicks suffocated in plastic garbage bags or ground to death, pigs clobbered with metal pipes, and cows skinned and dismembered while conscious.

Moreover, a recent Harvard study of more than 120,000 people confirmed once again that meat consumption raises mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Animal agriculture accounts for more water pollution than all other human activities. A 2011 United Nations report recommends eating less meat to reduce greenhouse gases.

The good news is that our meat consumption has been dropping by nearly 4 percent annually! Entering “live vegan” in a search engine brings lots of useful transition tips.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Observing animals and their abuse in October

Dear editor,

I am sad that our city is coming to the issue of racism. That flag proudly represents our heritage and pride for the men that fought in that war.

The Confederate side was fought by both white and black men who believed and fought for a cause. The flag does not represent racism or the hope for the "South to rise again.” Look at where we used to be during that time and now! Our city has grown and we have come together.

Whites can say our great-grandparents had slaves and blacks can say we were slaves — it is history! If we stop talking about history or having historic signs (flags) because somebody is offended, then history may repeat itself. It is good to remember and to state that we have moved on.

And why is this being brought up now? If the city is siding with a few people, regardless of color, then what about the others who want the flag to stay?

We are all God's creatures, and color should not matter. We need to learn to get along and stop crying over little things that hurt our feelings. I am glad we are all free in this great country of ours. But we must not allow different groups to cry because of the past. We as a country should move on!

If that flag was flown in remembrance, then please let it fly and teach where we are today.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Crestview’s Confederate flag can fly, or we can repeat history