Augusta Mayor Flagged After Riverwalk Inspection – Commentary by Billy Bearden

Photos from the Riverwalk inspection and flagging of the criminal Augusta mayor are below the story....

After a two and a half hour drive, I arrived in an empty parking lot at the now infamous Augusta Riverwalk about 8am. It was a crisp and clear 53 degrees and a gentle wind was blowing just enough to keep the flags a-flappin'.

Loaded with my 2nd National Jackson Flag, bumper stickers, my camera, and some flyers with copies of Georgia Law 50-3.1 & 50-3.9, I climbed the slope to the top of the mound on which the riverwalk rests. There were some early morning joggers and walkers, mostly the elderly. (It turns out that I didn't need the stickers...some enterprising Georgia citizen had already re-labeled the flag poles. Imagine that.)

I walked the length from one end to the other and back again. It seems to be a well laid out "park" with some slides and swings for kids, a place called "Fort Discovery" for families, and an amphitheatre, interpretive plaques and historical quotes, as well as the historical flag displays spaced the whole - including a generous supply of benches.

First, let me say that each flag is represented twice, except the current Georgia and U.S. flags. I found the flag displays in need of some serious upgrading and corrections (see photos below) - one Liberty flag was wrapped around the pole and looked like a ship's sail instead of a once proud historical icon. Some were faded, others torn.

The poles/flags for Great Britain were mixed - one flag correctly excluded Scotland's red cross, the other flag included it - both for the same time period. The poles flying the Perdue/Chamber flag were labled at the base JULY 1st 1956 - PRESENT - but someone fixed that labeling situation with ripped bumper stickers. See photos.

Now to the part that got me up early and on the other side of the state, and has the Southern Nation up in arms. The two poles marked "CONFEDERATE STATES BANNER" now carry the current green and yellow Augusta Flag. In previous stories I have read, I understood it to be just one pole, but it is in fact two. Whoever labeled the 2nd National flagpole closest to the Radisson, must have run out of supplies on the other one. That's a shame.

In my layman's opinion, this is more of a case of Viewpoint discrimination because the Republic of Georgia and Bonnie Blue flags remain - only the Stainless Banner was targeted for removal (the '56 flag removal is another story!). The Virginia Division SCV won their license plates based on the "viewpoint discrimination" arguments. On a happier note, the Republic of Georgia & Bonnie Blue flags are right next to the Radisson....

A passerby stopped me and asked what the flag was for. After he told me he was from Georgia and that he had a "rebel flag flying in my yard" all I had to do was give him a copy of the law in question, and a few bumper stickers and he was ready to attack with us!

About 9:30 am I mosied over to Augusta/Richmond Co. City Hall, where Mayor Boob is holed up. This was verified as I went inside and asked the three security guards, "Is this where one would come if one were looking for Mayor Bob Young?" They started to tell me on what floor he was, but I turned around , unfurled my flag and started pacing.

While pacing with flag, I came up with some good chants. "Mayor young is a thief!" "Mayor bob spits on Georgia's Veterans!" "Return the flags, replace the mayor" and "Mayor Bob sold out for 30 pieces of silver - he needs to do 30 days!"

Three negative episodes - one of which turned positive before ending! One was the every-now-and-then drive-by "Burn that flag!" One was a middle-eastern-looking dude driving a car with a Cuban flag dangling on his mirror...he walked by and said, "That is the ugliest flag I have ever seen," to which I said that Jesus loves him dispite his bigotry. The last and best one was when three blacks pulled up, a black woman yells out the window "Does that (my flag) mean we can't go in?" I hollered back, "Sure you can, and I'll open the door for you!" They all came over together, and she started telling me about slavery and asking why was I doing this. I told her about the flag theft, that slavery in the U.S. has been over for 140 years, and that nobody supports slavery here , but they do in Africa as we speak.

She introduced herself as Zoe, and said she was a first generation citizen who came from the Caribbean. I told her that her people suffered greatly from slavery at the hands of the British and Dutch, and it was those same countries that foisted slavery on us. She started to say if that flag had won we wouldn't be having our chat, to which I said if that flag had won, slavery would have died a natural death within 20 - 30 years like it did in Britain, because technology would eventually have made slavery obsolete. She began to see the light, we shook hands and she now knows not every one who waves a Confederate flag is the KKK.

I had many many folks honk, give thumbs up and wave, but I was amazed at the numbers of passersby entering/exiting city hall to hold such a low opinion of Mayor boob. One young fellow came out , identified himself as being employed in the building and an SCV member. He told me that the Mayor is a lame duck, as there are local term limits and his last term will expire soon (This needs verification prior to printing up BOOT BOB signs).

The local NBC TV channel came out and did a interview, but they ran their story with Woody Highsmith instead (Click Here. ) Go Woody !!!

I plan on returning October 9th to greet the instigators of the Riverwalk heritage violation. I hope to see planes, boats, blimps, signs, flags, flaggers, and Confederates lined up on the walk like we did overlooking Jose's Heights. Perhaps someone could reserve the amphitheatre and play southern music loudly .....

Ending on a happy note:
Three miles away in North Augusta is the Wade Hampton Veterans Memorial Park, which is right next to the North Augusta Chamber of Commernce. Looky what they have flying there (photo at bottom).