Thousands of Georgia’s military men and women are fighting in Iraq for the right of the Iraqis to decide their own future at the ballot box. Hundreds of them have been injured, and many have died.

The sacrifices by Georgia’s heroes have been rewarded by a successful election to establish a government in Iraq that is directly answerable to the people of that much abused country. And that is a good thing.

But those same Georgia soldiers are being denied the very right at home that they are fighting to achieve in Iraq. A large majority of Georgians, including many that serve their country in the armed forces, want a chance to express their opinion about the state flag. They were promised a referendum on the flag that would include the newly designed flags, and the very popular 1956 flag.

But the political and business interests in Atlanta who want to dictate to the rest of Georgia twisted arms until they forced the long standing flag off the ballot. Why? Because it contains the Confederate Battle Flag; and they proclaim it to be a racist symbol that represented slavery. Never mind that they cannot find historic documents to support that claim. They say it is, and that is all that matters.

Do Georgia’s voters feel that they should have a say in the choice of a state flag? A Mason Dixon survey conducted last month reveals that 79% of them want a say. Only 15% do not.

When asked if the March 2004 Referendum which did not include the ’56 flag was fair to the voters of Georgia, 54% said NO and only 33% said Yes. The other 13% were not sure. Even a significant number of the state’s black population feels that the voters were not given a fair vote. They polled 37% NO, 47% YES and 16% NOT SURE.

A bill is working its way through the Georgia legislature to hold another referendum. It may or may not get past the would-be tyrants from Atlanta. That depends on how many of us put pressure on our elected representatives to truly represent the desires of the voters.

The Mason-Dixon poll clearly shows that the voters are not happy with the flag 2004 Flag Referendum and want a new, fair vote. Even those who support the current flag do not feel that it was put in place through a legitimate election, and that it ought to be redone. Many of the voters who would actively oppose the return of the 1956 flag still believe that no flag vote will be legitimate until it appears on the ballot.

I say that the men and women from Georgia who are fighting for the right of Iraq to a free ballot should have the same rights here at home. LET US VOTE!

Copyright 2005 by Frank Gillispie
Published in the Madison County Journal, Danielsville, GA

Frankly Speaking by Frank Gillispie, this item was published with permission of the author. Published February 16, 2005 in the Madison County Journal - www.mainstreetnews.com. His website can be accessed at frankgillispie.tripod.com/gillispie/.