As I noted in my August 9th column, Perdue was interviewed and asked about "those people outside with flags and signs" and naturally, his response was a LIE. That led us (Norman Black for GHC) to ask 13WMAZ-TV why they allowed the governor to speak such distortions without any challenge from the reporter. Obviously, if Perdue's lips are moving while he's on camera, he's lying...but I digress. His lying answer was as follows...

"The people voted three to one affirming the Georgia flag that we have and I understand that some people are not happy about that and that's their prerogative to express that in any way they see fit."

Anyway, as Norman complained to the management of 13WMAZ about the obvious distortions of Perdue, they offered to allow Georgia Heritage Coalition to make a brief statement of rebuttal on the air, what they call a "Sound Off" segment.

Norman and Jeff Davis nominated me to be the GHC spokesman presumably because I live in Macon and already know a few folks at the station. Uh-oh. In addition to being an ugly fellow, I'm not a silver-tongued speaker as I mentioned before. But I resolved to make the best of it for the Cause.

I was informed that I had to say my piece in about a minute more or less, to rehearse it then submit the text to them for review. They had to be sure I was going to be factual and not start spouting the Unabomber Manifesto or some such. I believe it took about a minute ten to a minute twenty seconds to read it. Fortunately, I already knew the assignment editor who extended the invitation, I had been advising him of flagging events, they had covered some of my SCV Camp's Confederate Memorial Day services and we had discussed doing some local history documentaries on Camp Oglethorpe in Macon and so forth.

I managed to stammer the statement out on camera and except for a minor word-fumble here or there, it came out fairly good. Numerous folks have told me they saw it (and appreciated it) and it generated a number of phone calls from people I don't even know. Anyway, the text of my TV rebuttal to Perdue is shown below.

I'm looking for someone with the equipment to convert the VHS copy into a web format so it can be distributed via the website at some point in the future. It was taped on September 15th and aired three times (I'm told it aired a fourth time) on September 23rd during the 6am, 6pm and 11pm newscasts. 13WMAZ-TV reaches some 22 counties in central Georgia and an estimated 417,000 adults over 18 in that area. Again, I want to thank Channel 13 for allowing us the air-time to get the truth out.

After the November elections, Perdue will be the main target for some of the hardest-working heritage activists anywhere. Roy Barnes was considered by the conventional pundits to be "politically invincible" with his $20 million warchest. Those same activists who kept the issue before the voters and overwhelmed that $20 million to defeat Barnes will turn their full attention to Perdue after November.

Governor, unless you deliver the promised Fair Vote on our stolen flag of honor, it's going to be a LONG, LONG two years for you.

Sound Off - September 23, 2004 In an August 7th news report on this station, Gov. Sonny Perdue was asked about citizens protesting the insulting state flag referendum held in March 2004. Perdue answered that Georgia's voters had voted THREE TO ONE for his new state flag. The truth is that most Georgia voters continue to want a FAIR Vote on the state flag---NOT a rigged hoax referendum like we had in March. Only 9% of Georgia citizens---that is only 20% of registered voters----voted in that referendum - second lowest turnout in 20 years. A full eighty percent skipped that vote, showing clearly that Perdue's flag is NOT the people's choice. In 2002, when CANDIDATE Perdue promised repeatedly to let voters choose their state flag by referendum, there were only two flags in contention---the '56 flag and the Barnes flag---no one even knew about his new "backroom deal" flag. Perdue lied and deceived people across the state; then reneged on his promise for a Fair Vote once elected. Channel 13 should challenge Perdue's distortions and not let him dodge legitimate questions.