SCV Press Release: Sons of Confederate Veterans Condemn bias, sloppy and slanderous 'journalism' from Indianapolis Fox 59

Sons of Confederate Veterans Condemn bias, sloppy and slanderous 'journalism' from Indianapolis Fox 59

From Sons of Confederate Veterans Headquarters, Elm Springs, Tennessee
Press Release - April 9, 2007 - For Immediate Release

For information contact:
J. A. Davis
Public-Media Relations Committee
Sons of Confederate Veterans
770 297-4788
Gainesville, Georgia

"An outrageous lie" was the response of Chris Sullivan, Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, to a recent report by Fox Channel 59 portraying the SCV as "racist" and "supremist" (sic).

"The SCV was founded in 1896 to perpetuate the memory and honor of the Confederate soldier," Sullivan continued, "we proudly continue that mission, and that mission only, today. The SCV has repeatedly condemned bigotry of any kind by resolution and policy, and it would only take a modicum of journalistic effort to find that out." Supporting links to relevant policies, resolutions and Constitution are below.

Channel 59 interviewed a supposed "expert", Vivian Deno, whose comments proved she actually knows nothing about the SCV or its mission and purpose. The Sons of Confederate Veterans condemns Deno's slanderous remarks, Channel 59's sloppy "journalism", and the mayor of New Castle's vacillations. The complete and detailed response of the 30,000 member SCV to this outrage can be found at www.scv.org/newcastle.

Relevant Links of Interest:

SCV Constitution - www.scv.org/documents/SCVConstitution2005.pdf - See Section 1

Affiliation Policy - www.scv.org/documents/AffiliationPolicy.pdf - See paragraph 2, page 1

2006 Resolution Condemning the KKK - www.scv.org/documents/2006ResolutionKKK.pdf

2006 Resolution on misuse of Confederate flag and symbols - www.scv.org/documents/2006ResolutionBattleflag.jpg [ PDF format ]

1989 Resolution Condemning Racial Superiority - www.scv.org/documents/genworks/scvres.pdf

The following is paragraph 2 (page one) of the SCV's Affiliation Policy:

2. All meetings, events and communications of the Sons of Confederate Veterans candidate shall reflect professionalism and respect for others. It is not permitted for officers and members to engage in unlawful conduct, endorse political parties and candidates and promote religious or racial bigotry at meetings, events or in communications of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

END

For information contact:
J. A. Davis
Public-Media Relations Committee
Sons of Confederate Veterans
770 297-4788
Gainesville, Georgia

Responding to an Indianapolis television news report which ran on Fox affiliate Fox 59, Christopher M. Sullivan, Commander in Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, issued the above press release which was sent to media outlets in three states including Indiana. The detail below is for those readers seeking more detail than could be included in the press release.

Fox 59 website: http://fox59.trb.com/
See the "New Castle Proclamation Controversy video dated April 2.

We refute in the strongest terms the April 2nd report by the Indianapolis television station Fox 59, in which they falsely characterize the Sons of Confederate Veterans, an heriditary, historical and patriotic group of some 30,000 Americans from all walks of life, as racial supremacists and purveyors of "racial hatred" and it does so in a manner that is as sloppy as it is slanderous.

This slanderous attack is but one example of the bias, bigotry and distortions that some media outlets believe they have license to unleash on people and groups with Southern roots. Our organization's mission includes performing our duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations. The reasons our honored ancestors fought the War Between the States have been distorted with lies, myths and omissions and we have every right and duty to set the record straight.

The news report in question featured a screen shot from our website, www.scv.org, which includes information about our organization's mission and purpose, our Constitution and by-laws and complete contact information for our leadership. Unfortunately, Fox 59 chose not to contact us or even to view the information on our website that was at their fingertips. Instead, they contacted the local Camp 1509 Commander, Stephen Ritchie (the A.J. Ringo Camp 1509 SCV is based in New Castle). His response to Fox 59 was for the most part accurately reported, however the term "Civil War" was misquoted. Mr. Ritchie used the term "War for Southern Independence", but the reporter changed it "Civil War."

Here are the facts of what happened: Local Camp Commander Steve Ritchie asked New Castle Mayor Tom Nipp to issue a Proclamation designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month (text provided below). Commander Ritchie provided "suggested text." Mayor Nipp signed it and submitted it for the approval of the Board of Public Works which approved it with only one dissenting vote. That one dissenting vote was from a member who was "deeply offended" for reasons not relayed to Mr. Ritchie. From there, Ritchie said,

"The Mayor's office contacted me the following day and informed me that the proclamation had been approved but would I agree to meet with the Mayor, the Director of Human Resources and the 'two offended parties' the next day---to which I certainly agreed. The Mayor canceled the meeting 3 hours before the appointed time and rescinded the proclamation. I learned of it the next day when the Indianapolis FOX affiliate called me for an interview as well as a reporter from the local newspaper. The article in the newspaper was very fair and balanced and quoted our Constitution and the two relevant Resolutions passed in New Orleans but the FOX reporter, who it was obvious from her first sentence to me, had no desire to allow the facts to get in the way of her agenda. She began her report with the line, 'the proclamation was submitted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans which experts say have ties to white supremist [sic] groups.' That was the tone of the whole piece. "

Let's review the report in more detail in order to point out its sloppy and slanderous nature.

Quoting from the report, "...after the mayor signed off on a proclamation that some say is offensive and hurtful...."

The report does not say WHO was offended. Wouldn't most viewers like to know exactly who was offended and exactly what in the proclamation offended them? This seems so obvious, it screams for someone to ask, but the report glosses over this detail.

Quoting from the report, "New Castle mayor Tom Nipp had no idea of the racist overtures the proclamation might stir..."

Where in the proclamation are there any "racist overtures?" This assertion is ridiculous on its face. And who says the proclamation stirred "racist overtures?" The report does not say, so again we're left wondering who is making these ridiculous claims.

Quoting from the report,"...a group called the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which experts say has ties to racial supremists [sic], is behind the proclamation..."

Again, WHO are the experts (plural) who say this? The report doesn't identify anyone as the experts (plural), but it does immediately show a Butler University professor named Vivian Deno, who goes on to say, "It's unfortunate that these history groups give a patena or veneer of legitimacy and patriotism when actually it's just a masquerade for racial hatred...."

Ms. Deno has a right to her own opinion but not to her own facts. If Ms. Deno had more than a passing familiarity with the SCV, then she would know that our organization condemns hatred and bigotry in any form and prohibits it by Constitution and policy and has issued resolutions condemning all supremacist or hate groups that attempt to co-opt our Southern symbols or who bring dishonor to the memory of the Confederate soldier. Of course, Ms. Deno's onscreen words do not mention SCV, but the context and tone of the story clearly implies that she was talking about SCV. Is Fox 59 using Deno's words to condemn SCV by innuendo? Was Ms. Deno even talking about this proclamation? Or was that interview about some other topic or group?

The on-screen reporter pronounced the word "supremist" which is not found in our dictionaries. We presume from the context that she meant to say "supremacist."

It's ironic that Indiana and the midwest has larger and more active numbers of Ku Klux Klan and similar hate groups than any state in the South and yet it's the SCV and southerners in general on the receiving end of media bigotry. Fox 59's website has an April 4th story about a KKK rally scheduled in Bloomington, Indiana. Was Ms. Deno perhaps talking about the KKK? We can only speculate based on the incomplete report.

We think the proclamation speaks for itself. The report on Fox 59 does not show, nor does it seek to explain who was offended or why they were offended by the approved and rescinded proclamation. State governors and cities and counties across the country issue these proclamations annually and largely with no controversy whatsoever. Unfortunately, this proclamation did generate controversy among some unidentified persons and the mayor lacked the will to defend his actions or to allow the local SCV representative to have a dialog with those unidentified individuals. Then, the mayor's political opponent seized the opportunity to attack the mayor with a cheap shot---facilitated by Fox 59 in their zeal to reach a prejudiced conclusion and slander the SCV.

If Indiana television viewers tolerate such malicious slander masquerading as "journalism," that is their concern. But when such "journalists" stray into flagrant falsehood and distortion about the SCV and its members, we will stand to defend our good name and that of our noble ancestors.

END

Proclamation Confederate History and Heritage Month (suggested text)

Whereas, Our country is a nation of people united by a common history of individual heritage and diverse cultures and the State of Indiana is rich in history of the War Between the States; and

Whereas, April is the month in which the Confederate States of America began and ended a four-year struggle for independence; and

Whereas, Cemeteries in Bedford, Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette and Indianapolis contain Confederate sections and those along with countless other civilian cemeteries in which over 2,000 Confederate veterans now lie; and

Whereas, It is important for all Americans to reflect upon and learn from our nation’s past, to gain insight from our mistakes and successes and to come to a full understanding that the lessons of history will help to provide a road map to the future:

Therefore, I, Thomas L. Nipp, Mayor of the City of New Castle, Indiana, do hereby proclaim April 2007 as “Confederate History and Heritage Month” and encourage all residents to increase their knowledge of the role played by the Confederate States of America in our nation’s history.