THE FLAGGING.....We assembled and set up at the intersection nearest the entrances to the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. For whatever reason, we didn't have the same number of troopers and cars posted for our protection this year as we did last year. We were about to shake things up in the security department...more on that later.

The media was present; Channel 13 was there with a camera and interviewed me and others, she shot footage of lots of folks, and Joel's large "SONNY LIED TO ME!" sign. About six of us had a good discussion with the lady; she had some pointed questions and attempted to poke holes in our logic...but I think she realized we were right. The Macon Telegraph had a reporter come by for an interview later apparently after he left the inside. I talked to him for ten minutes and said, "I could go on all day, do you have any other questions?" He didn't. Like last year, there were over a dozen attendees of Sonny's Fish Lie...I mean...Fish Fry who pulled out their cameras in their cars and shot photos of us. There was even one that road by with a video camera and came around for three of four passes. Was he collecting tag numbers? Shooting for highlight films later?

I'm sure I'll leave some names out but the North Georgia and West Georgia folks were well represented. Joel Coleman (Douglasville), Lum Pettit (Cleveland) and Harold Porter (Cornelia), Larry Mercer from Camp 2022 in south Georgia (got a good photo of his truck), , Michele Hamlin and her husband Terry, Steve Monk, Jeffrey Monk, Norman Black, there were a handful whose names I can't remember, and the Camp 1399 regulars, Bud Cranford, Ralph Carson, me and Matt and Josh. The central Georgia LoS was well represented by Jim Wood, James Bruce, Bob Watson and his wife, Ben Davis, Clinton Crawley and perhaps others.

Now you know most of the cast, when's he getting to the flagging, you ask? OK, OK.

We didn't get a look at Perdue, he apparently flew in on the fowlicopter, but I'm sure he could see us even at the altitude in which he flew over. I didn't think he was supposed to use state aircraft for political fundraisers? One attendee at the fish fry stopped to talk and said she told Perdue that she supports "those flaggers out there 110%" or some such.

Jim Wood brought trays of spineless chicken and and boneless spineless fish. It was great and we all enjoyed it. As Jim said to passersby, "Don't sell your heritage for $10, get your fish here FREE!! We even have spineless, boneless Perdue chicken and it's free! The fishy smell is coming from inside! This free food here smells GOOD!!"

SPECIAL THANKS: Special thanks go out to Chevy's Cafe on Hwy 49 in Jones County for providing food for the flaggin' crew. Jim couldn't convince anyone NOT to go inside even though he offered them FREE fish or chicken.

Several folks had the same idea: to take the flaggin' to the Liar and make a little more "up close and personal" for those coming out. So, Joel Coleman laid out a plan...we all pulled into a flaggin' parade formation as Bob Watson and his wife stayed on station at the corner to watch the flags and signs we left behind. We all did a U-turn in the intersection and pulled over on the shoulder until all our flaggin' vehicles were in position...then we went in as group. The pictures below will show some of the action. We had flags and signs hanging out of our vehicles and went into the parking lot. As we approached the grassy lot where most of several hundred attendees were parked, I saw the security/parking woman talking very animatedly into her walkie-talkie. I can only speculate on what she was saying but it must have been something like, HELP HELP!!

We swept around the parking lot and turned into the center aisle of the lot directly approaching the front door of the building. At this point traffic stopped. Joel in the lead car with James Bruce holding a flag in one hand and his video camera in another....they stopped right in front of the front door and Joel gets out and walks to the back of our line with his camera to get a photograph. Two or three security officers were walking fast to catch up but he walked faster. Then the security guy stopped and walked up to each car in line. When he got to me he said "Yall gotta go back to the road, this is state property."

Cars starting pulling forward as Joel's car waited for him to return. I looked at the people outside the building and they were just gawking as if a Martian spacecraft was strafing the parking lot. I saw the 13WMAZ lady in her car and waved...she was taking in our little raid but didn't have her camera out. The black parking dude with an orange vest was grinning from ear to ear...so I asked how he was doing. I gathered he was getting a kick out of the fevered reaction of the security/parking supervisors. We definitely got their radios squawking for a little while.

As we left heading out to the West gate, most of the crew turned around and went back inside for several more laps around the parking lot. I saw a security car speed up to intercept (Sheriff Roscoe Coltrain was trying to catch them Dukes boys!). I decided to cuise slowly along the westside road and watch the action. The cars split into several groups and kept lapping around. I was afraid that some of them might be detained but everyone escaped without arrest. Joel was stopped by Rep. Rynders from South Georgia and said something lame like "We support yall's efforts, but yall are going about it the wrong way." Joel said his reply was that Perdue LIED to us, and just how would Rep Rynders have us go about getting a Fair Vote?

Everyone returned to the roadside spot as most of the cars had not left yet. We waved and got many thumbs up and honks (as usual) from those leaving the Perdue event. Got a few thumbs down from the typical beemer types. There's NO DOUBT that almost everyone who went in today got a good look at our flags and signs. Joel's SONNY LIED TO ME sign was visible and legible from a half mile away.

We all enjoyed the Second Annual SONNY LIED Fish Fry Flaggin' so much, it's a pity (NOT) that 2006 will be the FINAL Perdue Fish Fry Flaggin'. When he's defeated in November 2006, we'll have to start numbering all over with the new Governor...unless, the new governor wises up.

--Steve Scroggins

Click the thumbnail images below to see full size photos.
Photos by Steve Scroggins.

Stickers and magnets adorned Larry Mercer's truck...I liked the Tim Golden with Calvin whizzing on his name.	Norman Black with Jim Wood in background	Getting set up with vehicle displays	Joel Coleman and his special sign
13WMAZ sets up to interview Joel before he asked me to do it	Jim Wood offers FREE spineless chicken or fish	Ralph Carson, Camp 1399	Joel, Bud, Josh and Matt
The crew with message for Perdue	Row of reminders	Flaggin' Parade Raid enters North gate (read the Welcome sign...I didn't know about the "streaking and barrel race" at this fish fry.??	Flaggin' parade raid moving in
Raid on final approach to parking lot	Raid circles lot and rushes into the center	Post-Raid debriefing	Lum Pettit with his Pinocchio Perdue shirt
After the raid...	Josh, Matt and Harold Porter

Steve Monk's Report Photos from the 2nd Annual Flagging of Sonny Perdue's Fish Fry It was flags, fish and fun this past Saturday, 6th August as over twenty Georgia flaggers gathered outside the Georgia AgriCenter in Perry to flag the 2nd Annual Sonny Perdue Fish Fry. As Jimmy Wood passed out free fish and chicken, compatriots reveled in the sights and sounds of honking and waving motorists. Not a bad deal at all considering that Perdue's picnic goers dished out ten dollars per plate for their fish. Bud Cranford opened up activities with a stafing run of the AgriCenter parking lot on his awesome Flaggin' Chopper. If that caught the eye of AgriCenter security personnel, then they were hardly prepared for the grand finale of the day -- a motorcade parade by all of the flaggers present of the AgriCenter parking lot. It was amusing watching their frantic calls on their radios for more backup as our loooong stream of vehicles entered the parking lot flying 1956 REAL Georgia flags and flashing signs that read "Sonny Lied," "Punt Perdue" and "Let Georgia Vote!" All of this just as Perdue's party goers were leaving the AgriCenter to get in their cars. We got more honks and waves here too. Go take a look at my picutures of this fabulous event at Webshots... Steve Monk's Photos For Dixie, Steve Monk Sergeant at Arms Eli P. Landers Camp 1724 Lilburn, Georgia

Macon Telegraph Coverage: Perdue fish fry draws big crowd to Perry
Here's the relevant paragraphs:

Down the street from the fairgrounds, a group of demonstrators gathered to protest Perdue and his stance on the state flag.

As Perdue travels around the state, small groups of "flaggers" gather regularly to show their support for the state flag design that includes the "stars and bars" of the Confederacy, said Macon resident Steve Scroggins, standing with a group of men on the street corner holding "Sonny lied" signs.

Scroggins said Perdue used the issue to galvanize support for his 2002 election, then betrayed the flaggers by not allowing a vote on the issue.

"Barnes found out it's votes that win elections - not money," he said. "It was this issue right here that beat Barnes."

For the record, I did NOT refer to the '56 flag nor the Confederate battle flag as the "stars and bars." And what I said at the end was, "It was this FLAG right here (referring to the one I held) that beat Barnes." --Steve Scroggins

Transcript from 6pm broadcast 13-WMAZ-TV BUT IT WASN'T JUST THE GOVERNORS SUPPORTERS ON HAND TODAY. OUTSIDE THE FAIRGROUNDS... A GROUP OF FLAGGERS SENT A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR. THEY SAY HE HASN'T STAYED TRUE TO HIS STANCE ON THE STATE FLAG. Steve Scroggins, Flagger: "He promised a fair vote on the state flag and then he sold out. Basically, changed it at the last minute after he promised everybody we would have a fair vote on the state flag." AS WE MENTIONED... GOVERNOR SONNY PERDUE IS UP FOR RE- ELECTION NEXT YEAR. SO FAR... ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE... SECRETARY OF STATE CATHY COX... AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MARK TAYLOR HAVE THROWN THEIR HATS INTO THE RING. ONE OF THEM WILL LIKELY FACE GOVERNOR PERDUE NEXT NOVEMBER.

First Annual Sonny Lied Fish Fry Flaggin' (8/07/04)

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Pinnochio Perdue LIES like a rug....