Belated Flagging Report

Saturday's flagging (January 31) was one of the best yet, despite somewhat sparse foot traffic on the sidewalk.

We flagged with a First National and a battle flag, which proved to be great for illustration purposes ("The County Commissioners voted to take down all the historic flags except the US flag, just to remove that one..." indicating the the battle flag, "when all they had to do was replace it with this one," indicating the Stars and Bars. "That's what the city did fifteen years ago.")

For only the second time since we've been flagging, we had a passerby who disagreed and said no flags of the Confederacy should fly today. When he said, "It's associated with slavery and racism," and I said, "Well, that depends on who's doing the associating." He said most Americans associate it that way, and I replied that reputable polls indicate that most Americans have no opinion about it. He apparently didn't want to hear more, as he strolled away at that point.

(Google Images)

One young father pushing a baby carriage posed it next to one of the cannons in front of the courthouse, adjacent to the historic clock, and took several photos. Afterward, he came to us, curious about our presence in front of the county complex.

Using the two flags snapping in the breeze, we informed him about the county's recent decision. He asked what the two flags were, and which other flags had been removed. 

Whether a new resident or visitor, he was unfamiliar with the history of Pensacola, as it is illustrated by the Five Flags displays. He asked several questions about the countries that governed Pensacola during is history. I also gave him a quick recap of the city's decision back in the late 1940s to combine history and tourism in the Fiesta of Five Flags. He was very polite and thanked us, and wished us luck in getting the flags returned to the civic center display.

Another young man made a point of coming up to us to shake our hands and thank us for publicly supporting the area's history, heritage and tradition. He said he regretted that he had no cash on him to contribute to our effort, but we assured him his verbal support and encouragement were more than sufficient substitutes.

A senior lady from Milton, in next-door Santa Rosa County, said she wholeheartedly supports returning the flags to the display. She was very knowledgeable about area history, and wished us success in our efforts.

Due to inclement weather, there was no flagging on Wednesday, February 4, but Saturday looks great for a sojourn on the sidewalk! We encourage anyone who supports our city and county's history and heritage to join us from 1 to 3 at the corner of Palafox Place and Government Street. (On-street parking is free on Saturdays, folks!)

Flagging Report: Flagging Without Hand-outs

Flagging -- without handouts. (Photo by S.H.)

It was a good day for flagging, if a bit chilly -- but opportunities were missed because I forgot to bring our hand-outs! 

Nevertheless, we interacted with passers-by, informing them we were flagging the county commissioners to urge them to return the historic Five Flags to the Pensacola Bay Center.

One lady pointed to my flag and said, "I don't recognize that."

"It's the First National flag of the Confederacy."

"Oh, that's interesting!"

Another gentleman told us what flag I was displaying: "That's the First Flag of the Confederate States."

"Yes, sir, the Stars and Bars."

"There were two others after that one."

"The Stainless Banner and the Third National."

"When you say Confederate flag, a lot of people think of the flag on the roof of the General Lee. But that was a battle flag."

"Yes, the soldiers' flag."

After a bit more chatting in the same vein, he wished us well and continued on his way.

Another lady, when told about the flags removed from the Pensacola Bay Center, said, "Oh, that's right, I heard about that." She said she didn't understand why the commissioners removed the flags.

One man said the people should vote on whether to return the flags. This echoed parts of a very interesting and informative "Viewpoint" letter to the editor by Christopher J. Lewis that appeared recently in the Pensacola News Journal:

Let voters decide our flags

As before, everyone we encountered on the sidewalk was cordial and motorists and their passengers often gave us friendly waves.

Next flagging is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, January 17 -- with hand-outs this time.

Connie Chastain      

West Florida Flaggers      

Flagging Report: Saturday on the Sidewalk

It wasn't as cold or bright as our last flagging, but an occasional breeze brought our flags to life several times during the afternoon.

Foot traffic on the sidewalk was pretty busy. A few passersby were visitors to the city, and we welcomed them and hoped they enjoyed their visits. Locals ran the gamut -- many lively seniors headed for the coffee shops and cafes north and south of our position in front of the Old Courthouse. Not as many young folks, but still quite a few -- and more than half a dozen canines of all sizes, shapes, colors and types of fur.

Auby Smith, Commander, Stephen Mallory Camp 1315, SCV

When the opportunity presented itself, we explained, "We're picketing the county to return the Five Flags to the civic center. Can't have the City of Five Flags without them!" Responses ranged from tilted heads and comments like, "I think I remember reading about that," to enthusiastic nods of agreement. "It's our history!"

Almost an hour into the flagging, Auby Smith, Commander of the Stephen R. Mallory Camp 1315, Sons of Confederate Veterans, stopped by to thank us and to invite us to the camp's upcoming Lee Jackson dinner.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with him and we look forward to a great relationship with the Camp.

All of the people we encountered -- visitors and locals alike -- were friendly and we were glad so many were familiar with the county flag-removal issue. Hopefully, as we continue flagging, we will acquiant more people not only with the current flag issue, but with Pensacola's Confederate history and the soldiers who fought so valiantly and gave so much to defend their homes, families and communities, and their new nation.

Connie Chastain      

West Florida Flaggers      

Flagging Report: Clear and Brisk in the Sunshine State

Two intrepid flaggers from Pensacola braved the wind slicing down Palafox Place to stand with flags snapping in front of the old county courthouse complex on Wednesday, January 7.

The sky was a beautiful, cloudless backdrop for the flags, the sunshine bright, and when the wind wasn't blowing the chill abated considerably.

I was surprised that the area wasn't as busy as it was on Christmas Eve.  While we got a few waves from passing motorists, the sidewalk actually seemed busier, with people strolling by at a leisurely pace.

"Hi. Y'all live in Pensacola?"

The majority of the time, the answer to that question was, "No."

"In that case, you enjoy your visit!"

"Thanks!"

A few local people, though, paused to chat with us about the county's removal of the historic five flags from the Pensacola Bay Center. The consensus was that the county commission's actions were overkill, and a show of disrespect for the city's history.

We heard "political correctness" in these conversations more than once.

One young man from Pensacola but not currently residing here, said his family's residence in the city goes back a couple of generations, and he feels a great connection to the city's history.

We have yet to hear anyone say they agree with the county's move.

If you reside in the area, or are planning to visit and would like to send a message to the county commissioners to return the flags, visit our Facebook page for info on flagging dates and times.

West Florida Flaggers on Facebook

Connie Chastain        

West Florida Flaggers       

Flagging Report: Flagging on Christmas Eve

I wasn't expecting the brick sidewalk in front of the old Escambia County Courthouse to be very busy Wednesday, December 24. I suspected last-minute shoppers would be few because that part of downtown doesn't have a lot of retail outlets. It's mostly restaurants, offices, and government complexes. The old Courthouse is part of a maze of county offices that take up almost an entire city block.

Top: Old Courthouse, Palafox Place at Government Street, looking north. Bottom: Flagging sidewalk, looking South

Well, I was in for a surprise. Foot traffic was pretty brisk, and almost everyone -- men and women (and a few kids) in a variety of sizes, ages and colors -- was friendly and cordial. A few folks looked preoccupied, as people sometimes do during a holiday rush, but nobody was hostile.

Visitor Flagger -- likes friendly Pensacola

I was joined by a visitor, an experienced flagger, from out of town (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Captain Kirk!) and he was impressed by the friendliness of the people. 

As we were setting up -- tying a Third National onto his flag pole and attaching a First National to my walker, we were assisted by a tall, dreadlocked passerby from New York who asked if we were part of a Christmas parade. Unfortunately, no. That event had occurred about two weeks earlier.

Shortly before that, almost immediately upon our arrival on the sidewalk, we were greeted by a young teenage boy and a man, perhaps his father, distributing Christmas cards.  It set a favorable tone for the entire experience.

Card distributed by well-wishers on Christmas Eve

 (At home, I made photos of the card for  this report. Inside, a hand-written message says, "Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year ... Your Christmas cheer makes people smile!" This treasure will be going into a West Florida Flagger scrapbook, sure enough.)

Throughout our almost two hours on the sidewalk, most everyone responded very positively to our greeting, "Merry Christmas!" and nearly all repeated it back to us with a big smile.

A history buff from California stopped to chat with us about the flags of the Confederacy. He knew about the county's recent vote to remove the historic flags from the civic center's flag display and lamented the censoring of history.

There were many horn-toots, waves and thumbs up from passing motorists. Judging by these actions, it was logical to conclude that a lot of area residents know about -- and are not happy with -- the county's vote. Similar sentiments have shown up on the Internet, in social media, and a petition to commissioners to return the flags.

First National snapping in the breeze. New banner -- Return the Flags!

Three times the Santa-hatted, silver-haired driver a of trolley for Seville Quarter stopped momentarily in the middle of the street to shout words of encouragement to us and declare his support (in a definite New York accent). Traffic behind him waited patiently, perhaps assuming passengers were getting on or off.

Trolley driver for Seville Quarter shouts encouragement and agreement!

All in all, it was a much better day of flagging than my first experience four days earlier. I'm looking forward to doing most flagging in front of the county's complex, which houses the board of commissioners' offices.   
 

  Connie Chastain        
      West Florida Flaggers        

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Courthouse images: Google
All other photos: C.Ward