Las Cruces Tea Party Defends Using Confederate Flag On Fourth Of July Parade Float
The Las Cruces Tea Party in New Mexico decided that it would be a good idea to fly the confederate flag during the Las Electric Light Parade on the Fourth of July. The flag drew sharp criticism from the city’s Mayor. The float, however, won first prize at the end of the parade.
Mayor Ken Miyagishima wrote in a statement:
“The Las Cruces Tea Party can believe whatever it wants, but to have this symbol and what it represents highlighting the winning float at a celebration of our nation’s independence is an outrage…. I deeply apologize to the people of Las Cruces as well as our friends throughout the State of New Mexico for the pain that this has caused… I can assure you that we will thoroughly review the rules and procedures for next year’s parade to make sure that this never happens again.”
El Paso Electric, the parade’s sponsor for the last 10-years, also released a statement.
The company said:
“El Paso Electric was surprised and outraged at the selection for an award of a float that contained a Confederate flag. El Paso Electric will not support the parade in the future unless criteria are established by the city to prevent such an outcome in the future.”
Christopher Cruz, the chairman of the Electric Light Parade, said that the judge’s look for quality and creativity of a parade’s lights display. According to Cruz, the judges never saw the Confederate flag and that the float was not given the $1000 prize based on its content.
Cruz said:
“The judges are judging the actual lights of the float, and that’s it, not its content, not if it’s political or which organization it belongs to… The only things we can see are the lights that are on the float. It’s a nighttime parade and the floats are going by quickly.”
Do you think using a confederate flag on the fourth of July is wrong?
The Las Cruces Tea Party defended using the flag, saying that the theme of the parade was the history of New Mexico.
Jo Wall, the secretary of the Las Cruces Tea Party, told the LC Sun:
“(We used the flag) because it’s history, and you can’t change history. I know they’re trying to, but you can’t.”
But according to Miyagishima, the parade was supposed to celebrate New Mexico’s 100 years of statehood. And during that time, the confederate flag was never flown.
Miyagishima said:
“The Confederate flag never flew in those 100 years, I’m pretty certain of that.”
But the group said that New Mexico’s history goes back further than 1912. The group said in a statement:
“The theme of the parade was the history of the State of New Mexico… There was a lot of history that defined our state prior to 1912. We showed how we fought for our statehood and the sacrifices we made along the way, along with our triumphs.”
The group said that it was trying to accurately represent the history of New Mexico and did not mean to offend anyone.
What do you think of the Las Cruces Tea Party Fourth of July float?
Tags : confederate flag, Fourth of July, las cruces tea party, las cruces tea party confederate flag
Posted: July 10, 2012
![Mariah Carey Has Wardrobe Malfunction On Good Morning America [Video]](http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mariah-Carey-Has-A-Wardrobe-Mishap-During-Good-Morning-America-100x100.png)
Jul 10, 2012
Next on the agenda for The Tea party, concentration camps. "to demonstrate history of our nation past slavery and the arrest of Japanase Americans in camps in WWII"..hey, it's a history lesson. Amazing how this crazy part is so popular but again at time of hardship, people pick extremist..Fact.
Jul 10, 2012
The Conferate Flag has been hijacked by Hate groups and the historians write history, not always truth, slavery was the handiest social cause Lincoln had to justify the Northern invasion.The Federal govt. was supposed to protect states rights not take them away, as is happening now the feds are denying staes rights, I doubt very much the Mayors family was inpacted by the Civil War, if more people would research the unbiased truth maybe some understanding of all peoples feelings would occur.
Jul 10, 2012
As a proud southerner, I believe that we forced the hand of Lincoln. If any state fired a cannon on the soldiers of the United States, they would be forced to fire back and end the conflict by all means available. If others joined in as the other Confederate states did, they would be forced to deal with them also. Any action against the government of the United States should be dealt with in a harsh manner. Soldiers have died and continue to die in the defense of this country whether they agree or not with the strategy. We have an obligation to support our government just as they are. If we don't like it, we can vote them out. This is a country where the majority rules and despite all the hatred and rhetoric, the majority speaks every election day. As for your point, government is protecting my rights as the majority. I have not been ordered not to complain, assemble, vote, or pursue my dreams. I have been ordered to follow the laws of the land as legally passed. Those included taxes levied to pay for roads, police and fire protection, defense of the country and yes, health care. The other side has a chance to make their case and if elected I will follow their rules. When you pledge allegiance, you pledge to the Republic for which it stands, not to the one you wish it was.
Jul 10, 2012
Jim Gibson is absolutely correct. This idiot mayor need some remedial history lessons. What the mayor could have against the Confederate Navy is beyond me since the flag on the float is the Confederate Navy Jack. The Confederacy and the Confederate flag (which ever one you care to use) are a part of American history and a legitimate part of any historical display. The mayor needs to get over it.
Jul 10, 2012
Slavery was a social cause??? I guess it depends on your point of view. I get the feeling that you think the Feds should have protected your state's rights for its inhabitants to have slaves. Certainly commendable. I react to the Confederate flag the way I react to the Swastika. Yes they are both historical. They are both equally repulsive.
Jul 10, 2012
Wow! Is El Paso Electric and the mayor bigot and PC, or what? I am embarrassed by such short-sighted and uninformed, uneducated people as this. Like it says, "If this Flag offends you, you need a history lesson!" I would say that both Christopher Cruz and Ken Miyagishima need a real good history lesson! The Confederate Battle Flag is 1) a Christian symbol (it bears the Cross of St. Andrews) ) an international symbol of independence, freedom and liberty, thus, it flew at the coming down of the Berlin Wall and numerous other locations of people standing for liberty and independence! Get a life…and get a history lesson! :/
Jul 10, 2012
Mobile is referred to as "The City of Six Flags" because through it's history, it has had six different flags flown during different times of its occupation. The Confederate Flag is one of those flags. In 2001, the city council decided to reduce the size of the Confederate Flag on the city's patrol cars on its official seal. The bad part was, I never recall anyone making a fuss about it being on our police cars.
Jul 10, 2012
Then you must think my ancestors were Nazi's, your one sick hateful puppy,for folks like you there is a need for hate,less than 5% of the southerners owned or had anything to do with slaves ,it was an excuse to invade the south for their textiles and a way to grt cheap labor ,the same as is being done with ypour Illegals
Jul 10, 2012
Mr. Uof O : The brave men who fought under the Confederate flag were as much Americans as any ,probley here long before your clan,you need to start thinking for yourself instead of letting Academia do it for you
Jul 10, 2012
There probably wasn't any complaints. Just someone who is PC decided to change it. Alabama law requires car tags to have "Heart of Dixie" on it but because of a Black legislator they are kow-towing to, it gets smaller all the time and some how, I think it was Bob Riley, did some kind of EO move and it is no longer required on vanity tags or the "God Bless America" tag that can be requested. Sad that we have Southerners ashamed of their own history and culture simply because they don't know it and fall for whatever the PC race baiter says it is! …or they are afraid of being called a "racist". Got news for them, it makes no difference, being "White" automatically makes one a racist in their book no matter what you say or do or don't do!
Jul 11, 2012
Horror of horrors, a Confederate flag showed up as part of a float in New Mexico and now all the bigwigs, political and otherwise must spend the next decade atoning for such a mortal sin. Watching these people, who have the courage of a wet noodle, genuflect before the gods of political correctness almost becomes nauseating. Those people should do a little history homework before they condemn a symbol they really know nothing about. But from the politically correct I expect nothing except the promotion of their liberal and socialist agenda, no matter how absurd it may be.
Jul 12, 2012
I like our flag of the Second American Revolution on the back of the float.
Jul 18, 2012
Forsyth County Tea Party.
Herman Cain Atlanta Tax Day Rally.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYoxOJ1OdmI&feature=colike
This is how it's done properly…
Aug 4, 2012
National Press Club – Tea Party Express.
TeaPartyHD on Aug 8, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D1Mxq3l6Zo&playnext=1&list=PL08DDC67A3CF27529&feature=results_main
Aug 11, 2012
The flag depicted was never the Confederate national flag. In fact it was the Confederate naval jack, a variation of Confederate battle flags which were square, not rectangular. It also is not the "Stars and Bars" as has been erroneously reported. If you want to see what the first Confederate national flag looked like, the Stars and Bars, take a gander at the latest Georgia state flag. Stars and Bars refers to a flag with three stripes, or bars (red, white, red) and a canton of blue in the upper corner with a circle of stars. No charge for the history lesson.