As the at-times insane debate over whether the Confederate flag should fly on government grounds continues, so, too, do protests in support of as well as against those flags that fly on private land (or are affixed to private mud flaps, as it were).
The latter is a much dicier issue, obviously, because no matter what you think of the flag, individuals who want to display it have every right to do so, whether they think it's an emblem of Southern heritage or are just unabashedly racist.
The Confederate flag flying near the junction of I-75 and I-4 is supposedly the largest in the world, and flies on a privately owned stretch of land that serves as a Civil War memorial. And to some, it's a tad embarrassing.
"When families drive from Orlando parks to our wonderful beaches, they see the biggest rebel flag in the world," writes a group that's offended enough that it has started a crowd funding campaign to raise a flag with a contrasting message nearby.
"It's on private property and considered free speech," the group wrote on its Kickstarter page. "Fair enough. Let's share a message with visitors and our own community that reflects the real nature of our area."
The group wants to rase $65,000 to buy nearby land (though it's unclear whether there's any for sale nearby), secure building permits, erect a pole and purchase a flag to raise, among other things.
So far, it has raised $2,625 and has 18 days to come up with the rest.
"This is not only an installation, but a catalyst for local conversation about the giant rebel flag, which has been broadly ignored," the group writes. "We need to strike while the iron is hot with the national news covering the debate around the rebel flag, and this is the perfect project to move that debate home to Tampa Bay."
Find out more here.
