Austin Mayor Rebuked For Skipping Veterans Day Parade

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — In a post-midnight tweet, Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody early Friday took Austin Mayor Steve Adler to task for the latter's decision to back out of participating in a Veterans Day parade over a group's planned use of the Confederate flag.

“Shame on you @MayorAdler!" Chody tweeted. "As a veteran I’m offended you would allow a small group dictate the true meaning of the intent of the parade. Honor the majority of those who served our great country by marching. Please reconsider!"

Adler on Thursday disclosed his plans to skip the parade after learning some marchers planned to display the Confederate flag at the event. He said the banner should be relegated to museums, labeling it a symbol of racism.

Related story: Adler Backs Out Of Veterans Day Parade Over Confederate Flag Use

"Veterans Day should only be about honoring United States military veterans," Adler wrote. "Symbols of racism, Civil War secession, and white supremacy should not be forgotten or erased, but they need to be remembered and studied in museums and classrooms not cheered and applauded in parades."

Like the battle over the preservation of slavery that pitted the North against the South during the Civil War, so too are lines of ideological demarcation drawn depending on contemporary geographical boundaries. Progressive thinkers eschew vestiges of the Confederacy, positing such symbols as promulgation of a past ethos while more conservative bastions defend their preservation as a tactic toward remembering the nation's history and honoring its legacy.

In this respect, the squabble pitting Adler against Chody illustrates the ideological chasm. Austin is often called a "blue dot amid a sea of red," given its liberal vibe against the backdrop of a largely Republican state. Williamson County, on the other hand, is a conservative stronghold.

Rather than attending the parade on Saturday, Nov. 11, Adler said he would instead honor veterans by volunteering at the Central Texas Food Bank, an event he previously announced he'd be attending. The food bank serves a large contingent of local veterans residing in the Austin area.

Nationally, a majority of Americans view the Confederate flag as more a symbol of Southern pride rather than one of racism. According to a new CNN/ORC poll, 57 percent of Americans see the flag as symbolic of Southern pride rather than racism. But among African Americans, the divide is greater, with 72 percent considering the flag a symbol of racism with 25 percent agreeing with the assertion.

But in the South, the racial divide is even greater. The poll indicates 75 percent of Southern whites describe the flag as a symbol of pride, with just 18 percent deeming it a symbol of racism.

Yet a majority favors removing the Confederate flag from government property that isn't part of a museum, according to the poll. A full 55 percent of respondents support such removal while 43 percent oppose the measure. Moreover, half of the respondents said they support private companies choosing not to sell or manufacture items featuring the Confederate flag — 50 percent of respondents in favor, with 47 percent opposed.

>>> Photo of Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody via Williamson County Sheriff's Office