The North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) participated in the Faith 4th Parade again this year, as we have for decades. The parade was a great event. If you were

present, you would know that those in attendance loved us, and we loved them back. The SCV is pleased with the most recent support from the Faith community.

Did you know that Southern families originally started the Faith 4th celebrations in honor of Confederate veterans? Yet, after the event this year, a small hate group started a letter-writing campaign to exclude Southern Heritage groups like ours from participating in the Faith 4th event.

The “woke mob” may disagree with us and think we’re simple-minded rednecks or, in some other way, less deserving than themselves. However, that shouldn’t permit them to exclude us from participating in the community or keeping our cultural history. In truth, their actions speak a far greater reality than their false claims of diversity and inclusion ever will.

These social justice warriors may imagine they are fighting discrimination. Still, one doesn’t successfully end real or imaginary discrimination with more prejudice and elimination of people and free speech from the public square. Unfortunately, some big money corporations have decided to listen to and assist a woke mob effort martialed by recent newcomers to small towns across NC and publicly pull their sponsorships of these events.

We thank the townspeople of Faith for their steadfast support of American ideals in the face of multiple Big Corporate Money attempts to silence diverse voices in the community and exclude certain community members from participating in the Faith 4th events.

Big corporations, especially those often funded by government grants or otherwise granted unique franchises and benefits by the government, should not be in the business of using that money and power to silence voices in the community.

The North Carolina SCV and our members have rights and deserve the same equal treatment as any other part of the community. The SCV is saddened by the corporations that have fallen for the lies of those that would silence and exclude Southern voices and organizations simply because they hold a different view.

The people of the South are known as some of the most welcoming, tolerant, and friendly people on earth. Yet we face a growing number of attacks from these indoctrinated, woke people and corporations. These intolerant entities are indeed ignorant of our state’s real history and often hold a deep hatred for our inheritance as Southerners. They may dislike the Southern flags and possibly the Southern people, but we disagree with them and will continue to defend the Southerners’ good name.

We call on patriotic Americans, veterans’ groups, and defenders of free speech to back the Faith 4th and other community events around the country as occasions where ALL upstanding community members and groups are welcome.

R. Kevin Stone is commander of the North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) in Sanford.