Amid national unrest, Confederate flags plentiful at Henry County Fair

Aug. 18--NAPOLEON -- Henry County Fair attendees who wanted a Confederate flag of their own had plenty to choose from at Jerry Freese's shop.

One had an image of an AR-15 and the words "Come and take it," superimposed over the flag's stars and bars. Another featured the snake and the "Don't tread on me" motif of the Gadsden flag. The Montpelier man's bestseller is an American flag that blends into the Confederate flag.

"It's a history thing for me," Mr. Freese said, when asked about the debate over the public display of Confederate memorabilia and monuments. "If they are going to do it, they might as well take down Lincoln and Washington as well. Like Trump said."

Across the country, communities are considering whether publicly honoring the Confederacy is appropriate. That debate has gained new urgency in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday that left a counter-protester dead and others injured after a driver -- whom police identified as South Toledo resident James A. Fields, Jr. -- ran into protesters.

RELATED: Volunteer seeks Confederate flag ban for Wood County Fair --America's Confederate symbols

The rally was ostensibly a protest against the planned removal of Confederate monuments, in particular a Robert E. Lee statue in the Virginia town.

A group of Wood County residents want the fair there to ban the sale and display of Confederate flags by vendors because they believe it stands for racial oppression. On Thursday, the last day of Henry County's fair, attendees willing to talk about the debate said they were more concerned about free speech, heritage, and history.

While the Ohio State Fair banned the sale of Confederate flags in 2015, when a white supremacist killed black parishioners in a Charleston, S.C., church, county fairs in the Toledo area largely still allow merchants to sell the flags.

Beyond Mr. Freese's booth -- which sells dozens of varied flags beyond the Confederate ones -- a large battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia flew high atop a truck on the infield of the fairground's racetrack.

James Agler, president of the Henry County Agricultural Society board of directors, said the vehicle wasn't owned by the fair, and said he wasn't aware of it until a Blade reporter told him about it. The only time he could recall a complaint about Confederate flags in relation to the fair was several years ago, when a woman took issue when Shriners displayed Confederate symbols during the parade.

"It wasn't like we had 100 complaints," he said.

That one complaint didn't affect the operations of the fair, so the fair board took no action.

"As far as us promoting or discouraging [the Confederate flag] we have enough stuff to worry about than that," Mr. Agler said.

Landon Boyd, a former U.S. Marine who served a tour in Afghanistan and Camp Lemonnier in the east African nation of Djibouti, said those who find offense in the flag "don't know history." He expressed disgust with how white supremacists and counter-protesters acted in Charlottesville, and had disparaging remarks for neo-Nazis, as well as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, a loose coalition of anti-fascists.

Too many people get offended too easily, he said, and can't learn how to respect opinions with which they disagree. He said racism exists in America, but the Confederate flag isn't a racist emblem. He said close African-American relatives have flown the flag.

"It's history, not hate," Mr. Boyd said.

Brandon Edwards, of Columbus, ran the fish pond game, and said at some county fairs patrons will shy away from his booth because of his race. Mr. Edwards, who is black, said the Confederate flag doesn't bother him much, depending on the setting. In some rural counties, he said, it has its place.

"You can present it in a non-harmful way," he said. "And you can present it as a full-blown racist."

Rosie Rentz of Holgate said the Confederate flag doesn't bother her, but she wouldn't display it herself. You can get in trouble these days, she said, if other people disagree with your beliefs.

"I feel everyone is entitled to their own opinions," she said.

Jeff Guyer of Liberty Center said he understands why some people don't like Confederate flags and monuments, but he thinks concerns are overblown. He wasn't a Trump voter. He likes the straight talk, but thinks the wealthy Trump bought his way to power.

The Confederate flag doesn't bother him, and he said the violence in Charlottesville was a shame.

"I just think they should leave the history alone," he said. "It's important for the kids to understand what went on."

Mr. Freese described the bitter divide over Confederate images as similar to the abortion-rights debate, an intractable issue with little room for compromise. Many other flag dealers stopped selling the flags, but he said his patrons appreciate that he still does.

"I have black people come through here and buy rebel stuff," he said.

Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at [email protected], or 419-724-6086 or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.

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