Councilman removes Confederate flags from graves
William White | Opelika-Auburn News
Auburn City Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell poses with Confederate flags that he removed from graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn.
Staff writer
Published: April 23, 2009
Updated: April 24, 2009
Mary Norman was shocked Thursday afternoon when Auburn Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell pulled up a Confederate flag placed on her great-grandfather’s grave and snapped it in half, she said.
Dowdell, who denies snapping the flag, said Thursday he was picking up his daughter from Auburn Junior High School near the cemetery when several people told him they “had a problem” with the flags.
He drove to the cemetery and started pulling up flags, he said.
“It’s offensive to me,” he said. “To me, it represents the Ku Klux Klan and racism.”
The United Daughters of the Confederacy placed the flags earlier this week, as they have done for 50 years, in preparation for a celebration Sunday of Confederate Memorial Day, Norman said.
Confederate Memorial Day will be celebrated as a state holiday in Alabama Monday.
“I really didn’t know exactly how to respond to him,” she said. “I happen to be a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. I was very surprised, especially (as he is) a city councilman. I was amazed.”
Norman was not personally involved in placing the flags.
“I’m a historian,” she said. “We’re not about hate, we’re not about anything like that. We just want to honor our state’s rights, and I’ve got Confederate ancestors, and I feel we should have the ability to do that.”
Norman and a friend were taking inventory of graves at Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn when Dowdell drove up and asked who put up the flags, she said.
“One of the flags had been placed on my great-grandfather’s grave, who was a Confederate soldier,” Norman said. “He just got very upset, and he went over to my great-grandfather’s grave, picked up the flag and broke it in two.”
She said Dowdell did not know the plot she stood on was her family’s. The flags were placed on soldiers’ graves as a mark of respect, she said.
He pulled up Confederate flags from other soldiers’ graves, too, she said.
Dowdell said in his years as councilman, he had never seen so many Confederate flags in one place.
“I’m going on the record that this will never happen again,” Dowdell said. “This will never happen again as long as I’m on the city council.”
Dowdell denied intentionally snapping the flag.
“It might have snapped itself,” he said. “If it did, so what? If I had my way, I would have broke them all up and stomped on them and burned them. That flag represents another country, another nation.”
Auburn Mayor Bill Ham said he was unaware of any incidents at the cemetery but said he talked with Dowdell Thursday afternoon. Ham said his understanding was that all city cemeteries have covenants governing how and what types of decorations can be placed on graves, except for Pine Hill because it is so old. Ham said he believed Dowdell asked an assistant city manager to look into making policies equal for cemeteries across the city.
“The bottom line is those grave plots are deeded property,” Ham said. “We sell those. So they are sold to the family of the individuals, and I think (plot owners) have a right to do exactly what they did, according to the city attorney.”
Ham said in his conversation with Dowdell, the councilman suggested the flags be placed on the graves for a shorter period of time, perhaps for 24 hours before the event.
For now, the remaining flags will stay on the graves because of the lack of covenant governing Pine Hill, Ham said. But that could change in coming years.
“I certainly think we need to be consistent in all the cemeteries with whatever the policy is, not only with this, but with everything,” Ham said. “The council has got to make that decision.”
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Reader Reactions
Wonder if anyone has checked out the Hal Turner Blog page? Auburn is on the list of his live talk show tonight.
Over 6K individuals have voiced their distain over the actions of the councilman, yet city officials have made no effort to arrest and charge this man for his unlawful actions. What a sad time this is for the towm and the people who live there. What a horrible message city officials are sending. They might as well hang a banner on Main St. saying, “get elected or appointed and you can do anything you want without standing accountable”. This is not a black/white issue, this is a “HATE ISSUE”. This man chose to commit a crime then flaunt the law to everyone. It’s amazing to me why this issue has not made national news. Bully’s become more aggressive when individuals turn their backs on the wrong behavior and do nothing. Only by standing up and saying “this is wrong and then correcting the wrong can the behavior be corrected”. Ask any mother or father.
Amy, you are so right. Hope those cookies are good! Best of luck.
mpd3:
“But I should have taken my own advice to Amy earlier and not tried to
reason with the unreasonable.“
After I posted my last comment I went away for awhile. But this thread is like a car wreck - you just wind up looking. But when I read the comments posted since my last one, I saw no progress, no enlightenment, no splendid points. Nobody changed their minds. Abuse aplenty. I don’t know if you have any children, but when I made mine some cookies last night I did a lot more good than either reading or posting here. And, I get the impression that some of men think that’s all I am good for anyway. So I am going back to the kitchen and do something productive. The rest of you might consider that as well. I hope none of you suffer from high blood pressure.
Maria meant to say “See!! I’m a good person, don’t you see!!“
Isn’t that special!
Laughing on my way out the door… 
This person should be arrested for thief. He STOLE those flags. He is a disgrace to the office he holds. It’s time someone stood up to the political ego that thinks they are above the law. Is this town going to stand back and allow this type of garbage to continue? What will they do when he finds something on their lawn offensive and removes it? He is indeed a real “piece of work”! If the town turns the other way, then don’t come crying when he makes sure some of your other RIGHTS are taken away.
Ms. Americangenie, You are a very good person. Bye bye.
mpb3,
You do not simply disagree with people you talk down to people just like your buddy dmoinaub. You don’t have a clue what I, nor anyone here has experienced. You also use Christianity to suit your purposes, and betray yourself in your arrogance.
It seems that narcissism is the new illness afflicting most so-called progressives.
I will pray that the lord have mercy on your eternal soul.
In the meantime why don’t you stick your head back up the criminal in chief’s rear end. The fresh air is obviously not agreeing with you.
God bless America!
Oh and Staunton, my “night job” was writing. But I have nothing against people who work at IHOP like you seem to.
Ms. Americangenie. I’m sorry for your experiences. I’m also sorry they have made you afraid and bitter. I’m not going to play the game: I’ve seen or experienced more than you. But I will say the the forced integrationg took place in Florida. We lived off of the Air Force Base where my father was stationed.
Staunton, wrong again, but it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you feel that anyone who disagrees with you on the issue of race has to be Black or a West Coast or Northern “agitator.“
Anyway I leave you all with this parting wisdom from people much smarter and more enlightened than I.
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world.
Everyone you meet is your mirror.“—Ken Keyes, Jr.
Thanks for being my mirror.
and
“Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness.“—Gerald G. Jampolsky
God bless the World.
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