SD police chief will keep Confederate flag on department’s uniform

[struggle4progress]

"Due to the turmoil of the Confederate Flag, the City of Gettysburg would like to address the City Officer's Police patch. Gettysburg was founded in 1883 by Civil War Veterans, many of whom are still buried here. In fact the Dakota Sunset Museum has a cannon replica of the cannons that the Confederate army used at the battle, on loan to us from Gettysburg, PA. The patch was created in 2009 in honor of our founding fathers by Scot Barsdale, who resides in South Carolina, after learning the history of Gettysburg from then Chief of Police, Gayle Kludt. Scot has created many patches for police agencies all over the United States. The City of Gettysburg's police patch has the American Flag and the Confederate flag overlapping, which was meant to symbolize unification, and a cannon to represent the battle that the City of Gettysburg is named after. This patch has no racist intentions; it is meant to be another way that we, as a city, represent our heritage. Without the war, and without the Battle of Gettysburg, we would not be the same City that we are. The Chief of Police, Bill Wainman, the Mayor, Bill Wuttke, and the City Council have no intentions of changing the police patch."
http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/SD-police-chief-will-keep-confederate-flag-on-departments-uniform-314958891.html

South Dakota became a state in 1889

[SusanCalvin]

1. .

[shenmue]

2. Sigh

[struggle4progress]

3. ... As of 2014, Gettysburg's population is 1,231 people. Since 2000,

it has had a population growth of -8.00 percent ...
http://www.bestplaces.net/city/south_dakota/gettysburg

... Black race population percentage significantly below state average ...
http://www.city-data.com/zips/57442.html

The 2010 census indicated the town had 3 black residents. See http://censusviewer.com/city/SD/Gettysburg

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. The place is nowheresville, and there aren't any black people in South Dakota.

I exaggerate, but only a bit. I'm surprised there are three in Gettysburg.

There may be a few thousand in Sioux Falls now. The city has boomed in the past couple of decades. But we're talking (I'm guessing) maybe 3-5,000 out of 200,000.

South Dakota is a pretty rednecky place. There were always Indians to hate on, and these days, it's Mexicans, and now, Laotians.

[SunSeeker]

4. Idiots. nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. The town is saluting its namesake city, where there was once a battle featuring those two flags.

I actually know one of the people mentioned in the story, former Gettysburg Police Chief Gayle Kludt. She used to attend my mother's church in another South Dakota town. She was certainly the first openly lesbian police chief Gettysburg ever had.