KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffPeople question protest tactics

People question protest tactics

One protester is taking a little heat for his message in Cape Girardeau.

Clint Lacy stood in front of a Civil War Monument at the Common Pleas Courthouse on Lorimer for more than three hours. The same monument vandalized earlier in the week.

Lacy says he's not like other protesters. He says he won't be at the monument Friday because he has to return to work. He just came out to support something he believes in on his day off.

"I think when they do that it promotes ignorance," said Lacy.

Ignorance, the very thing some people think about Lacy for holding a Confederate flag with a sign that reads 'stop the hate.'

"First thing that comes to my mind is that they don't like black folks," said Tyrone Oliver. "I thought that was a little controversial."

"Holding a Confederate flag today, I think he's a little behind his times," said Franklin Tripp. "This has all been settled a long time ago."

But Lacy says he was actually protesting the defaced monument.

"It angers me because they're destroying history," said Lacy.  "You know these men can't speak for themselves, they can't speak for themselves and defend their honor when their monument is defaced, so I thought I could come out here for a couple hours and bring some attention to it."

Something the very people questioning his tactics, agree on.

"Well I think there's some misguided people, and I don't understand anyone wanting to deface someone's property," said Tripp.

"You know I thought it was a disgrace against veterans seeing that they fought for our freedom that some people take for granted," said Oliver.

Lacy says some people stopped by to ask about his display.

"It's given me the opportunity that it's not about hatred, that it's about honoring American veterans," said Lacy.

And others, didn't want to talk.

"Yeah you know I've seen a lot of black people today, and not one of them has threatened me," said Lacy. "But a car load of what looked like wealthy businessmen did."

Oliver and Lacy hope people can take the time to really learn about their history.

"Maybe they're doing it because their uncle did it, or their daddy had a Confederate flag," said Oliver.

"If you forget about your past, you have no future," said Lacy.

Related story:

Confederate War Memorial vandalized

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