August 21, 2020
Palatka & Lake City – Part 2 of 3
Dear Ms. Lunelle,
On Saturday August 8, 2020, the renowned and Honorable Attorney, David McCallister, and I would leave the City of St. Augustine and make our way to Palatka, Florida, for a planned protest gathering against the removal of the Confederate soldiers Cenotaph in downtown Palatka.
Several years ago at the grand opening of a Dixie Oufitters Outlet store in Palatka, my brother, Terry Lee, and I would accept an invitation from the owner to attend the event. It was a very rewarding experience to see so many black citizens buying merchandise, and giving the owners a very warm welcoming to their business community.
Before that day would come to an end, one black young businesswoman would extend to the Sons of Confederate Veterans an invitation to march alongside the participants in the upcoming Martin Luther King Peace March Parade. When the time came, I would don the uniform of the Southern soldier and, alongside my brother, return to Palatka and do just that. And, not to forget, spending the afternoon after the parade having lunch with the participants, as my beautiful Battle flag blew constantly from the wind that the Almighty God had seen fit to provide the whole afternoon.
It was ironic for me on this day of return to Palatka, that I would be asking these wonderful citizens not to go along with the domestic terrorists of Black Lives Matter and others of their kind agenda to remove the Confederate soldiers’ Cenotaph.
Even more ironic for me is that as I prepare this dissertation, a televised report from the local media was about the seven out of nine murders in the City of Asheville, North Carolina (my home town) that were about black men killing black men. The rate far surpassing nearby cities like Greenville, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta with all having greater populations. People are not stupid. How can Black Lives Matter when the people of the race don’t adhere to what is being espoused?
And it was asked to the same black city councilman who proposed reparation to the black people as a reward of support for having the removal of the Vance and General Lee Cenotaphs; what would he propose to end this madness? His response was that we need some economic opportunities in places like the housing projects.
My statement to him was when the thugs of Blacks Lives Matter organization descended upon our city, instead of voting to take down the Confederate soldiers Cenotaphs of an integrated armed force as they proposed, why didn’t you ask them for some of the millions they take in, in the name of black people to fund some of those business to the opportunity zones that the President has been working on to help black people journey in qualification to business opportunity? Instead of funneling these funds to the Democratic Party that does nothing for black lives but disunion and hate mongering aimed at the protectors of whats left of the Republic, “The Southern White Man,” the real protector of black lives since they entered these shores, no matter their station.
All the time trying to protect black folk against false prophets whose value is the art of causing disunion and hate.
Mr. McCallister and I would speak to those gathered in Palatka and, afterwards, make our way to Lake City, Florida, another irony for me, because it was a city that several years ago at a town meeting aimed at getting the first black female police chief fired because she posed for a picture with the Sons of Confederate Veterans Mechanized Calvary at the Battle of Olustee War Between the States Re-enactment.
I was so proud of the throng of black and white citizens that filled that building on that evening, and made it clear that they supported this grand lady for an honorable act. And, I must say that I was so surprised and so happy with the thunderous round of applause that I received in giving my support of her action. And of the black men and women across the South who made the implements of war, provided the food stuffs for General Lee’s beleaguered army, stayed at home and protected the home places the best they could against a Northern armed force raping, plundering, murdering, burning all in their path. And above all, going off to war with a man that they called “family” and “friend” in an integrated armed force that treated them as equals.
On this day with Mr. McCallister, I would ask these same citizens to ignore the false narrative being put before them that mirrored the same one of 1865, meant to divide them from the Southern white man, “their family.” God bless you!
Your brother,
HK
Chairman, Board of Advisors Emeritus, Southern Legal Resource Center
Member, Save Southern Heritage Florida
Loyal Son of Southern Slaves
Member, Confederate Legion Judah P. Benjamin Camp 2210, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Honorary Camp Commander, Grandbury’s Texas Brigade, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1479
Honorary Life Member, Forrest Orphans Camp 1744, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Honorary Associate Member, Abner Baker Chapter #14, United Daughters of the Confederacy
Honorary Life Member, North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia Orders of the Confederate Rose
President, Southern Heritage 411
