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An Open Letter & Open Report / Conversations In The Streets / Silent Sam
December 9, 2019
Conversations In The Streets / Silent Sam
Dear Ms. Lunelle,
As I stood on one of my favorite corners on Highway #23 just outside Sylva, North Carolina, on Thursday, December 5, 2019, with the Southern Cross in hand. my thoughts were moving towards all the fun I knew that I would have later in the evening at the annual Christmas Ball of the Jackson Rangers Camp 1917, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
And, I might add, I would not be disappointed as I greeted, danced, hugged and loved the night away with the Sons, their families and friends.
And, then they came to where I stood, friends of my friend and brother, the Honorable Attorney Kirk D. Lyons, Chief Trial Counselor of the Southern Legal Resource Center, of which I am proudly Chairman of the Board of Advisors Emeritus.
“HK, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do. (I hugged all four of them) We heard that you accused Kirk D. of supporting that fiasco in Chapel Hill,” said the eldest and biggest of these big boys, of whom he was the father. “Yeah HK,” said one of the sons, “and you accused the North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans of colluding with them law breakers.”
“No, men, let’s get it right,” was my reply. “Kirk D. is the foremost of the brilliant lawyers who sit on the Board of Directors of the SLRC.” And, what I said to a bevy of folks who did support this deal, and who slammed me for not supporting it because they claimed that Kirk D. did, my retort to them was: “I don’t think that Kirk D. did.” And, “go and read what I said,” and furthermore, “Kirk can speak for himself, and I believe he will.”
A great deal of conversation in my opinion should have been extended to the victims, who include the people of the State (see Marcy’s Law) in any of this courtroom Tom foolery.
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, belongs to the people of the state, and the Historic Commission was established to protect the people’s heritage, and not to listen to the transient whims of political fashions.
As in the case of Silent Sam, the Commission expressed the will of the people after the cenotaph of Silent Sam was torn down by a criminal element, and ordered the University to put it back in its state of perfectness in 90 days.
And for the Board of Governors actions to defy that order is an impeachable offense which they compounded by their actions to collude with the North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans to accept an insulting pittance of two and a half million dollars, and then the Board of Governors to deem where Sam can be or not be put up again in the state; not only is the will of the people betrayed, but also the rule of law.
And, again I echo my desire that Attorney Lyons and the Board of Directors will aid in obtaining a writ of Mandamus to stop this highly questionable action. God bless you!
Your brother,
HK
Chairman, Board of Advisors Emeritus, Southern Legal Resource Center
Member, Save Southern Heritage Florida
Recipient, Vance Aycock Award, North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans
Recipient, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis Award
Recipient, National Sons of Confederate Veterans, H.L. Hunley Award
Recipient, Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, John L. Harris Award
Kentucky Colonel
President, Southern Heritage 411