For Immediate Release Media Contact: David McCallister 813-778-1202 Email: floridasshe@gmail.com
Orlando – City of Orlando voters oppose removal of the Confederate Statue in downtown Orlando by a very large margin, according to a new public opinion survey.
The opinion poll, conducted on May 20-21 of a demographically accurate sample 302 voters, also spoke clearly that voters oppose Mayor Dyer’s proposal to move the Confederate War Memorial and taxpayer funds should NOT be spent to move it.
"More than eight out of 10 voters supported keeping the statue, and they don't want tax dollars used to move it" according to David McCallister, Save Southern Heritage - Florida spokesman.
"We're particularly pleased with the City of Orlando poll, as the area is arguably one of the most diverse in Florida" said McCallister.
Demographic data for Orlando shows that by race, only 61.1% of the population is ‘white’, while 26.85% is black, 17.48% is Hispanic.
“What this poll shows is Floridians of all races see this memorial as what it is – a tribute to veterans that deserves respect and should not be ‘hidden in the closet’” added McCallister.
The precisely worded survey asked voters if they support or oppose the removal of the Confederate veterans war memorial at Lake Eola?
Favor it's removal - 15.1% Opposed to it's removal - 84.9%
The estimated cost of the removal could be in excess of $200,000 in tax money. If that is the case, would you be in favor of spending $200,000 of your tax money on the removal of the Confederate War Memorial at Lake Eola?
For spending $200,000 for removal - 14.7% Opposed to spending $200,000 for removal - 85.3%
"The voters don't want it moved and sure are not willing to pay for it" McCallister added.
Recent polls in other Florida cities reveal Orlando voters are not alone in opposing removal of Confederate Memorials. An opinion poll of Alachua Co. voters in March showed that 91.35% of Alachua Co. voters opposed removing memorials and monuments to veterans of any and all wars – even if they were Confederate. An informal poll conducted by FirstCoast News, a Jacksonville, FL ABC News affiliate earlier this year that shows 84% of Jacksonville residents opposed moving the Hemming Park Confederate Monument.
"This public support for honoring War memorials, like the ones in Orlando, Gainesville and Jacksonville, constitutes a 'landslide' said McCallister. This level of support far exceeds the 60% plus one vote required to pass a Constitutional Amendment in Florida, and so can only be viewed by Orlando officials, all of Florida's elected officials, as a 'mandate' that Floridians want War Memorials protected" he added.
Multiple national public opinion polls over decades continue to show that most Americans do not view symbols of the Confederate States of America, like the flag, as symbols of hate - but just history. "The awareness brought by the ISIS-Like purge of historical veteran’s memorials in New Orleans has shocked Floridians, and they don’t want this happening in their town. Officials that side with “eraseists” like New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu and disrespect memorials to Florida's historic veterans are out of touch with America, out of step with their voters, and may soon be out of office" said McCallister.
“We have asked the Mayor put this to a referendum – and let the people decide” concluded McCallister.
The pollster, Target Marketing USA reports that the 324 poll respondents represented a demographically accurate sampling of City of Orlando municipal voters, randomly selected from voter rolls. With a +/- 4% margin of error and a 96% confidence ratio.
SAVE SOUTHERN HERITAGE Inc. is a 501 c(4) public welfare corporation that educates & advocates on behalf of Southern Heritage & History. It was started in 2015 in response to the knee-jerk Anti-Southern institutionalized bullying and “Erase-ism” levied against the people of South Carolina by Governor Nikki Haley, after she broke all previous agreements about how South Carolina’s historical veterans and their symbols should be treated and respected. The Florida branch was activated in mid-January 2016, in response to three initiatives in the Florida Legislature that are part of a hate campaign led by Anti-American extremists, who refuse to respect the various cultures that make up the fabric of Florida’s society. Since that time, it has grown in membership and has been active in Heritage battles throughout Florida including the “We’ll Remember in November Campaign” that resulted in #heritagehater candidates to loose elections in Florida. More info: www.sshfl.org.
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