For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Doug Guetzloe (407) 312-1781 Email: floridasshe@gmail.com
NEW MANATEE VOTER POLL: RESTORE THE CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL NOW "Take it Down" Commissioners Vulnerable in Next Election
HK Edgerton Denounces Charles Smith
Bradenton - A new poll of Manatee County voters released at a News Conference of the "Restore Initiative" Coalition yesterday shows that an overwhelming majority want the Confederate Veterans war memorial returned to the historic Courthouse in downtown Bradenton.
"A whopping 79% of those surveyed want our war memorial restored and returned immediately to downtown Bradenton," stated Barbara Hemingway, the Chairman of Restore Initiative consisting of a coalition of numerous veterans, historic and political organizations and individuals that are calling for a reversal of the Commission's decision to remove the War Memorial that resulted in the removal of the historic Confederate veteran war memorial in the middle of the night where it was broken. "We were also surprised by the margin of those voters who are planning to vote against the four commissioners in a future election," stated Hemingway. "This provides the Commissioners information that will provide an opportunity for them to reverse their vote and get back in the voter's good graces" she added. The survey was conducted by Gravis Marketing, a nationally recognized polling company that was commissioned by the Save Southern Heritage Florida, who is assisting the Restore Initiative in its efforts to reverse the narrow 4-3 vote by the County Commission. (Poll results Here) "We intend to use all means necessary to reverse this vote," stated Hemingway, a local Realtor who also serves as the Chairman of Restore America Manatee, the local branch of President's Trump support group. Over a dozen representatives of the various Restore Initiative Coalition attended the News Conference that included remarks by nationally recognized civil rights leader, HK Edgerton, a former NAACP President and outspoken advocate for maintaining Confederate Veterans Memorial, Monuments and emblems throughout the south. "It's our heritage, both for black and white veterans who went off to war for their community and state and monuments like the one that stood here in downtown Bradenton must be restored and replaced immediately," stated Edgerton. "Commissioner Smith doesn't representing the black voters of this county and he should be ashamed of himself for being a puppet for a small radical group," Edgerton concluded. The Coalition grassroots campaign that will consist of direct voter contact to individual commissioners to reverse their vote is underway, concluded Hemingway.
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. SSH FL does not condone racism and as such we do not support any group or person that does. We respect the rights and privileges of all as bestowed on them by their creator and expect those in our association to respect and treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated. 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.
XXX