I attended the Walpole Rebel football game today, and saw only one Confederate flag, located on private property behind the stands. Walpole High School principal Alan Bernstein, who recently announced he was resigning at the end of the year, told me that the school will try to put something in front of the flag to obstruct it somehow, but given that it is located on private property, their powers are limited in trying to remove or cover it.
The flag is on private property, but clearly visible from the field and bleachers. I even walked around to the other side of the field, and I still had an unobstructed view of it.
Here is a picture of the scene at the game today, with the flag at the right:
To the property owner who has put this flag up: This is why some of us are opposed to the Rebel mascot. I would not be opposed to the Rebel mascot if you and others did not wave these flags. Because you have demonstrated arrogance and disregard for the history of America in displaying this, you are embarrassing Walpole and (inadvertently) showing that we support the flawed ideals that the Confederate states stood for during the Civil War.
A word of thanks should go to school administrators for making an announcement at the beginning of the game for the entire crowd to hear, requesting that Confederate paraphernelia not be displayed. Additionally, an apology was issued over the loudspeaker to any citizen who is offended by Confederate flags being used by private citizens, I assume in reference to the Confederate flag pictured above.
Unfortunately, this one flag may prompt others connected to the high school community to believe that they too can bring Confederate flags to games at Turco Field. Hopefully that will not occur.
