One of the (not-quite-so) distinctive traits of the Confederate heritage group known as the Virginia Flaggers is their determination to plant Confederate flags across the landscape of the Commonwealth as a way to draw attention to themselves pay tribute to the Confederate soldier. Having fastened on to this approach (which was pioneered by others), the Flaggers have made something of a fetish of the practice, especially in Danville, Virginia, as well as Lexington, Virginia. The process is a simple one: find a landowner willing to allow the Flaggers to erect a flagpole, erect said flagpole, raise a Confederate flag and declare victory.
These events have not been without their comic moments, and here and there we learn that the landowner involved utters sentiments that are doubtless shared (and never condemned) by the Virginia Flaggers organization (although who is or isn’t a Flagger seems a most amorphous concept). However, recently the Flaggers put their foot down, only to discover that they had instead placed said foot in their wide open mouths.
See, last January the Virginia Flaggers raised yet another flag in Rockbridge County. Problem was that they hadn’t done their research beforehand. Local authorities deemed the location of the flagpole a violation of various ordinances and codes.
The Flaggers pledged to support the landowner in question. They also made another pledge on their blog, on March 6, 2017:
The flag would not come down.
Just in case that wasn’t clear enough:
Except … it did.
Now, I’m sure that sooner or later, this flag may well go up again. Perhaps, as before, the Virginia Flaggers will learn from their sloppy mistakes (remember this one?). Perhaps they will learn not to make promises that they cannot keep. Suffice it to say that this botched operation is the most newsworthy thing they’ve done in quite a while, a tribute to their lack of effectiveness.
Keep ’em coming.
Crossroads 
I keep being surprised at how these folks find new and innovative ways to embarrass themselves and their movement. Too bad their post-war behavior isn’t up to the standards of John S. Mosby, James Longstreet, or even Robert E. Lee, for that matter.
Sounds like a Flagger meal fit for a king: One whole foot, followed by a healthy dose of words, and a side of crow. Bon appetite.
Maybe the flag will go back up, maybe it won’t. The pawn shop owner who originally invited the Flaggers to put their ginormous flag outside his store announced the other day that he’s planning to relocate and wants to sell the current place. Seems like he’s created an awful lot of sturm und drang for someone who doesn’t even plan to stay there.
Just to clarify, although Rowsey did announce he wants to sell, he’s not even the owner of the land. He is a tenant. Likewise, Rowsey and the Flaggers both received the same notifications that the Camden’s did from Rockbridge County, but legally, I think the Camden family (who are the legal owners of the property) are the only ones that can technically be held accountable. Interestingly enough, all media reports have mostly focused on Rowsey. I’ve been told that there is a bizarre lease-to-own agreement between the Camden’s and Rowsey, but still, he isn’t the legal owner of the property, and he can’t sell what he doesn’t own.
Mr. Rowsey likes to say things. Their relationship to reality is unclear. This makes him an ideal Flagger.
I feel kinda bad for Brian Rowsey, really. If the flag goes back up (eventually) after the proper changes and permitting, the Flaggers will claim that as a victory and ignore all the needless nonsense that went before. Rockbridge County will be able to show that their ordinances were observed, which is all they ever wanted in the first place. But Rowsey will never see his big, million-dollar lawsuit payout. I’ve never seen anybody so excited at the prospect of getting free money from the government. He must be a Democrat.
Rowsey hasn’t figured out yet that the Flaggers used him, then deserted him. He was just a tool.
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, I guess…