Headlines
Lafayette County Supervisors Change ‘Facility Use Policy’ After Confederate Rally
By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
Effie Burt addresses the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors March 4, 2019 with concerns about the recent Confederate rallies.
Photo by Alyssa Schnugg
In light of the recent rally that started at the Lafayette County Courthouse lawn near the Confederate statue and ended at a like-statue on the University of Mississippi campus, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors has updated the county’s Facility Use Policy.
At the start of the regular Board of Supervisors meeting Monday, Lafayette County resident Effie Burt addressed the board with questions and concerns regarding the Confederate rally held Feb. 23 when two groups—Confederate 901 and Highwaymen—gathered in protest of recent discussions surrounding the future of the Confederate statues by student-led groups.
Burt often referred to the two groups as the “KKK.” Supervisor and board president Jeff Busby corrected Burt, saying the two groups do not call themselves the KKK.
“If you walk like a duck and you quack like a duck, you’re a duck,” she replied.
Burt said she was concerned about the presence of the dogs at the rally that said could have been used as weapons.
“A video online by one of these groups showed them strapping a knife onto the dog and commenting how the police didn’t bother to check the dogs,” she said.
Burt mentioned the rally’s cost to taxpayers for all the extra security measures needed that day.
“These people don’t even live in Oxford and Lafayette County but we are the ones who will pay for the extra police to keep a dangerous situation from getting out of hand,” she said.
Other concerns were the protesters being allowed to carry guns; however, County Attorney David O’Donnell explained the gun laws are state laws and the county can’t change them.
Burt asked the Supervisors to consider moving the statue to the Confederate cemetery on the Ole Miss campus removing the security issues involved in having such rallies on the popular downtown Square. Since Ole Miss is a university, open carry laws don’t apply on campus; however, those with the enhanced carry permit can bring a gun on campus in public designated areas only.
“They held this rally during Black History Month,” she said. “It wasn’t about history or protecting their First Amendment rights. It was to instill fear … If people wanted to preserve the Southern history that is associated with the Confederate flag and statue, then why haven’t they fought from keeping them from the hands of those who use them to symbolize hate and oppression?”
Busby said that while the board was not ready to vote on whether to move the statue, he told Burt that many of her concerns are addressed in the newly updated facility policy that was taken up for consideration following Burt addressing the board.
Some of the changes to the policy include extending the notice required to apply for a permit to use county facilities from five days to 30 days; charging a $25 non-refundable fee and then $50 an hour and a possible additional charge if the Sheriff’s Department deems the event will require additional law enforcement personnel or security measures.
Animals at rallies are now prohibited.
Any flags or signs cannot be displayed on anything more than poles that are greater than one-fourth inch in thickness or 2 inches in width. If not rectangular in shape, the object should not exceed three-fourths of an inch at its thickest dimension.
No person will be allowed to carry glass bottles, balloons filled with anything other than helium or air, wear body armor, or cover their face with masks with the intent of intimidation or hiding their identity.
The board approved the updated policy unanimously.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | W, 52-20 |
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | 11:00 AM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | 8:00 PM ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | 3:00 PM TBA |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Leave History Alone
March 5, 2019 at 11:39 am
Oxford has officially become a socialist town and started to root itself in disparity. History can not be removed from society. If you do so, then history can repeat itself. You can not impose rules and laws that remove constitutional rights to gather and demonstrate. There was not malice shown at all from the people that demonstrated for the history of this great country to remain for all to see and learn from. The board is bowing and taking advantage of the backs that the country was built off.
Karl Burkhalter
March 5, 2019 at 3:43 pm
Teach these ignorant fools about Yankee genocide policy against Native Americans at Mankato, Bear River, Sand Creek, Canyon de Chelly, Bosque Redondo, Keysville, Killdeer MT, Whitestone Hill, Tongue River and Magus Coloradas. Then explain Contraband policy and Devil’s Punchbowl. They think Yankees were freedom fighters, but they were Hitler’s model.
Loretta
March 5, 2019 at 7:53 pm
You are referring to the backs of slaves, of course.
Loretta
March 5, 2019 at 7:54 pm
You are absolutely correct. The White Race has a long record of genocide.
ShadowCat
March 5, 2019 at 11:45 pm
The human race has a long history of genocide
Paul
March 6, 2019 at 8:07 am
So has the black race, remember it was not the white man who sold blacks into slavery it was the Jews, Edomites, Muslims and Black Africans. Black Africans sold their own brothers and sisters into slavery starting with the Barbary slave trades in the 1600’s and still happening today. So you can quit blaming the white man for all the ills of black folks now.
Paul
March 6, 2019 at 8:13 am
Supreme Court ruled many times you cannot charge fees for 1st amendment protected rights, they cannot ban animals if it is a service animal it’s a violation of law, cant move monument Mississippi state law does not allow it, finally drawing guidelines and rules for 1st amendment zones is illegal supreme court already de used that to. Let the lawsuits fly damn Mississippi turning communist.
Maeve Magdalen
March 7, 2019 at 10:47 am
Confederate history is the history of Southerners of all skin colors. It is also part of the heritage of persons who live in the South today; it cannot be denied nor denigrated, nor should it be.
All iterations of the Ku Klux – the real group during Reconstruction, and all the fake groups thereafter – were not a result of the Confederates nor the Confederate states. Nor were the original Ku Klux racists nor membership exclusive to persons with one skin color. The first KKK notice in the Pulaski Citizen is right next to a report on a mixed race political rally with speakers of multiple skin colors, for a mixed race audience and both sexes (1867).
Confederates have no fear of genuine history and truth. What’s appalling, however, are those who mark themselves as not knowing what they are talking about and choosing hate and political revisionism to destroy or taint the heritage of all Americans.
Rebrowser
April 27, 2019 at 6:26 am
Oh Lord, always throwing the race card when facts can’t back you.