Jacksonville City Councilwoman Glorious Johnson admires Abraham Lincoln and the Confederate Flag, so much so that she set a precedent by attending the Confederate Memorial this past Sunday. She joined the Southern side of the Civil War when she lead a local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans singing I Wish I Was in Dixie in honor of Confederate soldiers. Her appearance marked the first time an African-American council member has come to the annual memorial event at the Old City Cemetery near downtown.

According to media reports, it wasn't an entirely new venue for Johnson, who is considering a future run for mayor. She also has attended the Jackson-Lee Dinner put on by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The Kirby-Smith Camp of the organization invited Johnson, a former music teacher, to lead I Wish I Was in Dixie at the event Sunday. The song became a favorite anthem of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

"Let's sing loud and let's sing proud," Johnson told the group. During the ceremony, Johnson joined about 60 others who pledged allegiance to the United States flag and then said a "salute to the Confederate Flag." This may be bothersome to many people because the Confederate flag has been controversial, particularly when elements of it have been used in state flags. The Sons of Confederate Veterans has asked Florida to sell specialty license plates with the Confederate Flag on them.

I am sure that she has managed to rile many people when she said in an interview after the ceremony she doesn't view the Confederate flag as a racist symbol. She said by talking with members of the organization, she has learned more about the Civil War. "This flag is not a flag of hate, but a flag about heritage and history," she said. "The people out here are not about hate, but about heritage."

Johnson, a Republican, cites Lincoln as a fellow member of the GOP. She said Lincoln deserves credit for signing the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery. She had to admit that there was probably an ulterior motive for Lincoln's actions. She said he did so partly because freed slaves would give the Union forces more military recruits.

Whatever your position on the Confederate flag is, Johnson is free to do as she chooses. We have to learn to get along and enter into constructive dialogue to bridge the divides that dog us as a society. She has to walk a fine line and be representative of all the people in her district and since she has dreams of being the mayor, then she has to embrace all people, she can't pick and choose who she will deal with. Again, I am sure there are naysayers to her actions, but hey, this is a free country. Isn't this what makes America "great?" Just my thoughts, you be the judge.....

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