Hundreds expected for rally in King--March for the Christian flag is Saturday
by Leslie Bray, News Editor The Stokes News
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Leslie Bray/The Stokes News Hundreds of marchers are expected to converge on King this Saturday in support of putting the Christian flag back up at the Veterans Memorial in Central Park.
King residents are battening down the hatches for the storm of visitors expected to descend upon the city on Saturday. Oct. 23 is the long-awaited day for those who plan to attend “Return America—Christian Flag March and Rally,” an event to show support for the Christian flag being flown again at the Veterans Memorial at Central Park in King.
Organizers state: “This will be an event that will be remembered far into the future for not only the town of King, but for all people that are concerned for the direction of the country, the threats against our freedoms to display religious images, and the continuing removal of God from our country's historical beginnings.”
Mike Marshall of King has been a visible factor in the fight to put the Christian flag back up at the Memorial. He estimates about 1,500 people will attend the March but says he won’t be surprised if it’s 500 or 15,000.
Marshall says he has already heard of church groups from Virginia and South Carolina that are making the trek to King. He also was told that a Christian radio host from TRUNEWS RADIO in West Palm Beach, Florida, who has about two million regular listeners, will be attending.
“The eyes of this country are on us,” Marshall commented. He believes that many flag supporters nationwide are looking to see if flag supporters in King are going to handle themselves the right way or if this is something that has lost its momentum. Marshall feels that those who oppose putting the flag back up are hoping for some sort of controversy to occur at Saturday’s event or that there won’t be a big crowd.
The March will commence, rain or shine, from the Calvary Baptist Church parking lot at 536 South Main Street in King at 10 a.m. Because of the large numbers expected to attend the March, leaders from Calvary Baptist Church, a host of the event, ask marchers to arrive by 10 a.m. if possible.
Participants may either march the short route to Central Park or ride a bus to and fro. Some streets will be blocked off, and city officials say there will probably be no parking at the Memorial. The March route goes from Calvary‘s parking lot up Main Street to the stoplight at Kirby Road then left on Kirby to the second entrance to Central Park. Many motorcyclists are gathering at the American Legion in King and traveling separately from the marchers and those riding buses.
Calvary Baptist Church officials have stated on their website that the March and Rally will be a silent one with no protest signs, although marchers are encouraged “to feel free to carry a Christian flag.” American flags are welcome, too, March organizers say.
Once at the amphitheatre in the Park, adjacent to the Veterans Memorial, the rally will begin at approximately 11 a.m. There will be no chairs at the event. Participants are welcome to bring lawn chairs, although leaders note this might prove difficult for marchers.
Guest speakers will address the crowd, informing them of flag-related events and attempting to encourage them in the fight. Two of the scheduled speakers are Dr. David Gibbs III of the Christian Law Association and Dr. Ron Baity of Return America.
“This event is being held in a spirit of love for our country and our heritage, and with great respect and honor for all our veterans that have gone out for our freedoms that we have enjoyed,” March organizers say.
Leaders of the event have stated that their purpose is varied. They will tell what they call “the true story” of America, explain why they feel the flag is historically correct as part of the nation’s heritage and urge participants to defend what they term “the true meaning and intent” of the Constitution.
Although the King City Council’s decision to remove the Christian flag from the Veterans Memorial has been a much-protested one, the leaders of Saturday’s March stress that their event must be a peaceful one, “We intend to stand up for God, but we do NOT intend to put up with hateful or uncontrolled behavior.”
The Rally is scheduled to end at 12:30 p.m. A group that had reserved the Park many months ago for an event has agreed to delay the start of their event to give way to the March. March and Rally leaders ask participants to leave the Park area free of trash and as if no one had ever been there.
For more information on the actual event, call 983-3728 or email svernon@cbcking.org.
Whatever the outcome of Saturday’s March/Rally, Marshall is satisfied with one thing. “The volunteers did what they said they were gonna do,” he states firmly, speaking of those who pledged nearly a month ago to keep a vigil over the Veterans Memorial until the Oct. 23 event. Marshall says that the permit to stand guard expires after Saturday and that the City of King has declined to renew it, but he is proud of how the volunteers have manned the property without a lapse.
“Mission accomplished,” Marshall declares. And he believes that Saturday’s long-awaited March and Rally will be another goal reached, with still others yet to come.
COME ONE OUT FOR THE MARCH AND RALLY ON SATURDAY. BRING YOUR FAMILY OUT AND MARCH FOR WHAT'S RIGHT IN AMERICA. BRING OUR COMMUNITY CLOSER TOGETHER.
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