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Fair Warning - An Editorial for Charlotte, North Carolina, June 8, 2006 - [Edited August 28, 2007] - "I do unabashedly advocate that we [the Sons of Confederate Veterans] become a modern, 21st century Christian war machine capable of uniting the Confederate community and leading it to ultimate victory." Kirk D. Lyons, December 20, 2005. (Source: See email to "Mike" dated December 20, 2005, attached).

Why do Charlotteans need to be concerned about the ravings of a neo-secessionist attorney who lives in the mountains of North Carolina? Here is why: Kirk Lyons is the national philosophical leader of the Sons of Confederate Veterans with its 30,000 members. His law firm in Black Mountain, N.C. is the Southern Legal Resource Center (SLRC) (www.slrc-csa.org). The Southern Legal Resource Center, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) (www.scv.org) and a third organization, the League of the South (LoS) (www.dixienet.org), have assembled a core-group of leaders in the Charlotte Mecklenburg area. These men are part of a multi-state plan to unite the bitterly divided factions of what Lyons called the "Confederate community." A Charlotte attorney, Jim Hickmon, has recently become part of this effort. The Southern Legal Resource Center’s website announced Hickmon’s position in the firm on April 17: [more ]

Kirk Lyons’s Master Plan
For the past three years, the conflict within the SCV has revolved around philosophical questions concerning the direction of the SCV. Those who have paid attention know that Kirk Lyons is the philosophical leader of the new SCV that he, Ron Wilson, and Denne Sweeney have built. These three men have a choke-hold on the organization and will never let go until the membership rejects their plan for the SCV’s future. [more ]

More Suspensions in the SCV
The communication reproduced below was recently sent to SCV camps by national Adjutant Jim Dark. The purge of senior SCV members who refused to tow the Lyons/Wilson/Sweeney (League of the South) political line is continuing in Oklahoma and Florida. [more]

Gray vs. Gray
Factions in Sons of Confederate Veterans exchange salvos in latest Civil War battleground
Cameron McWhirter - Staff
Atlanta Constitution Journal
Sunday, October 2, 2005
Columbia, Tenn. --- The Sons of Confederate Veterans, dedicated to commemorating those who lost the Civil War, now finds itself locked in a new war, and there's nothing civil about it. This time, all the combatants wear gray, because the Sons are at war with one another. [more]

Don’t let the SCV steal your camp’s assets! - In the wake of yet another North Carolina SCV Camp being suspended and now the attempted looting of the camp’s assets by Denne Sweeney, some legal observations from a knowledgeable source might be helpful. [more]

Contacts - As the Sons of Confederate Veterans begins to dissolve in its own extremism, former members (and future former members) are starting to look for local, regional, and national Confederate history/heritage groups to join. [more]

Break-up of Sons of Confederate Veterans Begins - Moderate members are beginning to leave the SCV in large numbers as they realize that League of the South-oriented radicals now control the organization. -
August 12, 2005

SCV Membership Retention: Sweeney-Style - An SCV member wrote to CIC Sweeney, voiced objections to the Lyons-Wilson-Sweeney radical direction of the SCV, and resigned. Sweeney’s answer is an excellent example of the "new SCV". - Aug 8, 2005

Resistance To SCV Radicals Gathers Momentum; Alternative Groups Forming - Letters are circulating around the Confederation to drum-up support to resist the final radical take-over of the SCV that will likely occur at the upcoming Nashville convention. Meanwhile, in addition to the Sons of the Confederacy (headquartered in Tennessee) and several Robert E. Lee associations in North Carolina, another group has been formed in response to the SCV’s headlong plunge into contemporary politics. - July 13, 2005

Additional Defections From The SCV; New Confederate History/Heritage Organizations Form - In addition to the Sons of the Confederacy (headquartered in Tennessee) and several Robert E. Lee associations in North Carolina, another group has been formed in response to the SCV’s headlong plunge into contemporary politics. - July 13, 2005

MOSB Expels SCV Virginia Division Commander - The deteriorating relationship between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Military Order of the Stars and Bars (MOS&B) took another turn for the worse on June 11 when longtime SCV/MOS&B member and Virginia SCV Division Commander Brandon Dorsey was expelled from the MOS&B. - June 16, 2005

West Virginia School Officials Violated Student’s Rights By Punishing Him Over a T-Shirt, Court Rules - A federal court has found that school officials violated a high school student's rights when they disciplined him for wearing a t-shirt bearing an image of the Confederate flag. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia. - June 13, 2005

Former Texas Division Commander Resigns From The SCV - "I can no longer, in good conscience, associate myself with an organization whose mission and goals have been usurped, and whose future appears to be turning in a direction that will besmirch the good name of my Confederate ancestor." - June 13, 2005

From A Compatriot Who Attended The Mississippi Convention - PCIC Ron Wilson went ballistic and began shouting that he was the "representative of the CIC and could go anywhere in the SCV he wanted." That may be true elsewhere, but not in Mississippi. - June 8, 2005

South Carolina Legislator Glenn McConnell Was Right! - After having been savaged for several years by radical Sons of Confederate veterans and their neo-secessionist co-conspirators, McConnell’s compromise which removed a 1950s era Confederate flag from the South Carolina capitol building dome and placed an appropriate battleflag on capitol grounds has had the desired effect.- June 6, 2005

Will Mississippi Stand Strong Against Mr. Sweeney? - "Our generation allowed our Confederate Heritage to be high-jacked by racist groups, by groups who opposed the law of the land, and by groups and individuals who preached hate and violence." - May 29, 2005

Is the SCV rising or setting? The matter rests with the SCV Sons! - A "special convention" will be held April 23, 2005 in Concord, NC, well within radical territory and in the same city where the CIC held a GEC meeting on December 18, 2004 that was declared illegal. - April 20, 2005

Late news from the Charlotte North Carolina Flag Fight - No charges to be filed against Charlotte City Manager, Pam Syfert, in Confederate flagpole case. - April 20, 2005

A Reminder - The recent legal reversal handed down by the Tennessee court system to Dr. Hodges and his GEC faction of moderates brings with it the realization that the fight to save the SCV from itself might be over. If Dr. Hodges and his supporters have another card, they had better play it. The Sweeney-led radical faction of the SCV is again calling for a special convention. - March 22, 2005

Past Commander Faggert's Affidavit - CIC Denne Sweeney has announced on a number of occasions that he thinks the SCV should change in the manner proposed by Past CIC Ron Wilson and Kirk Lyons. The survival of the SCV requires that we oppose this disastrous direction. - March 16, 2005

Comments of the MS Division Commander - "Thanks and appreciation go out to the members of the Mississippi Division who stood fast in defense of what was right." - March 13, 2005

Sweeney's Actions Revoked - The Judge reinstated Denne Sweeney as Commander-In-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, but not before revoking suspensions Sweeney made in December and taking him to task. Meanwhile, the lawsuit against him proceeds. - March 11, 2005

A Different Communication - In the last weeks, the SCV rank and file has been barraged by an insidious propaganda machine. Mr. Jim Dark (ousted from the GEC) has poured his life blood passion, anger and imagination into literally hundreds of emails. He is now facilitating (2) websites. No one seems to be willing to ask the REAL question? WHY? - March 2, 2005

Does Any Of This Sound Familiar? - "Our pride in history and heritage has become, for a few, a facade masking anger, resentment and an apparent desire to browbeat the SCV into a new direction, one with politically ideological path determined by a select few." - Dr. Anthony Hodges, Commander-In-Chief, Sons of Confederate Veterans - February 24, 2005

Profile of a Leader: The initial actions of the new SCV Commander-In-Chief, Dr. Anthony Hodges, indicate a return to the true purposes of the SCV. See the two items from February 24 immediately below!

A Message from SCV Commander In Chief Anthony Hodges - I sincerely believe every SCV member can separate the Wheat of Truth from the Chaff of Chaos. - February 24, 2005

SCV Commander-in-Chief Dr. Anthony Hodges appoints staff officers . . . . - February 24, 2005

Sweeney Fired! - Every SCV Commander-in-Chief wants a legacy, but Denne Sweeney’s is one that he would rather not have: being the first CIC to be fired from the job. - February 22, 2005

 

Election Update: There have been reports of booze, women and random gunfire . . .  

A Sampling of News From Around The Confederation - December 2003 - The latest trials and tribulations of John Adams, plus news from the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgiua, Florida, the Army of Tennessee and Army of the Trans-Mississippi, and more.

Larry A. Salley and CIC Wilson Work to "Reform" Both the SCV and South Carolina Government - The SCV is and certainly should remain more than a history club. However, the idea of an SCV member, who is also in the League of the South, "infiltrating" state government in order to bring about secession is not what SCV founders had in mind.

Save the SCV Letter Demands Action From the GEC - Save the SCV, acting on behalf of those camps and individuals that were suspended, calls for those camps and individuals to be reinstated by  the General Executive Council. To do otherwise grants to this CIC and, by precedent any future CIC, the power to permanently suspend and disenfranchise any SCV member and/or organizational subdivision. This is dictatorial power, pure and simple.

Mr. Wilson: What exactly IS the Emergency? - Apparently Frank Conner of Georgia, S.C. Division Commander Robert Roper, and Ron Wilson all agree with Save the SCV on what the so-called emergency is: Ron Wilson is running out of time. CIC Wilson needs two more years without serious opposition to turn the SCV into a modern Political Action Committee, sell Elm Springs, break with the MOS&B, and finalize the SCV partnership with the League of the South.

Oklahoma Division Commander Urges Action - The ship of state of the SCV is foundering.  The current CIC is bent upon a personal crusade of aggrandizement and petty politics. He or his coterie selectively mislead the SCV masses.

Racists Dishonor Robert E. Lee - More than two years ago, while the current controversies within the SCV were still simmering beneath the surface, there were some who had already recognized the hypocrisy of those who outwardly pretended to cherish and revere General Lee and the battleflag but inwardly were dreaming of a modern day secession movement.

The General Executive Council of the Sons of Confederate Veterans met on October 11.
They made a number of significant decisions on financial and personnel matters. Perhaps the most revealing part of the meeting was an attempt by CIC Wilson to have the GEC approve an "emergency convention" that would take place before the regularly scheduled convention next August. Then, the Wilson gang could "clear up some matters" as one GEC observer put it.

Entangling Alliances - In a recent Dixie Daily News article, Clint Lacy agrees with Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center regarding the Council of Conservative Citizens. Lacy goes on to say that the CCC’s infiltration of League of the South with racists is "devastating," but he obviously thinks that the League’s infiltration of the SCV with neo-secessionists is just fine. 

CIC Wilson Charged with Violating SCV Constitution - On October 6, 2003 a document charging Sons of Confederate Veterans Commander-in-Chief Ron Wilson with several counts of violating the SCV Constitution was sent to SCV Headquarters, CIC Ron Wilson, and to SCV Judge Advocate-in-Chief R.B. McCoy. An e-mail version of the document was also sent to members of the General Executive Council.

The latest news from friends in South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Florida - You won't believe the latest events . . . then again, you probably will.

PART II - Morris Dees Said What? - It took CIC Ron Wilson and Kirk Lyons nearly three weeks to twist the truth and devise a new version of the Roanoke College incident. We apparently now have the SCV leadership’s official version of who said what and when. Wilson’s rendition of the incident varies significantly from Virginia Division Commander Brag Bowling’s account.

From Our Friends in Alabama: Some Questions For CIC Wilson About SCV Finances - As prudent individuals we must consider the probability that the reason for exploring the possibility of selling "Elm Springs" stems not totally, or even mainly, from facility expenses but for the unprecedented expenses added during the first year of CIC Wilson's regime.

With Friends Like These - Save the SCV remains convinced that the vast majority of SCV members are decent, patriotic American historians who are shocked by these and similar attitudes. We also believe that the longer the current SCV leadership remains in power, the more common in our organization extreme attitudes will become.

John W. Adams: The Extremist Path in Florida - Those in Florida familiar with Adams' turbulent and volatile personality point out that he has a disturbing tendency to strike out and attack anyone who dares to question his decisions or opinions. Gutter language and defamatory comments are part of Adams' modus operandi.

LEE'S LESSON LOST - Robert E. Lee had every reason to resent the North. Not only had he just been forced to give up his army, but his fortune was ruined, his beloved home Arlington confiscated forever, his profession closed to him.

MORRIS DEES SAID WHAT? - The sad part about this episode is that we are all wasting our time on it. None of the issues that face the SCV have anything to do with Morris Dees, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the liberal media, or any of the other smoke-screens that CIC Wilson and his co-conspirators have manufactured.

SCV Dispatch Shut-Down: The Purge Continues - An obsession with "moles" has led to the removal of honorable SCV members from the Dispatch and has fostered a climate of hate and paranoia.

Ask Your Local Law Enforcement Officer - Whether a hate group or not, the LoS is a neo-secessionist, extremist organization. Their goal of secession makes LoS philosophy incompatible with the goals and philosophy of the SCV.

Jim Pierce and the Radical SCV - Radicalism and extremism can take many forms in today's Sons of Confederate Veterans. Here is one of the most bizarre examples.

How to Eliminate Your Opposition - Suspend individuals and entire camps, violate the Constitution of your organization, fail to respond to inquiries, and make sure the annual convention adjourns without hearing the charges against the accused.

The Lessons of Asheville: The Good Guys Must Stand Together Now - Enough brave and capable people showed-up at the convention to defeat the radicals.

Stand Up and Be Counted - "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Well, good men are finally doing something.

Resolutions passed by the North Carolina Division smack of a cult, racism and separatism. - The whole affair is a smoke screen to change the SCV into another organization with the same name but a different mission.

Whither the SCV? A Challenge. - We at Save the SCV have the courage of our convictions. Does CIC Wilson?

NC Division Supports Dictatorial Practices of CIC Wilson - With the continued leadership of Ron Wilson and Kirk Lyons, and self serving support from the League of the South, the monster that now inhabits North Carolina will spread throughout the Confederation.

Power And Money -  Save the SCV agrees with the opinions of influential SCV and MOSB leaders regarding the proposed amendments to the SCV Constitution. Resistance to Ron Wilson’s and Kirk Lyons’ grab for power and money ($10,000.00 plus) is coming from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the commander of the Army of Tennessee.

A Status Report from Save the Sons of Confederate Veterans - As the SCV continues to be directed toward extremism, the organization will find itself more and more isolated from mainstream America . . . The historically accurate story of the Confederate soldier will be sacrificed to modern political turmoil.

Wilson’s Actions Once Again Fail To Back His Words - Sons of Confederate Veterans Commander-in-Chief Ron Wilson has publicly prided himself on opposing racism within the SCV and expelling two members for their ties to the Ku Klux Klan. However, CIC Wilson has obviously overlooked the connections of some of his own supporters.

Save the SCV recommends that all patriotic Americans stay away from the Lincoln statue protest - We do not need to be linked with anti-government and neo-secessionists types, particularly in this time of war. Show your support for the positive things that the SCV stands for.

CIC Wilson Suffers GEC Defeat; Vote Reflects Attitude of Majority of National Membership - The GEC vote pattern is consistent with the fact that Ron Wilson’s and Kirk Lyons’ attempt to radicalize the SCV is a movement at the top of the organization and does not reflect the attitudes of the national membership.

A Letter to the General Executive Council - CIC Ron Wilson's leadership style is consistent with dictatorial strategy: Resolution-based governance, which is the practice of superceding an organization’s constitution and/or bylaws with resolutions.

Report on N.C. Division Executive Council Meeting at Roxboro, N.C. - CIC Ron Wilson confirmed his intention to purge the Sons of Confederate Veterans of opposition

An Open letter to CIC Wilson - Wilson makes it clear that there is no room in the SCV for differences of opinion.

Voice of Extremism? - Perhaps it is time to look closer at CIC Ron Wilson's own ties and connections to extremist groups which have advocated the overthrow of the United States government.

News Reports Link Controversial SCV Activist To Accused Spies - Does publicity surrounding Kirk Lyons' relationship with people charged with espionage constitute activity "detrimental" to the SCV?

CIC Wilson Escalates Efforts To Silence His Opponents - SCV Commander-in-Chief Ron Wilson intensifies the purge of those who publicly oppose his administration.

CIC Wilson Forgets to Bring Checkbook - No dollars for Missouri?

Serving Two Causes? - Since 1989, the Sons of Confederate Veterans has publicly prided itself on its resolution denouncing hate-groups and their use of Confederate symbols. But simultaneously, some leaders of the SCV have been working to infiltrate the SCV with members of the very same hate-groups they publicly condemn.

Wilson’s Latest Gag-Order - CIC Wilson now wants to prevent private discussions at local camp meetings.

Free Speech! - We're For It, But SCV Leadership Apparently Is Against It

Actions Speak Louder Than Words - CIC Ron Wilson’s "discomfort" with his own membership in two extremist groups did not prevent him from appointing members of each group to top positions in the SCV.

A Skirmish in South Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

Confederate Colony, Compound or What? - The unique aspect of this  security-gate, berm and fence enclosed community is its restricted property ownership requirement

N.C. Division Commander Dismisses Veteran SCV Leaders - It is apparent that the plan to purge the SCV of all opposition is well under way.

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