Astoria Parade “Deeply Regrets” Flying of Confederate Flag on Saturday

"Please do not let our oversight reflect negatively on Astoria."

The Astoria Regatta (motto: "Full Steam Ahead!") is one of the oldest parades in the West—a tradition that goes all the way back to 1894, a full decade before Portland's Rose Parade.

But it appears some traditions die hard in Oregon.

On the same day Heather Heyer was killed in Virginia by a car allegedly driven by white supremacist, the Daily Astorian reports that one of the floats in this year's Astoria Regatta displayed the Confederate Flag, as did a vehicle accompanying the float.

The front page of the website for the 123-year-old Astoria Regatta now displays an apology for the "Confederate Flag Incident."

"The Astoria Regatta Association deeply regrets the display of a Confederate flag in this year's land parade and the offense it caused to so many attendees," it begins. "We share the community's deep concern that the vehicle displaying the flag participated in the parade as part of the group recognized as the winning parade entry."

The off-road group behind the float is called Clatsop County Sons of Beaches—and the parade's prize-winning float also contained Confederate Flag stickers.

"It was a further oversight we missed Confederate flag stickers on the float itself during judging," the Regatta's statement says. "Please do not let our oversight reflect negatively on Astoria."

Sons of Beaches was originally unapologetic to those who believe that the Confederate Flag is a symbol of white supremacy and that the Civil War was fought over slavery, and to those who question the flying of the Confederate battle flag to honor veterans in a Union state.

Jay Pitman, Sons of Beaches' organizer, told the Daily Astorian Monday that the float was meant to honor all veterans (presumably, he meant United States veterans), and that flags of various conflicts were shown. The float also depicted the Iwo Jima Memorial, and displayed other battle flags throughout American history.   He then issued a statement 8 am Monday on the group's page:

Besides, they'd done it before, Pitman told the Astorian, and nobody complained:

"Jay Pitman, the group's leader, said the float featured several bumper sticker-sized decals with Confederate logos as it had for the past several years," wrote the Astorian.

Pitman called their group non-biased and non-racist, and said that the purpose of the flag honoring Southern secessionists who fought against America was in honor of "Americanism and supporting local law-enforcement and first responders."

A Sons of Beaches event August 13 also featured Confederate flags.

The Daily Astorian posted an editorial at midnight today condemning the use of the Confederate Flag in the Astoria Regatta in no uncertain terms:

"The flag, first flown by the Confederate army during war against the United States, mocks what our country stands for," the Daily Astorian editorial board wrote. "It is a sad part of our nation's history, as are Ku Klux Klan hoods, the Dawes Act and signs declaring 'Whites Only.' None of which should be celebrated, and a family-friendly festival is certainly not the place for displaying a divisive symbol from the Civil War."

Pitman reversed course slightly today, telling the Daily Astorian that he had not been aware of the events in Charlottesville during August 12's Grand Land Parade, and now says  that "he wants to apologize to the city of Astoria and the Regatta for any bad publicity that was caused for them."

The Astoria Regatta, for its part, may disallow displays of the Confederate flag in the future.

"We deeply regret the impression caused that Regatta in any way supports or condones the display of the Confederate flag," says their website. "Moving forward, we will seek legal counsel to determine what limitations we may place on displays in the future."

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