Confederate park opens

Tampa, Florida - Guns and cannons were firing as the Florida Confederate Sons dedicated the Hillsborough County Confederate Memorial Park. The park is located at I-275 and I-4, the spot where the large Confederate flag went up last year.

David McAllister, who is with the Confederate Sons, says he thinks the park is the fulfillment of a dream of ordinary people who want to see their ancestors honored and the Southern Culture appreciated here in Tampa.

McAllister says he is thrilled about the park. He and other members of the group say the flag has nothing to do with slavery or hatred. McAllister and others can't understand why some are offended by the Flag. He says the flag and the park are dedicated to people who stood up for their beliefs and have patriotic virtues. He says their descendants want to honor that.

Christian Peach says the festival is not about hate but, rather, about love.

As Southern Belles moved through the park to spread the love, key speaker Walter Kennedy, the author of The South Was Right, says most Americans have it wrong when they talk about the Civil War.

He says people think the South fought the war for slavery. However, he says, that's not what it is all about. According to Kennedy, the South fought the war to preserve freedom.

Many in the area, particularly in the African-American community, have said the flag promotes intolerance, but not everyone agrees.

Alvin McCray is an African-American who supports the park and flag. McCray says blacks were slaves under the American Flag for more than 160 years. He says they were slaves under the Confederate Flag for about four years.

McCray says he doesn't see what all the fuss is all about.