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 The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

We condense letters; most, as published, won't exceed 300 words. A letter must include the writer's name and city, which will be published, and an address and telephone number for verification, which will not be published. Writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. Open letters, letters to third parties and poetry are not considered. Letters from people living outside the Chronicle's circulation area usually are not considered.

Slams opinion poll on S.C. flag issue

Web posted January 15, 2000

 Have a thought? Go to the @ugusta Forums.

Editor, The Chronicle

Your Jan. 10 news article indicating that over half of South Carolinians want the flag removed from the Statehouse is another example of people keenly constructing polls to covertly sway public opinion. Public opinion polls can be orchestrated in a way to insure that the pollsters get exactly the results they want.

What pollsters don't realize is that most South Carolinians do not care about polls. The trump card these flag pollsters always use is to ask more than one question so they can dilute those polled who support the flag. There is only one question: Should the flag fly on the dome or not? ...

It is apparent that this poll was devised to disprove the fact that the people of South Carolina defeated Gov. David Beasley because of him going back on his word regarding the flag. God forbid we give the people of this state the idea that they have political power.

The powers-that-be of this state, I hope, learned the lesson that not all voters put party over the issues. Most voters of this state will not sell out principle for party.

The lesson of the 1998 election is that those who go against the voters of South Carolina will suffer defeat.

I have been conducting my own public opinion poll asking South Carolinians face-to-face what their views are on whether the flag should be taken down. The overwhelming sentiment is for the Confederate flag to remain flying on the South Carolina Statehouse.

One last point: It is a sad day when people will sell out the heritage of this state to supposedly improve recruiting for the University of South Carolina and Clemson University football teams.

Jason Goings, Graniteville