title: FORMER GEORGIA CONGRESSMAN AND “DUKES OF HAZZARD” ACTOR DEFENDS THE CONFEDERATE FLAG
text: Former Democrat Congressman Ben Jones (1989 to 1993) who played the character  Cooter  on the 1970s TV series  The Dukes of Hazzard  posted a message on Facebook defending the Confederate flag. Jones now operates a museum and sells merchandise connected with the show, including Confederate related items.To all our friends and fans from Ben Jones, AKA  Cooter I think all of Hazzard Nation understands that the Confederate battle flag is the symbol that represents the indomitable spirit of independence which keeps us  makin  our way we know how. The flag on top of the General Lee made a statement that the values of the rural south were the values of courage and family and good times.Our beloved symbol is now being attacked in a wave of political correctness that is unprecedented in our nation of free speech and free expression. Activists and politicians are vilifying Southern culture and our heritage as being bigoted and racist. We know that this is not the case, and we know that in Hazzard County there was never any racism.Thought the flag has been removed from such places as Walmart, Target and Amazon, it will never be removed form any of our Cooter s stores and museums. We are all the same good people today that we were last week and last year and we are not going to be shamed into turning our backs on our heritage and our convictions.We are not racists. We despise racism and bigotry. And we think the people who are creating this  cultural cleansing  are the real bigots in this story.When we say our flag stands for  heritage, not hate  and  pride, not prejudice,  we mean it. And we believe that old saying,  You can t know where you are going if you forget where you came from.Cooter s is going to continue to sell our southern symbols as long as there is a Cooter s. I will fight these people until hell freezes over, and then I will fight them on the ice.