Florida Sons of Confederate Veterans Score a Victory

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, Florida Division, as scored a major victory in its efforts to obtain a specialty Florida license plate for Confederate Heritage.  

Two years ago the SCV applied for a “Confederate Heritage” plate, but politically correct lawmakers, with neither justification nor legal standing, refused to take action on the application. This past January the SCV was forced to file a lawsuit in against the state of Florida, demanding that the legislature do their duty.

The complaint was dismissed by U.S. District Judge John Antoon II in Orlando, citing legislative immunity from litigation. However, the federal judge refused to drop the case against the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The ruling forces the state to either approve the application or fight the lawsuit. Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans feel that they stand on solid constitutional grounds in their demands.

Attorney Fred O’Neal, who represents the group of descendents of Confederate soldiers, said that the judge’s order ``is a huge step forward for our case and the ruling will pave the way for the Confederate Heritage plate to become a reality,''

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, organized in 1896, is the oldest hereditary organization for male descendents of Confederate soldiers. The non-profit fraternity serves as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to ensuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans includes Whites, Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Native Americans, and others of varied ethnic backgrounds.  It is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the armed forces of the Confederate States of America.  The organization boasts more than 53 camps and over 1,650 members throughout the state of Florida.