Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen filed suit June 3 in Sebastian County Circuit Court seeking a declaratory judgment that the city violated the Arkansas State Capitol and Historical Monument Protection Act when it removed the historical flag display, which was erected in October 2001. The display represented the flags flown over Fort Smith since 1699, including The French Fleur-De-Lis flag; the Spanish Cross of Lorraine flag; the French tricolor flag; the U.S. flag with 15 stars; the U.S. flag with 20 stars; the U.S. flag with 24 stars; and the Confederate States of America flag depicting a circle of seven stars with red and white stripes.
Brass markers identifying each flag were on the base of the flag poles. In April 2020, the city removed the flags due to age and condition, a letter from Colby Roe of Daily and Woods law firm stated, who represented the city in the matter.
“At some point after the flags’ removal, the brass markers were removed.
The city did not remove the flags “due to age and condition.” The city removed the flags because Political Correctness. And yet the fight against those ideologues who would erase our history continues.