The Confederate Flag will continue to fly in Marion County despite impassioned pleas from dozens of residents Tuesday to take down the flag.

One after another, more than 50 Marion County residents gave their commissioners an earful after the unadvertised, controversial decision to put the rebel banner back up on government property after what commissioners called an appropriate mourning period for the deaths of nine black men and women in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17.


(Dave D'Marko, Staff)

Unlike the last meeting, when every speaker was upset about it being taken down in the wake of the South Carolina shootings, a majority of people who spoke Tuesday were upset it went back up.

Many spoke about the way the decision to fly the flag has affected the county's more than 40,000 African-American residents. Others spoke about the way it has affected the nation's perception of the area.

"It's damaging our reputation," said Nicholas Lisbiro. "I don't want to write on my college application I'm from that one town left in the country that refuses to take down the Confederate flag."

"People are not interested in bringing their business or their towns to a place that practices public racism," another resident told the County Commission.

Organizers of a rally in support of the flag said the crowd was informed about the flag's meaning.

"This is about heritage," one speaker who supported keeping the flag up said. "It's not about hate. This is not about racism, so let's not make it about that."

Commissioners agreed, sticking to their plan to ask the Historical Commission for feedback on where and how to display the flag.

"Taking it down? I'm going to be the last one to erase history, because that is part of the heritage of Florida," said Marion County Commissioner Earl Arnett.

The Historical Commission is set to meet Monday, Aug. 3.

The Confederate flag currently flies alongside U.S., French, Spanish and British flags, each representing five different historical rulers of Florida, outside the county's government complex. Commissioners have instructed the county's Historical Commission to place markers explaining the flag's significance, and perhaps move it elsewhere on the property.