Bubba Watson is one of the most beloved pro golfers in America, possibly for his good ol’ boy charm just as much as his incredibly long drives. And as befits a good ol’ boy, Bubba is a Dukes of Hazzard fan, so he owns one of the “General Lee” cars famously driven by the Duke boys on the ’70s/’80s TV show. The thing about those cars, though, is that they have a little something on the roof:
It may come as a shock to some, but a car named after the commander of the Confederate forces in the Civil War has a Confederate flag on it! Who knew?
The long, long overdue wave of victories over the display of a symbol of oppression and slavery by reasonable people made Bubba take a long, hard look at himself, and his garage.
All men ARE created equal, I believe that so I will be painting the American flag over the roof of the General Lee #USA
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) July 2, 2015
The removal of the Confederate flag from the General Lee isn’t as cut-and-dried as from, say, the South Carolina state house because it’s a piece of Hollywood memorabilia and, as such, has much of its value tied to remaining in its original condition. That’s not to say that Watson had a moral dilemma, just a collector’s dilemma. But because he’s from the South (Florida), he probably has plenty of fans who disagree with his decision. We’re glad he showed some guts in publicly announcing his decision (though he’s not exactly a social justice crusader), and taking sides in this debate that should have ended 150 years ago.
For some lighter Dukes of Hazzard fare, here’s a fantastic story about the time John Schneider took a sheriff’s car airborne in real life…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PVMVs_MGLM
(Via ESPN)
