For what it’s worth, this editor has been to numerous NASCAR events. Out of 60,000+ attendees you might see three blacks.– Ed.
Members of the Miami-Dadebranch of the NAACP want the Confederate flag banned from theHomestead-Miami Motor Speedway, and they will meet Thursday to decidewhether to boycott a NASCAR race slated there for November.
DebraToomer, the branch’s chairwoman of press and publicity, said a planningsession has been scheduled to decide on a course of action regardingthe display of the flag at the Nov. 20-22 event, as well as itspresence at city-sponsored events like last year’s Veterans Day parade.
“The concern is there,” Toomer said of Confederate flags. She declined to comment further before the meeting.
Butofficials at NASCAR and the raceway say there’s little they can do toprevent spectators from displaying or waving the Confederate flag.
Homestead-Miami MotorSpeedway President Curtis Gray said spectators are not permitted towave large flags of any sort in the stands because of safety concerns,and to prevent them from obstructing the view.
Hesaid Confederate flag items are not sold or officially displayedthroughout the 65,000-seat raceway, but there’s no official ban onspectators bringing miniature flags to the track, or wearing T-shirtsemblazoned with the symbol.
“…we don’t regulate the lawful behavior of our fans or prohibit freespeech and expression of our guests,” Gray told FOXNews.com. “We can’ttell people what to wear. Where do you start? Where does it end, as faras individual expression?”
BrandonHensler, a spokesman for American Civil Liberties Union’s Floridachapter, said bringing a Confederate flag to the race or any publicevent would be protected speech.
“Ifsomeone wants to show up with a shirt like that, there’d be no legalrecourse for that,” Hensler said. “Unless there’s a specific threat,all speech is protected.”