The Kentucky Department of Parks is removing Confederate battle flag merchandise, such as cap and hats, from parks gift shops.
Taking a cue from the National Park Service, which revised its policy in the wake of the recent shootings in South Carolina, Kentucky parks officials are canceling all orders of Confederate flag items destined for the shelves. But parks spokesmen Gil Lawson stresses that the move doesn’t amount to a ban on the image.
"This is really just about gift shops," he says. "It doesn't change anything in our museums or battlefields or anything like that. They will still history, both the Confederate and the Union side. We're not making any changes in our museums or interpretive items."
Other exceptions include educational material, DVDs, and other products that situate the flag within a historical context. Lawson says a handful of leftover merchandise could still be on the shelves, but no further orders will be placed.
The news comes on the heels of another decision by the Kentucky state fair board to eliminate the sale or giveaway of products displaying the flag on state fair grounds and a Louisville convention center operated by the board. Meanwhile, the state Historic Properties Advisory Commission is slated to reexamine the placement of a statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the Capitol Rotunda on August 5.