There are average men, there are heroes, and then there is this bad Blitch; Georgia man James Blitch drove over three hours — from Georgia to South Carolina — over the weekend just to lower a Confederate flag flying over the I-85.
Around 10:30 pm on July 13, authorities in Spartanburg County, South Carolina were called to a property off the side of I-85 due to an alleged trespasser, Georgia’s WRDW reports. Police arrested 22-year old James Blitch and charged him with two counts of trespassing. According to authorities, Blitch came more than prepared to lower the treasonous flag as WRDW explained.
According to officials, Blitch informed deputies he was going to lower the flag because he did not agree with it being raised. Deputies said he was able to get to the fence by climbing up a tree. Blitch also had multiple tools including a Dremel and drill bits, officials said.
According to Atlanta’s Fox 5, Sons of the Confederacy raised the flag on their interstate adjacent property in ’22. Blitch doesn’t seem to be the only one who doesn’t want to see the flag flown. Officials in Spartanburg have been attempting to have the flag removed since it went up due to ordinance misuse. Johnathon McGill with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office also told WYFF NBC that the incident was the second time in two days that someone had tried to get onto the property over the flag.
McGill said despite the feelings the flag brings up, he still has a duty to uphold the law. “Regardless of who you are, your beliefs, or your standpoint, the sheriff’s office has sworn an oath to uphold the law and uphold the constitution, and everybody is extended that right and equal protection under the law,” he said. As for Blitch, he was released from jail on July 14.
