Jimmy Carter's grandson says he WON'T do away with Confederate Flag license plates if elected Georgia governor

• Jason Carter says people have the right to display specialty plates that feature the Confederate Flag
• The plates are back by the group Sons of Confederate Veterans
• Opponents of the plates say they represent racism and hate
• Carter's opponent, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, also says he won't get rid of the plates

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 12:25 EDT, 21 April 2014 | Updated: 13:15 EDT, 21 April 2014

The grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, who currently is running for governor in Georgia, implied Monday that should he become the next governor of the Peach State he will not put an end to state license plates that feature the Confederate flag.

Since 2003, Georgia has offered a license plate backed by the group Sons of Confederate Veterans that prominently displays the 'stars and bars.' In February, the group redesigned the plates to make the flag stand out even more, which outraged civil rights groups.

During an appearance on MSNBC's The Daily Rundown, Democratic Georgia state Senator Jason Carter said Georgians have the right to display the plates, and that he wouldn't - and likely couldn't - do anything to stop the state from doing so.

Big footsteps to follow: Jason Carter (right) is running for governor of Georgia, an office once held by his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter

Stars and Bars: Carter says he wouldn't get rid of specialty plates featuring the Confederate Flag

When asked if he would put a stop to the plates if he's elected governor, Carter says 'I don't know that we could block it, frankly.'

He went on to say that he would rather people focus their attention on the role Georgia played in the civil rights movement.

'I would like to see us focus on that great legacy we have of Dr. King and Joseph Lowery and Andy Young,' Carter said.

For some, the Confederate flag has come to represent their history and southern heritage. For others, it has come to represent one of the darkest, most shameful periods in U.S. history, as it was the flag flown by the pro-slavery Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War.

Hate: Opponents of the flag say it represents racism and hate and has no business in contemporary Georgia

Carter's opponent, Republican Governor Nathan Deal, also says he wouldn't stop the state from issuing the plates.

When asked in February whether he worried the issue might hurt Georgia's reputation, Deal told a local television station that he doesn't think it's something Georgians should be worrying about.

'Hopefully, those who take offense at it will look at the fact that it is a part of a cultural heritage of our state,' Deal said during an appearance on WXIA.

Opponents of the plate are outraged that the state is sanctioning something that they believe represents racism and hate.

No argument here: Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, Carter's opponent, also says he wouldn't do anything to block the plates

Democratic state Representative Tyrone Brooks successfully led the push to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the Georgia state flag more than a decade ago. He says that the Legislature probably couldn't do much to ban the license plates, noting that it likely could only write a law that would ban specialty plates altogether, not specifically banning the Sons of Confederate Veterans tag.

However, he says, the plate is an administrative matter, and is something for the governor and Georgia Revenue Commissioner Douglas MacGinnitie would have to deal with.

Brooks says he's urged them to consider doing away with the plates.

'If the American Nazi Party applied for one of those, would we grant one? Absolutely no,' Brooks told FirstCoastNews.com in February.