This post originally appeared on our Right Wing Watch blog.

Last week, Georgia approved a specialty license plate proposed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which features a confederate flag.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, who had previously dodged questions about the plate, told Atlanta’s Channel 11 today that he wasn’t “concerned about” the plate and that “hopefully those who take offense at it will look at the fact that it is part of a cultural heritage of our state.”

When asked by 11Alive's Paul Crawley if he thought the plate should be changed and if it might hurt Georgia's image, Deal said, 'I don't think so, I mean it is one of many specialty plates that we have that are supportive of a variety of organizations and causes, so I don't think that it is something that we should be so concerned 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.'

Sons of Confederate Veterans has a history of racism and has claimed “there is no difference between the invasion of France by Hitler and the invasion of the Southern states by Lincoln.”