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A flag thread... For those who haven’t been keeping score, those who want to see a new flag for the state of Mississippi include: Speaker Philip Gunn, countless business leaders, MSU, Ole Miss, USM, JSU, Alcorn State, 1/16
... Mississippi College, Millsaps College, Tougaloo University, Rust College, Delta State, William Carey University, UMMC, just about every other community college or university in the state, NCAA, SEC, C-USA, NASCAR, 2/16
Baptist leaders, Catholic leaders, Methodist leaders, Pentecostal leaders, Episcopalian leaders, Reformed Theological Seminary leaders, non-denominational leaders, 3/16
... Mississippi Economic Council, Mississippi Manufacturers Association, BIPEC, Sanderson Farms CEO Joe Frank Sanderson, MS Bankers Association, MS Association of Educators, Delta Council, Empower MS, major chambers of commerce like metro Jackson and the Gulf Coast, 4/16
... countless businesses including C Spire, BancorpSouth, Hancock Whitney, Renasant Bank and Walmart, 5/16
...and more than 30 cities and counties, including Biloxi, Clinton, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Laurel, Oxford, Pascagoula, Starkville and Vicksburg. 6/16
Those who remain silent or are against changing the flag — including the cop-out of placing it up for a vote — include Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a number of Republican lawmakers and racists throughout the state.
Guess which group is winning. 7/16
Guess which group is winning. 7/16
It’s time to change, Mississippi. We need a flag that can represent all people. The current one does not. It is overtly offensive to not only black people but those — like myself — who understand what that symbol represents today. (And, in the opinion of many, always has.) 8/16
A new flag may not be everyone’s favorite, but there is a difference between not liking the design of something or preferring one flag over another and living under a banner that represents hate and bigotry and the worst of our history to a great many people. 9/16
Our leaders — Reeves and Hosemann top among them — are pandering to our lesser angels. There really is only two reasons for them to stake out the ground they have. They are either scared of the racists, or they can’t see beyond their own prejudices. 10/16
Both men talk a big game about not being scared to make tough decisions. I’ve seen both of them practice it several times. But I’ve also seen both men hedge their bets on ridiculous bills or issues to maintain their electoral advantage. 11/16
But this is a time for leadership, not for shoring up votes. What good will it be to lead a state that refuses to change, refuses to embrace a more diverse future, refuses to move past its past — especially when you are the leader who could make that change happen? 12/16
Rep. Nick Bain, R-Corinth, stands out to me as an excellent example of leadership on this issue. Bain knows voting to change the flag could cost him politically. It could perhaps end his career in the Legislature. 13/16
“This is an emotional issue and the politically easy vote for me is to keep the flag. However, there comes a time when every generation must make a change for the better,” he told MS Today. 14/16
But Bain also knows some issues are bigger than any individual. “Whenever my time in public service is complete, I want my children to look back and be proud of what I’ve done. A vote to keep the flag does not accomplish this goal,” he said. https://mississippitoday.org/2020/06/22/legislative-leaders-say-theyre-still-short-of-necessary-votes-to-change-state-flag/ 15/16
We need brave leadership, leadership like the countless people and institutions listed above. Leadership like that of Philip Gunn and Nick Bain. The time is now. #ChangeTheFlag 16/16
UPDATE: Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has seemingly thrown his support behind changing the flag. He says he’s now “open” to a new flag and that it should happen through the Legislature.
