Statements from someone who has little or no knowledge about the state of Mississippi or its history. Mr. Bill Vallante replied to this less than factual article aand Cooper responded. I in turn gave Cooper a chance to "go public" so to speak, with his knowledge. Those exchanges are posted below in thread replies.
Ten years after Mississippians overwhelmingly voted to embrace the controversial state flag, state leaders remain conflicted over the issue.
In April 2001, a statewide referendum on Mississippi’s flag went to the voters.
At issue are the vestiges of the Confederate battle flag that remain in the state flag.
Their existence is history, worthy of protection and memory to some. It’s a reminder of our state’s racial path, others cry. The flag screams heritage to some, hatred to others.
The 2001 vote resulted in 64 percent of Mississippi voters saying, “Leave the flag alone, Confederate symbols and all.”
Interestingly, Adams County was one of only a handful of counties in which voters supported the creation of a new state symbol.
Fifty-two percent of Adams County voters sought a new flag. The vote should not have come as a big surprise given the economic climate at the time.
Threats of possible boycotts over the flag issue and several reports that NCAA tournaments would not be located in the state in the early 2000s because of the flag kept citizens fired up about the issue.
Back then, and probably today, too, economic developers feared an issue such as the flag could prevent businesses from relocating to the state.
We now know the flag issue hasn’t completely killed off all development in the state, but we may never know what may have been lost due to the issue.
That unknown is what led the majority of Adams County voters to support a new flag 10 years ago and why it’s clear we still need a new flag to this day.
Last week, an internal conflict over the flag issue bubbled up in the City of Natchez at, of all places, the Natchez Police Department.
Apparently, Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins was asked if it was OK to fly the Mississippi flag at the police department. Logically, he complied and the official, controversial flag of the state was hoisted into the sky.
Eventually, someone complained to Mayor Jake Middleton, who ordered the police department to remove the flag, presumably until the city could discuss the matter more carefully.
That seems silly.
As long as the flag is the official flag of the state, cities such as Natchez should fly the flag. If the flag bothers city leaders, then rather than simply ignoring the issue by hiding the flag, why not work to generate enough public support to consider a new flag again.
Personally, the flag does not offend me. Nor does it stir massive pride in my home state. Mississippi to me means much more than any piece of cloth can contain. And in a very real way, the Mississippi that I know — the Mississippi in which I’ve grown up — is a state in constant change, a state growing into the modern world, not constantly dwelling in the distant past.
Rationally, it makes sense to find a flag that all Mississippi citizens can support and rally around.
If, as the 2001 vote indicates, more than one-third of state voters don’t support the existing flag, we should seek to find a more universally supported symbol.
Preferably that new symbol will be one that will not run the risk of potentially costing Mississippi business.
Think about how it must look to potential visitors and investors in our state to read that a mayor has to demand the police chief remove the official state flag.
We simply cannot afford that. And, I hope, Mississippians are too smart to let the issue linger another 10 years.
Dancing around an issue – the Mississippi state flag
I could not help but notice how Mr. Cooper of the Natchez Mississippi Democrat, an apparent reconstructed Southerner or “new souther” if you prefer, danced around the main issue of the Mississippi flag referendum. The issue was that in a state with a large black population, the flag with the Confederate symbol in it trounced its opposition by a 2-1 margin. One would think that the people had spoken. Yet, Mr. Cooper finds ways to duck and weave his way around the issue. So I wrote him. And he wrote me back, essentially telling me that (are y’all ready for this?) I should MIND MY OWN BUSINESS! I almost fell on the floor laughing. Of course, I couldn’t resist trying to pull open his glued-shut eyelids once again.
I just love how you dance around the real issues here.
The old state flag triumphed by a 2-1 margin. The people spoke, and 10 years later you still won’t accept it? So “some people” are still offended by it? So 52% of Adams County (hardly and overwhelming majority, by the way) voted against it? So some people in other parts of the country might think ill of you? Believe me - people in New York don’t give a rat’s patoot about what people in Mississippi think of them. I wonder then, why you feel you have to care about what people in New York think? And you’ll never know how much business you lost because of the referendum results? Is there any record anywhere of some company saying that it won’t relocate to Mississippi because of your flag? Not that I’m aware of. Yet, you still think that people should consider changing the flag.
Here’s a thought that you might want to reflect upon. As I recall, the NAACP and similar groups, along with some Hollywood heavyweights, threw all they had into getting out the vote to replace the 1894 flag. And this was in a state whose black population numbers, what…. 40% or more? Yet, the old flag triumphed by a 2-1 margin. It should have left the NAACP with egg on its face. After all, they and others like them have been screaming that the Confederate emblem is a “painful reminder.” Did someone forget to “remind” black Mississippians about the “painful reminder?” No, as I said, the NAACP threw all it had into the contest. So what happened then? Why didn’t legions of black Mississippians turn out at the polls that day? And what about that other slogan we always hear? “To many” the flag is offensive. No one ever says how “many” is “to many,” because in your flag referendum 10 years ago, “to many” wasn’t “many” at all! So, how about a story about this Mr. Editor?
I don’t live in your state but I remember the flag referendum very well. And I don’t remember one newspaper even coming close to touching upon what I just touched upon. Why is that Mr. Editor? Did it never occur to you? Or were you perhaps afraid of incurring the wrath of those whose mission in this life appears to be stirring up discontent among their fellow men? How about a story on those who sow the seeds of discord among their fellow men and who do it for the oldest reasons in the book – money and power? It’s not too late to do such a story. Do you have the cajones to tackle it? Didn’t think so.
Bill Vallante Commack NY Sons of Confederate Veterans (Associate Member) Camps 3000, 1506, 1961, 2086
From GP: *************************************************** Bill,
Good job. People like Cooper cannot come up with a reasonable answer so they dance. Problem is Cooper can't dance.
Maybe Cooper would like to contact or my brother since we were the ones who started the petition to save the flag. Cooper might also want to contact Greg Stewart of Oxford who got the Mississippi Attorney generals approval for our petition. The SCV nor any other Southern as a group took part. This was a truly a grass roots effort by the people of Mississippi, Black and White. We knew by the time the petitions were sent in, if it came to a vote, we would keep our flag.
And yes you are correct most of the people I met protesting the Mississippi flag were NAACP members from Alabama. yes they did threaten us and throw bottles at us. There Cooper you have a first source to use now and it is a good bet my family has been in Mississippi longer yours!!!
Cooper if you wish to take me or Mr. Vallante on in an open debate I will be more than happy to supply a website location as noted below. I will enforce all rules of of the website as posted,other rules as you may desire, and will maintain all rules insuring a civil and fair debate between all parties. Let's see what you really know. You ain't gonna let a Yankee beat you in knowledge of your state are you? What say ye?
It should be noted by all parties that this letter with article and other emails will be posted to the SHAPE website "forums" "General Discussion".as back ground information.
And Cooper why don't you take your own advice and mind your own business?
George Purvis
Gulfport, Mississippi
Founder Southern Heritage Advancement Preservation and Education
At this time Cooper has failed to find the backbone to come here and defend his postion. Somehow I am not surprised. I will make one last post tunder his article then move on.
Liberals want to be able to comment on anything anywhere that they support or reject, but arguments against them must be limited to only the select few who fall into an appropriate category - that category being whatever does them and their argument the least damage.
True, but maybe Cooper opened a can of worms. My brother tells me that one other person who stood with us in defense of the Mississippi flag has over the years put together quite a scrapbook of photos, articles and such. My brother is going to contact him about using this material to build another sub site for SHAPE. We are also going to post some of our memories for others to read. It will take some time to put this info together, but hopefully not to long. I am ready to go!!!!
It is getting this information out to the public that matters. In the case of flag issues, I try to call for a referendum saying that it is not the right of a minority to make decisions that affect the majority without the majority having a say in the matter. If no public referendum on the display of the flag has been held and the flag has hitherto been displayed, then it should NEVER be removed without such a public referendum. If a referendum HAS been held and the majority has no problem with the flag, then the issue is settled and no efforts to mandate AGAINST the will of the People should be entertained by any public official.
Private property is another thing, of course. If some commercial enterprise wishes to surrender to political correctness, that is their business. However, the question then arises regarding their right to interfere with the First Amendment rights of their employees. It is one thing if Joe's Plumbing Supplies does not wish to display the battle flag but quite another for the store to prevent its employees from having a battle flag on their car or truck.
And certainly, the majority has not only the right, but the duty to back up their opinion with action (boycotts) when stores or other social institutions choose political correctness over the will of the people.
Exactly, had these minority groups been mostly from Mississippi it may have actually been a good reason for discussion but as was the case why come from out of state to cause trouble?
For the most part I tend to shy away from any business that flies the US flag for the simple reason I just do not believe they are flying the flag because they are patriotic but rather playing on the patriotism of potential customers to support their business. For instance I saw a lot of business put up a flag after 9/11 but now the flag is gone. July 4th they hoist them again. Just makes me sick.
