Mississippi’s tense and emotional public debate of removing the Confederate Battle Flag from the canton corner of the state flag evoked some of the more startling lessons of history regarding the evolution of racial views by individuals and by institutions.
Let’s stop here and applaud the leadership and vision of House Speaker Philip Gunn for stepping into the flag change arena early and courageously. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann fought hard to get the flag change legislation to the finish line in the Senate. Sen. Briggs Hopson and Rep. Jason White were key players. There were many others who stepped up.
Gov. Tate Reeves removed the final obstacle facing the Legislature should they choose to act with courage to change the flag rather than punting the issue to a more politically expedient referendum. That was a critical move.
But in the broader sense, change on bedrock social and racial issues is a slow process both in and out of the halls of government. Mississippi isn’t the only witness to that reality.
Distinguished Howard University historian Edna Greene Medford recounted in a 2010 lecture entitled “Lincoln’s Evolving Racial Views” at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont, Ohio, that three days before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln gave a speech from the White House balcony in which he forcefully advocated the extension of political and voting rights to African Americans.
That in an of itself is not surprising and well in keeping with Lincoln’s reputation as “The Great Emancipator” and “Father Abraham” in leading the nation through the Civil War and preserving the union while abolishing slavery in the U.S.
What is surprising was the revelation in Medford’s lecture that seven years earlier in Charleston, Illinois, during one of Lincoln’s famous seven debates with Democratic rival Stephen Douglas when both were seeking the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. Douglas accused Lincoln of being a supporter of Black equality, to which Lincoln replied:
“I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races… I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes (sic), nor of qualifying them to hold office… there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.”
Lincoln moved away from his former campaign rhetoric and toward unity and reconciliation when the bonds of the American union were tested and strained.
In Mississippi today, the flag change enacted by the Legislature will require more steps and more participation by Mississippi voters. As with any compromise, not everyone’s happy with the outcome and final legislation.
Can the opponents of legislative flag change, who claimed days ago to be representing the majority, accede to the will and wisdom of the vast majority of our elected representatives and senators in the Legislature? That remains to be seen.
State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, was the major legislative opponent in recent days to legislative flag change. In floor debate, he interjected every possible obstacle. He told the media days before the vote that he and “20 or 21” senators were “holding the line” against legislative flag change.
That ultimately wasn’t the case. For a third time, twice in U.S. Senate campaigns at the ballot box and now again on the floor of the state Senate, McDaniel’s demagoguery was firmly rejected.
But the weekend legislative drama should not be remembered as an instance in which McDaniel and other opponents of flag change lost.
This time, in the nick of time, Mississippi won. Our children and grandchildren won.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Sid Salter: Path to Flag Change Proves Racial Views Evolve W/Life Experience, History
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25 comments:
“Let’s stop here and applaud the leadership and vision of House Speaker Philip Gunn for stepping into the flag change arena early and courageously. ”
Only a fool would believe the leadership woke up one day and said hey let’s change the flag. It wasn’t until the it started to impact college sports. Period.
I am a supporter (and have been for a while) of replacing the 1894 flag. That said, it is a mistake to judge historical figures primarily in terms of today's morality. If Lincoln had advocated equality of the races he'd have been run out of town never to be heard from again. He said what he had to say to get elected (imagine that!), and accomplished a greater good.
I guarantee you we are all doing, ignoring and tolerating things TODAY that our children and their children will find abhorrent. Whether it's the way we treat each other, our planet, our finances, or something else, remains to be seen.
Great work as always, Sid. I don't expect the rednecks to appreciate the well thought words of a literary genius like Sid Salter. However, we thinking people among the dirty deplorables appreciate your honesty and candor. Mississippi needs more Sid Salters and fewer Chris McDaniels.
When I saw that Mike Espy got more votes than Chris McDaniel in Rankin county , that told me all I need to know . His cult is full of the uneducated being used and not realizing it.
I wish delusional blowhards like Sid Salter would put their money where their mouth is and move to the ghetto. Seriously though, why do none of these revisionist history people live in majority African American neighborhoods? He should buy a house right next to a public housing project and invite the local youths over for a barbecue. Maybe show them his prized collections.
There are quite a few folks who want the flag. It took all the arm twisting possible to get to 70%.
There are still a lot of losers who support the old one.
Sid, wouldn't you be happier in the Dim-O-Krat utopia of California, especially San Francisco?
There you could get double duty out of your leftist paper articles. After reading it, the homeless could use it to wipe their butts after taking a dump on the city streets!
What Sid lacks in talent he makes up for with delusional "wokeness"
The fact that we didn't have a 100% consensus majority to remove the flag shows how much white supremacy still exists in Mississippi. And we must eradicate the cancer of white supremacy no matter the cost.
Sid Salter speaks for very few.
In today's environment, surprised Sid is not pushing to close Neshoba County Fair!
Don't worry people. When we get the new flag the court battles will begin again.
Who in the hell was the rocket scientist that decided we have to put in god we trust on the new flag. That guaranteed lawsuits will follow.
Hey, was that person a lawyer?
Get rid of the flag today. Reparation tomorrow.
I bet the brilliant demoncrats hadn’t thought of this yet. They need to eliminate The color grey! We certainly do want any grey on the new flag!
Sorry flag worshippers. It may not be too late for you to join a one percenter motorcycle gang or Aryan Brotherhood if you really believe in the cause.
9:05 you nailed it!
A person born in 2000 and a person born in 1925 have had vastly different experiences with regard to racial matters. These new voters have been told their entire lives that the flag was racist no doubt. Many voters who voted 20 years ago and since then have gone to glory did not believe that at all. Age was very much a factor in this decision. I believe a direct vote of the people would have also produced a 'change' result, but it would mean a lot more if it had come directly from the people. For in the end the flag is just colored cloth. The complaint was with the people.
“As with any compromise, not everyone’s happy with the outcome and final legislation.”
Compromise? What compromise? This was a sham-job from the start. A compromise is where BOTH sides of an issue give a little for a desired outcome. I didn’t see ANY compromise here. Just a WOKE BS Reeves, Gunn, White, Harkins and Hopson.
Cowards.
Now Sid needs to step up, be a man, and lead the effort to remove the “Braves” mascot and name from MVSU. It’s so RACIST!!!!!
Doesnt Sid the spineless work for the Stennis center?
Named for...?
Ohhhhhhh
Brave
I do not like how this was done, Tate, Dilbert, Gunn are supposed to represent the voters, they only represent their personal agendas. I am fine with changing the flag but we should have voted on the issue. I will not forget what happened next election.
The opening sentence is composed of exactly FORTY words. That tells me clearly that this is another of Sid's bullshit articles. When Sid uses forty-word sentences, he's clearly looking for both attention and a Pulitzer. Neshoba is off and he's desperate.
The only thing won is the opportunity to hear their next demand.
8:47 - MVSU's mascot is Delta Devils, not Braves. Waiting on the Baptists to protest that one.
Speaking of the Pulitzer's Yellow Journalism,recipient Hodding Carter, Jr. was selected to be a member of the board of directors of the Twentieth Century Fund... a deep state front that was organized during the 1919 Paris Peace conference and where the WZO chief counsel Ben Victor Cohen was able to craft the reparations language that led to imposing war guilt on the defeated Germans and the imposition of the Treaty of Versailles that bled Germany bare.That "treaty" has been called an instrument of mass extortion and abject humilation and which led to Germany's rejection in 1933 and set in motion FDR plot to engage in a backdoor war against Germany.
What did Hodding Carter, Jr. do to be appointed to the be a member of the Fund?
I suspect it has to do with Hodding Carter, Jr. 's role in the assassination of Governor Huey P. Long--The real Kingfish.
Wilson's Special envoy to tbe "peace talks" was Crawford, Mississippi-born former U. S. Attorney General Thomas Watt Gregory, serving from 1915 to 1919.
His parents are buried at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi.
What does Hodding Carter, III know about Governor Long and what did his father do to merit breaking bread with father of the A Bomb?
Check out the other members of former Twentieth Century Fund now known as the Century Fund.
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