LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Dear Editor:
On Sunday, June 28, the
Mississippi Legislature voted to retire the State flag; and, on Tuesday, June 30, Governor Reeves signed the bill into law. Newspapers announced, “Mississippi lowers flag.” In naval parlance, the State Struck Its Colors. Why?
Rahm Emanuel once said that one should never let a crisis go to waste. Political people who carry more than a little port list have a plan for changing the United States, but before they can build a new nation, the old one has to be out of the way. One of their tactics is rioting at a level sufficient to scare people. All they need is a reason and a group of willing participants.
In 2008, polling in America showed that most people, black and white, thought race relations in this country were pretty good. In 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder said the country needed a dialogue on race, and then started one. The result has not been pretty. In 12 years, we have gone from a pretty good feeling about race relations to the widespread use of the term "systemic racism." In the meantime, a black man was elected President of the United States. He was not elected by members of his particular race, but by the American people. Blacks are only about 13 percent of those American people. Was the U.S. a systemically racist country when Barack Obama was elected President?
The Left goes after its goals systematically. If it can't get legislation, it tries to get the courts to give it what it wants. If the courts refuse, the Left moves on to its next project and puts the first one on hold. It never gives up. It will keep coming back until it gets what it wants. In 2006 there was a plebiscite on changing Mississippi's flag. The measure was soundly defeated. There are a lot of black people in Mississippi, and there were an awful lot of votes to keep the flag. Some of those votes had to have come from black people. Well, here it is 14 years later, and the people who never give up are back. This time they have managed to whip up a background of fiery fury. Intimidating legislators to change the flag has prevented the embarrassment of another loss at the polls.
Should the Mississippi flag be changed? If most Mississippians wanted it changed, it probably should have been changed, but it should not have been changed without giving the people a chance to vote on the matter. The Legislature was afraid of vague threats of violence, and the very real threat of economic harm from leftist bullies threatening all sorts of boycotts and sports restrictions. The problem is that giving in to the Left never solves a problem. It merely emboldens them to launch a new and different attack. If you think changing our flag will satisfy the Left, think again. Ghosts of the Confederacy have been detected in the flags of several other states; and the national flag and its anthem have been under attack for over four years. Pulling down Confederate statues will not satisfy the Left's lust for destruction of the old order. Already, a few of their avant-garde are talking about getting rid of statues of Jesus. Unless someone develops the fortitude to say no to the Left, they will nibble away at this country small bite by small bite until nothing recognizable is left.
I understand that a committee has been formed to design a new flag for our state. According to news reports, the new flag will contain the phrase "In God We Trust." There has already been a complaint about the motto. Not to worry; if it gets on the flag, we can always get rid of it later.
Very truly yours,
J. R. Dunworth
Holly Springs