Notable Mississippians join chorus to change state flag

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jimmy Buffet, John Grisham, Morgan Freeman and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning are among famous current and former Mississippi residents asking the state to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its flag.

The famed musician, author, actor and athlete joined 60 others in signing a letter titled "A Flag for All of Us," that appeared as a full-page ad in Sunday's edition of The Clarion-Ledger.

"It is simply not fair, or honorable, to ask black Mississippians to attend schools, compete in athletic events, work in the public sector, serve in the National Guard, and go about their normal lives with a state flag that glorifies a war fought to keep their ancestors enslaved," the letter states.

Others who signed it include Kathryn Stockett, author of "The Help;" Grammy-winning producer Glen Ballard, Basketball Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, and former Gov. William Winter.

FULL story at link.



FILE - In this June 23, 2015, file photograph, the state flag of Mississippi is unfurled against the front of the Governor's Mansion in Jackson, Miss. Jimmy Buffet, John Grisham, Morgan Freeman and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning are among many famous current and former Mississippi residents asking the state to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its flag. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/eb1667260f1b43178543a0bb4d623a71/notable-mississippians-join-chorus-change-state-flag

[Eleanors38]

1. Good effort. My suggestion: Sponsor a contest for a new flag.

[trillion]

7. Remove the racists memorial part of it and it will be find. 3 stripes look awesome.

[Recursion]

9. They did that 10 years ago. The result looked like the flag of a former Soviet republic

And the referendum on whether to change it or not was so poorly worded that I honestly can't tell you which one I wound up voting for.

[Eleanors38]

14. I like the Macy's Department store logo, speaking of the old Bloc.

[trillion]

18. I noticed that about referemdums

In WA state I wanted to vote to legalize marijuana and to legalize gay marriage. Both were intentionally so impossible to tell which they stood for that I said no on each. Luckily they passed. But I made a deal with myself - if I can't tell what it says, the answer will always be no.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Time Mississippi chose a more honorable flag than one proclaiming "white supremacy." n/t

[mountain grammy]

3. Yes, time to move on.. way past time.

There is no glory in the Confederacy, no glory at all.

[Skittles]

5. yup

there are ways to celebrate "southern heritage" without involving that POS flag

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Yep, if you want to celebrate southern heritage

whip up some cast iron corn bread.

[Skittles]

16. YEE HAW

[awoke_in_2003]

17. I didn't believe until I tried it

but cast iron makes corn bread better. You beat the pan in the oven while mixing the batter, then take out the pan to put batter in. It makes for a crisp crust and soft interior

[Uncle Joe]

4. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[SoapBox]

6. Through all the stuff that has been going on...

I've never seen that big of picture of the flag.



It's GOT to go!

[trillion]

8. I didn't realize it was that prominent either. Looks like racists running the place.

Their law makers see it everyday so know it's prominently there. It's there because racists actively want it.

[blackspade]

10. Watching the 'battle flag' disappear from public life is great.

But it is a bandaid for real progress on racial equality.

[tishaLA]

11. for whatever reason, Archie Manning's inclusion surprises me

I always thought Peyton's nutbaggery was a case of apples and trees. Who knew pere Manning was sensible...on this issue, at least.

[Paladin]

12. K&R.

[SansACause]

13. for all those peoplle there are 10 rednecks

If you've ever lived in Mississippi, the problem is that for every one sensible person like those signing this letter, there are ten raging rednecks who don't care that the state is 50th in everything good and 1st in everything bad. They *like* it that way! There are enormous numbers who don't understand that the Mississippi economy is entirely propped up by federal dollars. They think they can get rid of "gubment" and hunt and fish for a living. The self-delusion is truly remarkable to behold.