First, let me say that I am proud of our student government for leading the charge towards a more accepting Mississippi. A state flag is meant to symbolize its citizens, and if a significant number of Mississippians feel that our state flag does not represent them, that flag should be changed. I believe that the ASB Senate’s resolution to request removal of the flag from campus is the first step towards the ultimate goal of implementing a new state flag.
I am not proud of the way our school’s newspaper and media went about promoting this change. On Tuesday, the Daily Mississippian created two categories of people: those who stand with them, and those who stand with the KKK. It is irresponsible and ill-conceived to say that someone with a differing perspective on a historical state symbol is a bigot and radical racist. To say that your side is correct and everyone else can be damned is reckless journalism and lacks professionalism. Some of the opinion articles were open-minded and seemed to maintain perspective on both sides of the issue. Others, however, created labels and assigned stereotypes to people who disagreed with them. (i.e. the cartoon, and “Are you going to be standing on the same side as the Ku Klu (sic) Klan or your fellow students?”)
If we want to move forward as a state, we must start by putting ourselves in each other’s shoes. This means that we are tolerant of people of both sides of an issue. This does not mean that you label someone an extremist simply because their views differ from yours.
Sincerely,
Ryan M. Cook
Ryan M. First Year Juris Doctor Candidate Flowood, MS
