Dear editor,
With the university’s decision to discontinue the use of “Dixie” at athletic events, the all-too predictable uproar of those citing “heritage,” “tradition” and “political correctness” surfaced in internet comments and letters to the editor. Many of the people attacking the university have no connection to Ole Miss beyond being a casual fan or simply using the school as a soapbox for their particular cause. Others are past graduates who want the university to remain in an isolated bubble where the pages of the calendar never turn.
I am a proud graduate of Ole Miss, and I fully support the university in this decision because I know a pep song or a flag is not what makes Ole Miss special. The uniqueness of Ole Miss is rooted in its students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Eliminating this song from the band’s repertoire will do nothing to diminish Ole Miss and only reaffirms the words of our university creed displayed outside the Lyceum. To be sure, this decision by the university was not made in a vacuum. Objections to the use of Confederate iconography go back decades and were a constant source of strife on campus. Objections to “Dixie” specifically also have a long and established record as the Black Student Union protested the song in the early 1990’s and it left a festering wound of resentment bubbling beneath the surface going back even further.
Ole Miss has undergone many changes in recent years and I contend Ole Miss is a much better place for it. We now boast the largest student population in the state and the construction boom on campus gives evidence to our recent success. Our athletic teams are national contenders now and recruiting has never been better. The hard work by Ross Bjork, former Chancellor Jones and current Chancellor Vitter should be saluted by anyone who truly loves Ole Miss. I’m personally proud to have these men leading Ole Miss into the future.
This decision by the university does not deny anyone their history or heritage. Supporters of “Dixie” have every right to listen to the song at home or in their car. However, just as those who enjoy “Dixie” have their rights, Ole Miss has the right to no longer be associated with the song.
Richard McNeer a 1996 graduate of Ole Miss.
