by liberal japonicus
I found it interesting that at 8 this morning, I read this
http://time.com/3932807/mississippi-state-flag/?xid=gonewsedit&google_editors_picks=true
“The great argument we made from a business perspective was that if you were trying to introduce a product, would you make something that made 38% of your market uncomfortable?” says Blake Wilson, CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council, referring to the black population in the state. “It was a no-brainer from our perspective, but we probably misjudged the ability for business to influence the general public. The people in Mississippi were not ready to take that step.”
Two-thirds of Mississippians backed the old flag over one that had been redesigned without any Confederate symbolism. Ole Miss’s Bruce says that the alternative flag was not particularly well liked and that many Mississippians saw no threat from businesses that may not want to set up shop because of the flag. “I think the mood was, We’re a poor, agrarian state anyway,” Bruce says. “You can’t hurt us.”
and at 4:30, I read this
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150624_National_moves_against_Confederate_symbols_widen.html
In Mississippi, top state Republicans were split over the state’s flag, the last of the 50 state banners to include a specific image of the battle flag. House Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday that the image, which appears in a corner of the Mississippi flag, is offensive and should be removed.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves responded Tuesday that the decision should be up to Mississippians, who voted 2-1 in 2001 to keep the flag. Gov. Phil Bryant, also a Republican, said he supported that referendum result.
this
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/06/ole-miss-admiral-ackbar-confederate-flag-mississippi
On to Mississippi. Just hours after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley asked the state legislature to pass a law removing the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state Capitol on Monday, Mississippi’s Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn issued a call for his state to follow suit. The Confederate battle flag is embedded in the upper left corner of the official state flag, but “as a Christian,” Gunn wrote on Facebook, “I believe our state’s flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed.” Henry Barbour, the nephew of former Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and a well-connected politico himself, echoed Gunn’s call.
And for a bit of lagniappe, this
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-22/how-stephen-colbert-has-stood-against-the-confederate-flag-for-years
Now, I’m sure the commentariat has some interesting observations about this, but talking about the Stars and Bars brings back some interesting memories that I will put below the fold.