Only a quarter of the way through 2016, this year has been filled with controversy here in the South.
It began with the continued debate over whether Mississippi should change the state flag. Some people will tell you why it should be changed, while others will say it should not be. What do I think? I think it’s just a flag. To me the flag does not make Mississippians racist, it’s just our state flag. Even if the flag is changed it won’t stop people from being racist, but it will lead to us forgetting the mistakes our forefathers made.
As for the monuments in New Orleans. I will have to contest that removing them is just plain, well, dumb. As a Louisiana native, I see these monuments as landmarks. Leave them be.
Again, they are part of history, and a reminder of what not to do.
But when it all comes down to it, will the world stop spinning if these things are changed? No. The Earth will continue to turn and the Sun will rise again in the morning. Change is inevitable.
But what we should be careful not to do is lose sight of where this country came from.
Every aspect of our history is part of what made this country what it is, the good and the bad.
While the flag and monuments may remind us of the mistakes made by those who came before us, that is actually a good thing. To be reminded that mistakes were made will prevent the country as a whole from making them again.
One last thing, the religious freedom bill.
It’s inappropriately named. There appears to be little freedom, and a lot of discrimination in it. It should be renamed the “bill to allow people to freely discriminate under the guise of religion.”