"Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall."
Most Mississippians could recite this proverb to you without consulting the omniscience of Google. After all, the Magnolia State boasts the superlative of being the most Christian in the nation. As of 2012, 59 percent of its population identify as deeply religious. The second state to secede from the Union (beating us out for the silver) vaunts other accolades, like having the highest teenage birthrate in the U.S., and frankly doesn’t give a damn what any Yankee carpetbagger has to say about it.
But perhaps the most poignant component of Mississippi’s pride stems from it being the last state to have the Confederate battle standard represented in its own state flag. The current flag, which holds the Rebel flag in its left-hand corner, was adopted in 1894 and replaced the equally rebellious tree-bearing standard which possessed a more direct homage to the glory days of fighting for your state’s right to party. In case it wasn’t clear, by "to party" I mean, "to own slaves."
In this respect, Mississippi’s insouciance to the pressure to be progressive reminds one of a chubby mother with a filthy belly button donning a shirt that exposes her bare midriff. Not only is she completely unconcerned with any on-looking dissenters, but she thinks it’s a good idea as well. She feels that, well, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.
And many Southerners have done just that, following suit in their defense of what they see as a relic of their history and heritage, even after the removal of the standard from South Carolina and Alabama statehouses. A flag they see as not concerning itself with hate or the systematic oppression of African-Americans. "Its simply Southern pride," they’ll say. Or, "You have to be from the South to understand."
But what are they proud of, exactly? And what don’t I understand about the South?
Is it rugged individualism? Is it cornbread, sweet tea or a stylish succotash? Is it love for the bucolic and distaste for the fast-paced city life? Is it overwhelming hospitality and table manners that are second to none? I’m calling bullshit.
I’ve done a decent amount of traveling in our great U.S., and with exception of the cuisine, it seems to me all the other aforementioned cultural attributes can be found in many other parts of the country.
The defense of the flag is a glorification of the history of the Confederacy and its cause. It is not in defense of a Southern way of life that, as far as we know, is not under attack. And this is a problem for most people who know their history.
Defenders of the flag, to avoid being overtly racist, like to pretend the Confederacy stood up to subvert a totalitarian North that was threatening to take all of their country ham away. Defenders of the Confederate legacy act as though there was a valiance in their cause. But this is a sentiment that completely ignores tomes of history.
The simple truth is the flag represented an army fighting a war for the state’s right to own slaves. Any other meaning applied to it is vastly insignificant and debases the experience of those who suffered under the institution of chattel slavery. There should be a grave shame when regarding this flag, not playful reverence.
As activists in Mississippi push for the replacement of the state flag, it is clear this will be a tough fight for a state whose sentiments have largely not changed over the flag. But should they manage to keep the stars and bars from government buildings and standards, it is only right we, in turn, forgive them for forgetting to ratify the 13th Amendment. Like many other aspects of decency, it just slipped their mind.
Justin Ford is a Santa Fe College journalism junior. His column appears on Tuesdays.
