JERRY BRACEY: Our hearts can change Mississippi, not the flag
There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of discussion about the Mississippi flag.
One writer wants to intertwine and include education and income levels with the state flag. While I agree that we have issues concerning education and income levels, they have nothing to do with the state flag.
The same writer leaves the reader to believe the governor's leadership is lacking. Yes, we need improvements in education. Yes, we need more jobs as does every other state. As for the governor's leadership, it speaks for itself: pay raises for teachers, jobs added and children are doing better in school. Let us attack the real problem and not the governor. We have a flag that some say is hurtful, so we decide, as a state, to either remove the flag or redesign the flag.
What is next? Every history book in the country? Every item in museums that reflect our history? Why can't we, as a people, come together and get along with each other without looking back but only looking forward with the goal of living in peace and harmony?
I will tell you why. It is because we are human. We are human, and we do not do the one thing we are asked to do by our creator that would make all this flag business go away. We do not love each other unconditionally. We put conditions and expectations on each other and look for ways to degrade one another rather than working to live together as asked to do by that same creator.
We will replace the state flag sooner or later. We will tackle education and jobs. We will do everything we think is important and still miss the point. Until we can accept each other, work together, live together and, most of all, love each other unconditionally, we will always have a flag issue to contend with.
Removing the flag will not improve Mississippi. Changing our hearts and minds will.
JERRY BRACEY
Ocean Springs
This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 6:24 PM with the headline "JERRY BRACEY: Our hearts can change Mississippi, not the flag ."