Sound Off for Nov. 1

Any public institution/university that accepts state funding but declares it will not raise the state flag should NOT accept any public funding. Do I detect hypocrisy? The state flag was accepted by the majority of voters. The voting block deserve respect.

Not for the weak

Dear Job Wanted: If you take that job, please, beware. You are paid for only 185 eight-hour days. You can always take a second job to make ends meet. However, at the end of each day and on weekends and holidays, you must grade papers, prepare lessons and plans, construct tests, call parents and complete professional development activities. This job is not for the weak. Be prepared to go to sleep worrying about some student who probably does not have the luxury of a nourishing dinner, warm bath and comfortable bed. If you take the job, I hope your heart is filled with compassion, your mind accepts changes and diversity and your stamina is never-failing. Good luck!

We need a deeper channel

Why has the Corps of Engineers deleted the deepening of Gulfport channel from its study? It is obvious Mobile and New Orleans don't want Gulfport to get a deeper channel. We don't need more dirt at Gulfport, we need deeper water. Our congressmen need to add the deepening of the channel to their priority list for appropriations. A quick-access deep port in the Gulf is critical to our national defense.

Could be a BRAC issue

I found your recent editorials interesting, on ensuring the military bases remain on the Coast as well as on changing the state flag to an inclusive one. I noticed an important connection between the two. The battle flag being part of the state flag could well be a reason to close bases in Mississippi. Why should the military, or NASA, send its minority personnel to a state so obviously racist? The "history" excuse doesn't wash, especially as it is glorifying those who attacked the United States. We can only hope the military will not use that at the next BRAC.

Grandfather would agree

The Confederate flag is not part of Mississippi's heritage. If you read Civil War history, it was about slavery. If there were no slaves there would never have been a war. If you want to embrace a war that was fought so some humans could own others, then hang this flag in your own yard. Our colleges have a right not to do so. I think we should bring back the flag of 1861, the magnolia flag. That is our heritage. Keeping this Confederate flag will not help us welcome businesses to our state. It holds nothing but hate. I see nothing to be proud of in this flag. I am a daughter of a Confederate buried at Beauvoir. My grandfather was a preacher. He died in the veterans home there at 91. He would say the same.

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Sound Off for Nov. 1 ."