Time Author Says White People's Opinion on Mississippi Flag is Not Important

The author, Sierra Mannie,  actually makes what would be considered a racist statement if only white was exchanged with black

. Lots of black authors, reporters, pundits and politicians feel they have carte blanche when it comes to race and can be just as racist and obnoxious as they can. (Racism and obnoxious goes hand in hand.

She writes:  

• Former Mississippi Governor and supporter of the White Citizens’ Council Haley Barbour recently assured us in no unclear terms that he was not offended by the Confederate flag, nor its place in the upper lefthand corner of the state flag of Mississippi. Barbour did not offer his perspective on whether or not the flag should remain standing at state capitols, but did suggest that the people of Mississippi should be the one to decide its flag’s fate. I agree with Barbour that this is a conversation Mississippians must have — but the opinions of white Mississippians for whom the racism the flag represents has negligible or zero effect should not take precedence. Whether or not Barbour finds the Confederate flag offensive, it is an inescapable symbol of white subjugation of black Americans. 

Complete article HERE

Phil Bryant Challenged to "Govern Mississippi without the distressing ignorance of his privilege"

In an Op/Ed posted at the Clarion Ledger, Oxford writer Sierra Mannie, wrote a rather scathing review of Gov Bryant's article (also in the CL) this week where he defended the work of police, in light of the events that have occurred in Baltimore, Ferguson and New York.

She summarized by saying:

• I challenge Phil Bryant, instead of calling all Americans to stand blindly with law enforcement, to govern Mississippi without the distressing ignorance of his privilege and his a-historical mumblings that have characterized his leadership so far.

 One of several points Mannie makes is:

•  What you fail to understand, Gov. Bryant, is there is no new civil rights movement because the old one never stopped. It is incomplete. Those same individuals segregated and abused from the cheap promise of Reconstruction still feel injustice through the abuse of their descendants, especially as it concerns the state that you govern. So to conflate the senseless killings of Officers Benjamin Deen and Liquori Tate in Hattiesburg with the justified anguish of those who fight to bring order back to communities that power-hungry and trigger-happy police officers have tipped into chaos is an insult to their families, an insult to history, an insult to those who just simply know better.

I read Bryant's editorial, and though I looked for something that was real meaningful to takeaway from it, I was disappointed and just thought it was OK...but maybe something  a 7th grader could have written as an assignment.  And so, in my mind, it seemed he was trying to address an issue...but do it nicely. (He refrained from using the word "thug" which implies maybe a conscientious effort to be politically correct). The edge is lost however and the people who might align themselves with Bryant are by and large politically correcting themselves out of good solid arguments,. What that boils down to is that the progressive left, which I think Mannie would probably subscribe to, is winning the war on culture.

I do not agree with much of what Mannie wrote, but her anger and passion is clear..and she feared no one and, hence, did not mince words. Mannie is right when she says the old civil rights movement never stopped. It's still here, but it has morphed into a power play (though one could make an argument that that it what it has always been). Continued running when they become hyper and over critical over simple words and skirmish number one belongs to them