Sunday, November 9, 2014

HERITAGE INITIATIVE STARTS IN MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi Eyes Ballot Measure Preserving Confederate Heritage, Making Christianity State Religion, English Official Language

 
 
If passed, a measure being considered for Mississippi’s 2016 ballots would make Christianity the state religion, English the official language, and, according to its creators, preserve the state’s Confederate heritage.
 
 That’s not all — the measure aims to ‘restrict or define’ Mississippi’s heritage in a number of areas: state flag and nickname, and even university mascots.
 
It’s currently officially defined as ‘Initiative 46,’ but proponents of the plan call it the ‘Heritage Initiative.’ If the petition garners enough response, it should show up on the Mississippi ballots in   the 2016 election.
 
Promoted by the Magnolia State Heritage Campaign, the initiative proposes to do the following:
  • Acknowledge Mississippi as a “principally Christian and quintessentially Southern state” and the Christian Bible as a “foremost source of her founding principles, inspiration, and virtues.”
  • Declare English the official language in the state, and require all government and
  •  public communications to be in English only. (There is an exception for foreign language instruction, and those places where Latin or French are traditional, such as in medicine and law.)
 
  • The flag adopted in 1894 and confirmed by vote in 2001 will be declared the state flag. (See below.) The salute will be “I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God.”
Mississippi Eyes Ballot Measure Preserving Confederate Heritage, Making Christianity State Religion, English Official Language image mississippi christian state confederate heritage
  • Declare ‘Colonel Reb’ (depicted in stained glass below) as the official mascot of the University of Mississippi, and affirm that teams will be called “The Rebels.” (The measure also defines mascots for two other state universities, and forbids forcing a list of other universities to merge or consolidate.)


Mississippi Eyes Ballot Measure Preserving Confederate Heritage, Making Christianity State Religion, English Official Language image mississippi christian state confederate heritage colonel reb
  • April would be declared Confederate Heritage Month, acknowledged by schools and used to guide curriculum, and the last day of that month would be Confederate Memorial Day, on which government offices would be closed, and employees would recieve an unpaid holiday. The week before would be Dixie Week. The Confederate Flag must be displayed on State Capitol grounds.
  • Borders would be restored to ‘original’ boundaries, erasing wording established in 1990.
The measure would also ensure that state identification, license tags, and other materials reflect the nickname, state flower, and flag (yes, all state id cards would bear a flag that includes the Confederate flag as a portion of it), protect the flying of flags over veterans’ graves, and officially protect and preserve any publicly owned or held Confederate memorabilia.
According to the Clarion-Ledger, the initiative is endorsed by such prominent Mississippians as former Miss America Susan Akin, author Julie Hawkins, and former State Representative Mark DuVall.

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/government-politics/mississippi-eyes-ballot-measure-preserving-confederate-heritage-making-christianity-state-religion-english-official-language-01060755#UIMOm8mkYy0grexT.99

VICTORY IN VIRGINIA - CONDEDERATE NATIONAL FLAG TO CONTINUE FLYING

City of Danville denies request to remove confederate flag

Updated: Nov 06, 2014 9:28 PM CST

DANVILLE (WSLS) - The Danville City Council voted 7 to 2 to approve a resolution directing the city manager to notify the Board of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History that the council cannot, under Virginia law, consider its request to remove the confederate flag from the grounds of the museum.

Dozens of people packed the council chambers. At times, emotions ran high as residents from both sides of the debate shared their views on the issue.

On September 30, 2014 the city manager received a letter conveying the museum's board of directors request that the city remove the Confederate flag.

Those who support the removal of the flag said the flag is offensive to African Americans and other groups because it represents a symbol of discrimination and racism. On the other hand, members of Sons of Confederate Veterans said the flag honors those who fought for our country and should not be removed.

The city council's resolution to deny the request to remove the flag means that the flag with remain at the museum.

 


SCV SUPPORTS MONUMENT IN EL DORADO, AR

Controversy Over South Arkansas Monument


El Dorado-- Built by the Daughters of Confederacy in 1909, this confederate war monument stands in plain view in front of the Union County courthouse in El Dorado, some say in its rightful place.
Camp Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Mark Williams, says this monument stands as a memorial in honor of fallen soldiers.
"Roughly 10 infantry companies and 2 cavalry companies came from this county, and that's approximately 1200 men. I'm not sure how many came back, but probably 30 to 40 percent didn't come back," says Mark Williams, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Though this monument has a historic representation, there are those in the community that say not all things in history need to be represented.
That includes Pierce Moore, Pastor of El Dorado's First Baptist Church.
He believes the statue is racist.
"Who would want to put a statue up that commemorates the worst, the worst of American History. I mean, I think there more things that we could do to be a little more civil, and all of this. I think sometimes people don't always think that way," says Pierce Moore, First Baptist Church Pastor.
Historian, Carolyn Williams, agrees.
She thinks the African American community needs to focus on the positive aspects of the confederacy, not the negative ones.
"The only thing he can do now is stand out here just like he is, in the rain, the sleet, in the snow. No harm to you. Tell your kids about the positive. Tell everybody you know the positive. The Confederates lost, they lost," says Carolyn Williams, Historian and Owner of Quilted History.
This isn't the first time this confederate war monument has been at the center of controversy.
It was referenced in a Supreme Court case ruling to justify allowing county funds to restore monuments like this one, all over the country.
For now, the monument stays put, with or without public support. 
 

FLAGS RETURNED TO DISPLAY ON MS GULF COAST - HERITAGE VICTORY

Historical Flag, Yes, Battle Flag, No

When the Harrison County Board of Supervisors voted four to one to put all eight flags back up on the beach display at the foot of Debuys Road, they had to know it would spark another debate. A group known as Keepers of the Pledge rallied at the display on the beach Saturday, protesting the fact that supervisors have decided to put the flags back up.
"To me it shows that our Board of Supervisors lacks integrity," Keepers of the Pledge member Judy Whitfield said. "They're giving in to the pressure to do the wrong thing."
Judy Whitfield says, "If we're going to use a flag that represents the confederacy, which it was a governing body, there's no problem with putting something here, but it wasn't a battle flag we're not at war and so a battle flag has no place here."
Donna Jones spent her afternoon at the rally supporting the protest and says, "Me being young and being black I believe that it's just not right to have to pay taxes on something that I don't believe in and that's why we're here today."
Their frustration comes with what they say is a simple case of right and wrong. The Supervisors took the flags down for a reason and this group says they should stick to it.
"The Board of Supervisors agreed that if the historian told them that the battle flag was the incorrect flag to be flying they would take it down," Whitfield said. "Every historian in the country has said it's incorrect and yet they choose to put it up anyway."
Dixie Daniels also came out to the beach display to show her support.
"To me the supervisors are making this strictly political decision here by saying we're going to go back on our word of what we said when we said we would listen to the historian that they hired and fly the correct flag," Daniels said.
Rozenia Lamell thought that showing her support for her peers and community to see.
"They know this is the wrong flag to put up and they have done it anyway. Some people say we need to go ahead and let it go, but we don't, because you know who needs to let it go, the Sons of Confederate Veterans need to let this go, it's ridiculous and if they know this is wrong, it should end."