Confederate Flag Raised Over Mississippi Supreme Court

Some sane Mississippi residents with an accurate appreciation for history were surprised today to find that the Confederate Naval Jack Flag had been raised above the Mississippi Supreme Court in Jackson. (Update at the bottom with explanation – Apparently, it was an accident)

On this blog, I use an altered confederate "X" with altered colors and, instead of a confederate rebel star smack in the middle, I use an "=" to symbolize equality. It's meant to recognize the change even in the South towards equality for all in spite of our dark history. Change. Progress.

Unfortunately, stunts like this, where some feel it's a positive thing to raise the battle flag of a dead nation over the very institution that is supposed to be the state's last vestige of ensuring equal justice for all citizens, well, it certainly does damper all the positivity that I and other progressives in this state feel about what's possible. This sort of stupidity must stop.

Why was it raised? I'm not sure. Was it because some state legislators, along with our governor, are making declarations of sovereignty from federal law--especially as enforced by Barack Obama? Who knows? Perhaps it's just a funny attempt by our leaders to celebrate Black History Month.

Update: It was an accident, according to my friend, progressive Mississippi activist Cristen Hemmins, who immediately called and spoke to Kevin Upchurch at the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. Here's what she reports him saying:

'"He's just figured out what happened. was an honest mistake," said Mr. Upchurch. The Mississippi flag that was hanging in front of the Supreme Court took a bad tear in a gust of wind this morning, so his office sent someone down to the flag store to buy a new flag. The first store was out. They went to a second store, and ended up buying the Confederate Battle Flag, simply not realizing it was not the state flag. "Our guys did not recognize it...there was certainly no intent, it was just ignorance on the DFA's part."'

Ironically, the guy who apparently hoisted the wrong flag was reportedly a black guy who didn't notice the discrepancy.

Maybe if we didn't have a Confederate Flag in the left hand corner of our state flag, people would be able to differentiate between the CSA and Mississippi 2013. Or maybe not.

The Maddow Blog has more on this embarrassing mistake, but a slightly different version of the story. The flag has been removed.