It’s time to change the state flag.

Cities across Mississippi, including Vicksburg, no longer fly the state’s flag with the Confederate Battle Flag insignia prominently showing in its upper left corner.

More recently, two of the state’s major universities — the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi — removed the state flag because of the negative publicity that red square with the blue cross and stars has created for the state and the south.

Even though polling might show that changing the state flag might remain unpopular, recent decisions by municipalities and counties across the state and the leaders of tomorrow — our college students — should tell us that times, and opinions, are changing.

Mississippi’s devotion to its history is deep and commendable, but its addiction to a symbol that has for more than 100 years been a reminder of hate and the oppression of a race after the Civil War is out of date and costing us in many ways in the form of lost industry and lost jobs for our people.

Symbols are important. While our politicians and ads promote Mississippi as a progressive state, people and industries in other areas of the country look at the symbol displayed on our state flag and have to wonder if the state is as progressive as our leaders claim.

The state flag, inclusive of the Confederate Battle Flag insignia — dredges up the old stereotype of people in Mississippi re-living the Civil War and being bigoted and ignorant — almost like a small country all its own. And in the world today, a state that is competing for jobs, industry and battling for economic growth on a global scale, cannot have such a symbol have people wonder if perception is reality.

Politicians say the flag issue was settled in 2001, when the majority of those who voted in a referendum chose to keep the battle flag on the state flag.

That was then, this is now. People have become aware of the flag’s past, and a better-educated public wants change.

It’s time for our governor and the Legislature to do the right thing and become leaders to change the flag by legislative action. A referendum is what was called in the 1960s “a cop-out.” Leadership requires courage, and it takes a conscientious decision to be assertive instead of wishy-washy, and claiming the flag issue needs to go to a referendum is wishy-washy and cowardly.

If our leaders are as progressive and concerned about the state’s image as they claim, they’ll act to change the flag and select a symbol that represents and shows Mississippi is moving away from its stereotyped past and into the future. Politicians call for jobs and industries that employ our people and will bring our children back home to work to live and work.

If our leaders are truly interested in attracting good business and industry, truly interested in bringing the state up from the bottom, truly interested in our image, they’ll do the right thing, become leaders who represent the entire state and change the flag.

It’s the right thing to do.