Mississippi stands a house divided as its residents and elected officials debate whether the Confederate battle emblem in the upper left hand corner of the state flag honors the past or tarnishes the present.

The opinions, as divided as there are residents in Warren County, range from keeping the flag to honor the past or removing the image due to the history it represents.

“It could be changed,” Lavinski Washington said. “I feel that it’s a different time and a different day. We should adapt more to the population that we have, and it’s pretty diverse here.”

For lawmakers — and those aspiring to hold a seat in the state Legislature this election year — the debate over the flag rings a familiar tone from 2001, the year when Mississippi voters chose to keep the flag’s current design by a 2-to-1 margin.

“I don’t think it should be changed,” Tommy Miller said. “I think we voted on it years ago and the people overwhelmingly decided to keep it as it is. Some people consider it a racist flag, and I understand that. I see both opinions, some see it as racist, some see it as historical. I see it as historical, but that doesn’t lessen the feelings other people have about their opinion.”

The results from the ballot box saved the flag’s Confederate insignia behind the rally cry of heritage and remembrance of ancestors who fought in the Civil War. But it did nothing to console those who find it offensive, particularly the black populace whose ancestors suffered under that banner.

“I think it’s time for it to be changed,” Phyllis Renfro said. “It’s just I think that we don’t need a symbol that reminds everyone of our mistakes in the past. We need to keep our history, and certainly not remove that from any kind of history textbooks or anything like that. But this symbol is just a constant reminder, and I think that we can come up with something that’s more symbolic of our state and our heritage that’s common to everybody.”

The debate over the state flag and Confederate symbols in general — revived nearly two weeks ago following the massacre of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., by a young white man bent on hatred — is becoming an election-year issue.

“I’m not against race, I’m against racial fighting, but I think the flag should remain; it’s an old symbol of the south,” Linda Lackey said.

Mississippi’s state flag is becoming an issue outside of the state.

Only 49 state flags were displayed at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. this past week.

Mississippi’s state flag, which features a Confederate banner in one corner, was not on display at the tournament that concluded Sunday.

“That doesn’t seem like that’s right,” Washington said. “We may have problems in Mississippi, but they have problems in other states as well. I don’t think that’s right for it to be omitted. Other states have recurring issues, we are too, but we’re a part of this nation. I don’t think that was fair.”

Mississippi House Speaker Phil Gunn was the first state official to come out in support of changing the state flag. Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said they stand by the 2001 ballot initiative.

Bryant has said he doesn’t intend to call a special session of the Legislature to discuss the flag, which means it will stay unchanged for now. The Legislature reconvenes in January, and it could take action on the issue then, leave it up to voters through another ballot initiative or leave it alone.

Most Warren County residents said that if it went back to a vote the results could be close because the state is split.

“I’m open to change to some other flag, but I would rather see us keep what we have,” Miller said.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.