Taking a moment to consider the Lounge's wall decorations--in particular the Confederate flag plastered across the whole of the back wall: it is a funny feeling to drive around town or be out on a jog and suddenly see the Stars and Bars snapping proudly in front of a seafood store, a baseball field, a school, a police station... The Confederate Hex, as it's also known, is the canton on the upper left-hand of the Mississippi state flag. There are very strong feelings on both sides of this issue, most notably the "Heritage, Not Hate" folks who maintain that the flag is a symbol of state and regional history honoring those who gave their lives for the Confederate cause, not a reminder of the inhumanity of slavery or a banner for modern-day racism. Others feel that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for keeping the Southern Cross on the state flag--according to my boss, after the storm you could see houses and buildings spray-painted with the words "Remove the Hex."My view on this, though I am obviously not an involved party other than that I am temporarily living under the flag, is that "Heritage" is appropriate for Confederate cemeteries and war memorials, not for state capitols and school assemblies. Private usage of the flag is another issue (although just as callous and distasteful, says the progressive Yankee in me). But as far as state and local governmental institutions are concerned, the state of Mississippi has long since resumed its membership in the Union; and although the Confederacy looms large in both the local psyche and the annals of state history, I think it should remain just that: history.
I also don't think Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for anything (including the parades and practices of the notoriously flamboyant gay population in the French Quarter, as some fundamentalist preachers claimed--http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_050831.shtml), so I find it a bit preposterous, and not a little offensive, to suggest that for whatever reason the victims of the storm deserved to lose their lives, their homes, their friends, and their communities, not to mention any form of normalcy or stability. My God isn't a vengeful one.
Finally, none of my ancestors were slaves (see the title of this blog), so I can't say how I feel about the flag as a symbol of hate--some descendants of slaves see it as a heinous throwback meant to revive racial injustice and hatred, while others don't feel especially threatened or affected by it, asserting that there are larger issues at stake for the black community (http://www.issues-views.com/comment.php/article/22094).
In any case, the "Heritage, Not Hate" argument doesn't hold water for me--so take it off the state flag, for Pete's sake! There are enough hexes adorning license plates, bar rooms, and fishing hats around these parts to more than compensate for removing it from the state standard.
Who would have thought that a spontaneous cross-state beer run would have inspired such reflection?
Disclaimer: I should point out that there is a general trend of eastward discrimination amongst Gulf Coast states. Texans feel that Louisiana is a hick state; Louisianans feel that Mississippians are at least one rung down on the social ladder; Mississippians thumb their magnolia-smelling noses at Alabama residents; Alabamans console themselves by saying At least we aren't Florida Panhandlers!, etc. Also, I wouldn't wish the whole of Alabama to be judged by my impressions of one visit to a bordertown watering hole--first of all, the ladies at the Quickie Mart who directed us to the Blue Bayou were just lovely, very helpful; and secondly, I obviously have very limited exposure to the state. For instance, I haven't even been to the giant flea market in Mobile--from what I hear, that alone will boost my opinion of the state off the charts!
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