I will:
I've always been jealous of people from Texas, Tennessee, etc., who have iconic state flags they can use any time they want to show pride in their state. You know, Texas is right down there at the bottom with us on every socioeconomic and health ranking of states, but most people don't have the same associations for Texas and Mississippi because Texans are so outwardly proud of their state. We need a symbol to show our pride too, and a new flag will finally give us that opportunity.
It doesn't have to be the Stennis flag, but it's simple and distinctive enough to get the job done. The detractors say that changing the flag won't end racism, and while that's true (and no one ever claimed it would), it will at least give us a symbol to show the other 49 that we love our state too.
I hope that our legislators think about things like that - it's a wonderful rebranding opportunity for the state.
- Put up a big flag at my desk at work to show everyone how much I love Mississippi. Granted, my close coworkers already know and think it's obnoxious, but I want the whole building to know.
- Put a sticker on my car so that whenever I drive around, whether its in state or out, everyone knows what pride I have in my state.
- Get a lapel pin to wear on out-of-state business trips. I am often the first lifelong Mississippian people have ever talked to, and with that in mind I feel pressure to make the best possible impression on them. Wearing a little flag can show them that I love my state in a way that's not just awkwardly telling them.
I've always been jealous of people from Texas, Tennessee, etc., who have iconic state flags they can use any time they want to show pride in their state. You know, Texas is right down there at the bottom with us on every socioeconomic and health ranking of states, but most people don't have the same associations for Texas and Mississippi because Texans are so outwardly proud of their state. We need a symbol to show our pride too, and a new flag will finally give us that opportunity.
It doesn't have to be the Stennis flag, but it's simple and distinctive enough to get the job done. The detractors say that changing the flag won't end racism, and while that's true (and no one ever claimed it would), it will at least give us a symbol to show the other 49 that we love our state too.
I hope that our legislators think about things like that - it's a wonderful rebranding opportunity for the state.