Wow. The “Confederate Heritage Month” is the least of it. Read the whole thing, folks.
Establishes Christianity as the official religion.
Establishes English as the official language - and pretty much outlaws the use of other languages in “governmental and public communications” with limited exceptions - how broadly is “public communication” defined?
Requires equal time for the Mississippi flag, anthem, and pledge of allegience in all schools and institutions.
Enshrines the basic rights of Ole Miss fans to wave the Rebel flag etc. Lots of micromanaging of mascots and so on to ensure that no alternative less racially charges emblems and traditions might encroach on the brand.
Requires that any and all “Conferate themed” buildings, monuments, streets, etc. be maintained by the state, and any such that had been subsequently renamed for any reason revert back to the “historical” name.
Reinstates article 2, section 3 of the Mississippi Constitution. This I found puzzling, until google pointed me to this.
Perhaps some of us could suggest additional sections to enhance this “Initiative” celebrating Mississippi’s rich “heritage.”
(XIII) Emmett Till
(XIV Goodwin, Schermer and Cheney
(XV) Paul Guihard, Ray Gunter (French reporter and a local jukebox repairman murdered execution style during attempted registration of James Meredith at Ole Miss in 1962 ).
The USA was in a state of declared war with the secessionist CSA. They were enemies of the Union. I wonder, what if a hypothetical county within some state happened to be predominately populated by people of German lineage, and most of those were descendants of members of the 1930s National Socialist German Workers’ Party. What would the reaction be if county residents wanted to have a Nazi Heritage Month? You know, because it was part of their history?
“English shall be the official language of the State of Mississippi. All governmental or public non-emergency or non-judicial services, functions, or communications in Mississippi shall be rendered in the English language only, except for specific foreign language instruction in public schools, and except for the option of Latin or French for jurisprudence, medicine, heraldry, and other traditional uses…”
…When addressing American and Mississippi citizens who do not speak English, said English shall be spoken louder, preferably yelled, as if volume will make it easier to understand for those citizens who have trouble understanding it. All American and Mississippi citizens’ rights to fair and equal treatment under the laws of Mississippi are hereby now and forever made irrevocably subject to their ability to speak English and henceforth it shall be their own damn fault if they lose their rights or are arrested, prosecuted or incarcerated as a result of a failure to understand English. The door is right there and they can go to some blue state where there kind is tolerated if they don’t like it.
I don’t think acknowledging this would be insurmountable for the crafters of this “heritage amendment”. It’s possibly one of the required texts of Mississippi’s “heritage curriculum” for school children.
P.S. I don’t think this amendment is going anywhere, even in Mississippi.
If they go ahead with this then the attached legislation passed in the Spring of 1861 - The Declaration of Secession - needs to be acknowledged as the sole reason for the war, and no credence given to any other theories:
And who wouldn’t want to celebrate a heritage that included slavery-- 100 years after most of the western world outlawed it?
Ah yes! A heritage to be proud of!
