Editor, Commonwealth:
I just read Tim Kalich’s op-ed column about Andy Taggart and his stand on our state flag (“Old yearbooks are distraction,” April 13).
I agree wholeheartedly! Great article!
I served 30 years of active duty in the Army, and sadly most soldiers from Mississippi never had a state flag because it would be removed from state flag displays, such as the unit “Hall of Flags,” and destroyed as quickly as it was added to the display. Virtually no one respected the Mississippi flag and what it stood for.
The Mississippi state flag was a symbol of protest when it was adopted in April 1894, and it’s still a symbol of protest and hatred. I had numerous ancestors who fought for the South. They lost. The state flag needs to go into our new history museum, replaced by one that represents all citizens of Mississippi.
It’s time to get over the flag and focus on the issues that are making Mississippi No. 1 on bad lists and No. 50 on good lists. None of us wants to be held up as the worst in virtually every measurement. We can do better.
D.I. Smith
Alderman at Large
Ridgeland
