Mississippi flags fly for statehood, December 10, 2020

December 9, 2020

For statehood day this year, Mississippi has a new state flag.

Abandoning vestiges of the old Confederacy, Mississippi voters approved a new flag for the state in November, harkening back to its original flag featuring a magnolia tree. This flag is popularly called the “In God We Trust” flag, carrying the most recent of the “official” mottoes of the U.S. The flag change was prompted by Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd

U.S. Flag Code urges residents of states to fly U.S. flags on the anniversary of that state’s joining the union. Technically, then, the shortage of new flags shouldn’t impair Mississippi’s celebration of statehood.

Mississippi joined the union as the 20th state on December 10, 1817.

Do Mississippians celebrate?

More:

Mississippi Power raises new Mississippi flag with the U.S. flag, at its headquarters. Mississippi Power image.

2 Comments | Fly your flag today, History, Statehood, U.S. Flag | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Fox News, still geographically challenged (Arkansas? What’s that?)

September 15, 2012

Bret Corum calls our attention to another Fox News remaking of the map of the world:

Fox News lost Arkansas, moved Missouri

Misreporting the news is bad enough — but changing the map? Nations go to war over such things . . .

It appears that, in the Fox News view of the world, Missouri conquered Arkansas, and Alabama and Mississippi either swapped spouses and houses, or are in the middle of some geographic square dance, and the satellite caught them in the middle of a do-si-do into each other’s old territory.

Look on the bright side — so far they only screwed up 8% of the United States with their mapping errors.  On the other hand, they named nine states, and made four errors — 55% correct.  That’s probably not a passing score even under No Child Left Behind rules.

One gets the sinking feeling that such sloppiness with the facts infects everything Fox does, though.

I wonder what kinds of errors and screw-ups one could find, if one seriously paid attention to what Fox claims.

More:

  • Why Fox News – yet again – needs a copy editor (apple.copydesk.org)  (Charles Apple’s column on news design is always a good read — but this piece lists several, maybe a hundred, other instances of copy editor-less screw-ups on the news and other places.  God bless copy editors, and let’s hope these errors were all caused by a lack of one.)

Tip of the old scrub brush to the ever-vigilant, accuracy stickler Bret Corum.

2 Comments | Humor, Journalism, News | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Hired back, Mississippi teacher promises to continue leading prayers in classroom

May 29, 2010

Religious terrorists kidnapped the First Amendment while it was visiting Meadville, Mississippi, last week.

Local resident’s expressed support for the kidnappers.

The teacher whose job was on the block for leading prayers in violation of federal law protecting students from school-imposed religion, was hired back on a technicality:  There was no formal, written warning to her that leading prayers is against the law (though it’s in every teacher training program).

The teacher, Alice Hawley, promised to continue to lead prayers in class, in violation of the law.

The newspaper did not ask whether she will follow any laws in her classroom.

On the other hand, one might take some hope that a teacher who flagrantly flouts the law in this case makes the path clear for Texas teachers to flout the standards voted in by the Texas State Soviet of Education, who would nominally be colleagues-in-crucifying to Ms. Hawley.  If you can’t fire a teacher for violating the Constitution and rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court, certainly you can’t fire a teacher for teaching history instead of Don McLeroy’s claim that the U.S. Constitution says the federal government can dictate religion to us.

Mississippi:  Fighting for its ranking among U.S. states, in educational achievement.  (Last place)

2 Comments | Classroom management, First Amendment, Politics, Rampant stupidity, Religion, Religious Freedom, Separation of church and state, Teachers, Teaching, U.S. Constitution | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

More state flag pledges: Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Virginia

February 21, 2007

Mississippi state flag

I think these are the last five of the states to have official state pledges for their state flags. If I have missed any, please let me know.

Mississippi, from Wikipedia:

The pledge to the state flag (from Miss. Code Ann., Section 37-13-7(1972)) is:

“I salute the flag of Mississippi and the sovereign state for which it stands with pride in her history and achievements and with confidence in her future under the guidance of Almighty God.”

New Mexico Flag, image from Gov. RichardsonNew Mexico:

“I salute the flag of the State of New Mexico and the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures.”

Oklahoma flag

Oklahoma:

I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma. Its symbols of peace unite all people.

House Concurrent Resolution No. 1034 was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives on April 22, by the Senate on May 18, and filed with the Secretary of State on May 19, 1982.

South Dakota:

South Dakota state flag, after 1992I pledge loyalty and support to the flag and State of South Dakota, land of sunshine, land of infinite variety.

 

Virginia:

Virginia state flag

In 1954, the General Assembly adopted an official salute to the flag of Virginia which states:

“I salute the flag of Virginia, with reverence and patriotic devotion to the ‘Mother of States and Statesmen,’ which it represents—the ‘Old Dominion,’ where liberty and independence were born.”

See other related posts:

3 Comments | Flag etiquette, History, Patriotism, Pledge to the flag, State flag | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell