During a speech a few weeks ago supporting Republican Chris McDaniel for Lt. Governor, State Senator Kathy Chism launched an attack on current Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann because she holds him personally responsible for the change from old Mississippi Confederate flag. to something modern (i.e. not a symbol of racism and slavery – a quaint notion in the 21st century, I’m sure). Three years later, Chism has still not forgiven Hosemann for his betrayal.
Source: Mississippi Free Press
Nearly three years after both houses of the Mississippi Legislature overwhelmingly voted to retire the former Confederate-themed state flag, a Union County state senator is calling for his return.
“This flag, many of our people fought and died under this flag,” Sen. Kathy Chism, R-New Albany, said during a political speech at the Belmont political rally in Tishomingo County on June 3. . A reader shared a link to a video of his speech with the Mississippi Free Press.
The state didn’t adopt the flag — which featured three red, white, and blue bars with a Confederate cross in the upper left corner — until 1894, nearly three decades after the Civil War ended and several years after the end of the rebuild. . White supremacist lawmakers adopted the Confederate-themed flag in place of an old magnolia flag as they worked to keep black Mississippians out of politics with a slew of Jim Crow laws.
After decades of effort by black lawmakers and black activists, white Republican leaders in the Mississippi Legislature finally agreed to vote on legislation to change the state flag on June 28, 2020. Chism n’ was just one of 14 senators, all Republicans, who voted against removing the former flag from the 52-member body.
And what did Chism say about the Republican Lieutenant Governor?
“Senate leadership Delbert Hosemann refused to pass the House bill (restoring the ballot initiative) because he honestly doesn’t want people to be successful in using the ballot initiative, what we tried to use to save our flag. Only a democrat at heart would have the idea to carry out such a stunt of which Delbert Hosemann had control.
In Chism’s mind, calling someone a Democrat is probably the worst insult imaginable.
“Let’s not forget the fact that Delbert Hosemann worked very hard and was able to strip you of the right to vote on the 1894 state flag,” the senator said. “He never gave you the opportunity to vote as he promised. His words to me: “Senator, they’ll forget about that flag vote in four years.” I do not agree. … I am appalled at the audacity and arrogance of Delbert Hosemann to ignore your vote in 2001 by an overwhelming majority to retain the state flag of 1894. It’s not just about the flag. It’s about leadership taking away your voice, your vote.
I’m pretty sure it’s about saving the symbol of hate, the old flag, for a white nationalist like Chism. And it’s understandable that she’s a staunch supporter of Chris McDaniel, a far-right candidate who nearly unseated Thad Cochran in the Republican primary in 2014 (and cried voter fraud afterwards) and then ran. again in 2018 before losing to Cindy Hyde. -Smith in an open special election.
During his 2018 Senate campaign, McDaniel promised to preserve the right of Mississippians to decide the flag of Mississippi, which at the time bore the Confederate flag. The flag features on McDaniel’s campaign materials. McDaniel has spoken at conferences hosted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. In 2006-2007, he made controversial statements about reparations for slavery, race, and women on his radio show.
I mean, these people don’t really shy away from telling you who they are and what they stand for. And in Mississippi, there are still enough people around who support their toxic hate-filled ideology. At least among some Republicans.