Mississippi Governor Declares ‘Confederate Heritage Month’ During Coronavirus Pandemic

When the good people of Mississippi elected Republican Tate Reeves to govern their state in 2019, they did it, at least in part, based on his long history of ties to pro-Confederate groups.  These are voters who look back with fondness of the days when the United States came close to splitting in two because the south was willing to fight to the death to defend its right to own slaves.

Thus it should come as no surprise to anyone that Reeves has chosen to make April ‘Confederate Heritage Month.’  Now yes, we are in the middle of a  coronavirus pandemic, and yes, black people are getting hit harder than whites, and yes, Mississippi has the highest rates of infection related hospitalizations in the country.  But why miss any opportunity to fan the flames of your true, heartfelt racial hatred?

Some people say, with a certain level of optimism, that, along with all the suffering, much good will come out of this pandemic, in terms of compassion for those who may not look, speak, think and act as we do.  They say we’ll emerge from this a stronger and better species, one better equipped to deal with future challenges, say, climate change, that affect every person on Earth, just like this pandemic. They suggest this is an important step on the pathway towards a sustainable civilization.

I sure wish I could believe that.