Feedback on Bailey Singletary’s Nov. 7 opinion article, “Racism goes rampant in Miss. after election.”
Congratulations on your excellent article about the election of our new president. Like you, I am deeply sorry to see how some people in Mississippi and other parts of the country are reacting to this historic event. I am proud that you are a student at Mississippi State and a major in communication. Keep up the great work.
Donald W. Zacharias,
President Emeritus of MSU

Thank you so much for writing the article [in your column] Makin’ Changes. Your journalistic approach to the subject matter was very interesting and entertaining. I fully agreed with your statement, “It was a sad day for Mississippi . The fact that people are upset that [Barack Obama] is black is what really makes me ashamed to be a Mississippian.”
However, after reading your article and realizing that there are Mississippians like you, it gives me hope for the future of our state and the future of race relations in our country. Please continue your efforts to grow as a journalist. You have empowered so many students through your article. Although I am sure you have received some negative comments on this story, let me assure you that you have restored at least one person’s hope in the progress of his state.
Erron Flowers,
senior communication major

I share your discomfiture with the fact that so much of what has been said and done during this election season has divided rather than united us.
However, I suspect that the number of people who did not vote for Obama because of his race pales in comparison to the number of those who did vote for him for that very reason, with no idea of what he stands for.
His color made little difference to me. However his stand on many issues made a world of difference, and I have grown weary of being labeled racist for not endorsing a man whose liberal record flies in the face of much of what I believe. I will be gratified to be proven wrong should he not seek to put into effect many of the policies he has espoused in the past.
We have only one Savior, One who can right all the wrongs in our society, One who can bring unity, One who can meet needs – not only surface ones but the real ones which are the root of all others – and His name is not Barack Obama. I pray that those who have placed their faith in this man will be able to deal with the fact that he, too, will prove to have feet of clay.
Kay Verrall,
Starkville resident

I was so pleased to read your article on the opinion page. I applaud you for having the courage and conviction to write such an article given the redness of the state of Mississippi in the most recent election. It is indeed a sad commentary on the people of this country when some of them seem to find it necessary to take the low road just because their candidate for president lost and seem to be afraid of having an African-American president. It is people just like you who will be leading us out of that thinking and move us ahead. It is obvious that racism works both ways.
We moved to Mississippi 30 years ago from Missouri and we were surprised that racism was still alive and well back then.
I’ve done phone banks to “get out the vote” and have been amazed at the comments I get from some of those callers. When a man answers and I’d ask to speak to his wife, he would often say, “I’ll tell her how to vote.” We’re all in this boat together and as former Secretary of State Dick Molpus has said numerous times, “We’re only as strong as our weakest link.”
Keep up the good work and good luck in whatever you choose to do once you graduate from MSU. You might even consider going into politics. After all, Hillary [Clinton] has cracked that glass ceiling with 18 million votes.
HelenSue Parrish,
Starkville resident

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