The United States has come so far … well, most of it. Last week the country commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Even the state of Mississippi held a few events to memorialize the conflict, showing it had moved far beyond its pro-slavery past.
Before you start high-fiving your favorite African American leader — up high, Jesse Jackson — I forgot to mention, right before all this honoring took place, a new poll was released showing nearly half of Mississippi Republicans believe interracial marriage should be illegal. Say what?
Here we are 11 years into the 21st century and Mississippi is still making headlines for its lack of acceptance and its willingness to remain in the past. This state is so far behind the times the hot button issue with marriage is not about two men or women tying the knot, but whether we should let heterosexuals mix and match.
Before I rail against these respondents, it is important to note this poll did have some shortcomings. For one, it only polled 400 Mississippi residents and the question did appear at the end of a lengthy survey, so perhaps the margin of error or respondent’s lack of stamina played a role.
Even if the results were skewed, it is shocking a plurality of respondents in this specific instance would agree to the idea of making interracial marriage illegal. This doesn’t bode well for our sterling reputation and our impoverished, oftentimes chubby population (present company excluded, of course).
Now, before you start sending hate mail telling me to leave the state if I am not happy, do me a favor and look around your group of friends or those around you in class.
How many of those close to you personally or near you physically are of the same color?
It doesn’t take an elaborate poll to say race is still a major issue in this portion of the country and even at Mississippi State University.
Yes, African Americans no longer need to be escorted on campus by the highway patrol, and we can all drink from the same water fountain, but the question of whether we are truly comfortable integrating has yet to be answered. Walk into the Union, cafeteria or a classroom and students still sit in groups in which a majority of their friends are the same race. This may not be overt racism, but let’s be honest: most of us feel comfortable amongst those who look and act like we do.
Interacting with other races is something that happens rarely, and when it does, you may even feel good about yourself for “stepping out of the box.” Congratulations, you’ve taken the time to speak with someone who is much like you but happens to have a different amount of pigment in his or her skin; you deserve a medal.
So what is the hang up so many of us have about our willingness to cross ethnic lines and become friends or even romantically involved with someone of another race? I wish to say I had some deep, analytical opinion on the matter but, to be frank, I only have this: if you have reservations about two people being able to marry for any reason, perhaps it’s best you keep it to yourself.
Your close-mindedness and lack of tolerance has no place in public discourse, and your belief of wanting to keep people separate is nothing more than bigotry. I really hope this is a generational issue but, even so, as college-educated students, we have the responsibility to make sure such hate-filled beliefs are quickly extinguished.
To be able to do this, we must do a better job of building meaningful relationships with those who look nothing like us. We’ve been given the opportunity to learn from cultures and people we would have never met if we did not go to college. Don’t waste it.
Before you graduate and most likely head back to an area where even more division exists, go out and explore and further relationships with other ethnicities. Hatred and narrow-mindedness has not helped this state yet, so let’s refocus our approach.
I cannot tell you the last time tolerance began a war, but I am pretty sure if we practice it, I’ll be able to write a much more glowing editorial in another 150 years.
Patrick Young is a graduate student in public policy and administration. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.