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Barbour Joins Health Care Suit
Despite Attorney General Jim Hood's advice, Gov. Haley Barbour announced today that he will join a multi-state lawsuit against national health-care legislation President Barack Obama signed last month.
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Cover
Dream Big. Change Jackson.
Thinking big. It is much more than a way to envision getting richer or renovating a downtown building into expensive condos.
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Folo Exposes Shocking Hinds County Case
The Folo folks are still doing a great job digging out documents related to Dickie Scruggs controversy, and most compelling and relevant to us here in Hinds County, cases related …
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Environment
Ready to "Speak Truth" about Environmental Justice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is turning to a Houston activist to lead the fight against environmental injustices around the country.
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Chertoff: Hurricane, Then Floods A ‘Surprise'
CNN is reporting:
Defending the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff argued Saturday that government planners did not predict such a disaster ever could occur. But in fact, …
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Senator Says Intel Chief Was Not Forthcoming
One of the staunchest critics of government surveillance programs said Tuesday that the national intelligence director did not give him a straight answer last March when he asked whether the …
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City & County
One City, United and Divided
Within two months, the city of Jackson and community leaders have unveiled several programs that claim the same goals: to unite Jacksonians, promote the capital city's positive features and move …
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Health Care
Costliest 1 Percent of Patients Account for 21 Percent of U.S. Health Spending
Five percent of patients account for 50 percent of all health-care expenditures.
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Astralwerks News
Astralwerks is thrilled to announce The Chemical Brothers triumphant return to the US for their first live dates in 3 years! Their single "Galvanize" featuring vocals from Q-Tip is heating …
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WAPT: Melton Wants to Mentor, Use Police Equipment
WAPT is reporting that Frank Melton is trying to get conditions of his bond overturned because he still wants to be able to mentor young people and use police equipment. …
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City & County
Collaboration Key to Ending Homelessness in Mississippi?
Putalamus White is hoping to change the state of homelessness in the capital city through the Jackson Resource Center, which The Healing Place is set to build in west Jackson.
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Business
Activists Warn Against 'World's Largest Pellet Mill' in Mississippi
Enviva says it will bring jobs and millions in revenue to an ailing local economy by building the world's largest wood pellet plant in George County, but environmental groups warn …
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City & County
JFP Q&A: Ward 2 candidate Melvin Priester Jr. (incumbent, Democrat)
Read Ward 2 Councilman Melvin Priester Jr.'s answer to the 2017 JFP City Council Questionnaire.
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Politics
Target: Abortion Rights, Public Ed, LGBT Custody
Women's rights and public education topped the Mississippi legislative agenda as it rolled past the Jan. 19 deadline for filing bills and into the fourth week of the session, while …
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2012 NFL Wild Card Weekend Previews and Predictions
By bryanflynnSeventeen weeks of the regular season has reduced the NFL down to 12 teams. Only two of those 12 will play in the Super Bowl.
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Confederates Speak: Yes, We Fought the Civil War Over Slavery
By Donna LaddIf you grew up in the South, and especially if you're white, you've likely been told repeatedly (maybe even in a classroom) that "the Civil War wasn't fought over slavery." (They might have even called it the "War Between the States" or even the "War of Northern Aggression.") "It was about economics," they might say. Or, almost always, "It was over state's rights," as if that somehow means that it wasn't actually over a state's right to allow its white citizens to own and abuse black human beings. It's remarkable how many white southerners, and others around the country, actually believe this myth. And it is regularly used as an excuse to justify keeping the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the Confederacy and the "lost cause" of slavery imbedded into government, public and private schools, and some state universities in every way possible—especially in the taxpayer-funded state flags that still adorn several state capitols, including Mississippi's.
But the problem is: The Confederate leaders themselves had no reason then to hide what they were fighting the Civil War over. They were forthright about both why they were seceding into the Confederacy and their beliefs about the white supremacy (and its spoils of wealth) that they were willing to fighting to keep in place. Ever since I first read Mississippi's Declaration of Secession, I've used it as a response to someone who decides to spread these myths in my presence.
Now, in the wake of the Charleston massacre by an apparent white supremacist, and as the country is engaging in a welcome conversation about the Confederate flag, I've compiled a list of primary sources from the mouths and pens of the Confederate leaders themselves that could prove useful as you deal with the myths that continue to be used to justify racism and racist symbols. (Hat tip to Kristy Wittman Howell who had posted several of the more obscure links on Facebook.) Please suggest others in the comments.
Mississippi's Declaration of Secession: "Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery - the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product, which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization."
All the Declarations of Secession by southern states that did them: From Texas' Declaration: "In all the non-slave-holding States, in violation of that good faith and comity which should exist between entirely distinct nations, the people have formed themselves into a great sectional party, now strong enough in numbers to control the affairs of each of those States, based upon an unnatural feeling of hostility to these Southern States and their beneficent and patriarchal system of …
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Cover
Making Ends Meet: Lawmakers Wrestle with Education, Infrastructure and Shrinking Revenue
Education funding dominated headlines throughout 2016, as lawmakers worked to level-fund and not cut the amount of funding that went to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program in previous budget years, …
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Cover
Beyond Detention: Exploring Smarter, Cheaper Alternatives to Locking Kids Up
"He's out on the street. He comes home sometimes. He has that little anklet, he doesn't care. It makes no difference to him. He's afraid of nothing." The mother of …
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Civil Rights
Remembering Emmett Till: A Boy Who Changed America
Scholars say understanding Emmett Till's death in historical context is important. While Emmett Till's death might have helped spark a reaction from Rosa Parks a few weeks later, the Civil …
Story
This is a NEWS Headline, Ledger?!?
Look at the kind of crap that is helping beef up the "news headlines" over on Gannett's local "information center," now that the Ledger is, uh, moving beyond the idea …
