Hamilton needs facts before writing about Black Confederates

As I was discussing the Daily Mississippian article about myself and my family with my nine-year-old son, Austin, he became visibly upset.

The article written by Pamela Hamilton was not an attack on what I stood for, but rather a shallow attempt to defame me through the use of an innocent boy. "How did she know what I was thinking when she didn't even ask me a question?" my son said. "She called me dumb without even giving me a chance."

The attack on my academic background is the result of an error on the part of The Daily Mississippian. I did say to your writer I was pursuing my Ph.D, but I never stated where. Her assumption, and resulting bad journalism, resulted in an attack on my intelligence and a subsequent lack of respect for your paper.

My pamphlet does, contrary to popular belief, explain exactly where the money goes. I am raising funds to build a memorial for blacks who fought in the War Against Northern Aggression. And there were many. Close to one hundred thousand men of color fought of their own free will in the service of the Confederacy.

In your article you stated that you never spoke with me or my son. I have always welcomed people to ask me questions about what I am doing and why, but you, like any other middle class liberal who stands to benefit from racial conflict, prefer to judge me before you hear what I have to say. But you are not alone. There are millions like you, black and white, who gain a small position of power and use it to maintain the staus quo and abuse others who dare to defy it like myself, my organization and my son.

Anthony Hervey
President, Black Confederate Soldier Foundation

Flag committee doesn't represent all

This is in response to the Sid Salter's state flag debate column on Thursday. I have to ask this pressing question: Has Gov. Musgrove organized a committee of 17 people representative of the state of Mississippi, possibly having opposing views of the state flag, but nevertheless representative of the people of Mississippi? Or, is the committee representative of black Jacksonians, possibly even politically friends of Musgrove, used by Musgrove to ensure a change in the state flag? The answer is probably the latter considering Musgrove's previous political actions.

Finally, in response to the column's closing comments "It's time to move forward," let us realize that these are people trying to change our history, our heritage. How can we move forward when we no longer know where we came from?

Brian Carpenter
Senior
Business
Madison