Civil Rights in Mississippi

In a state where civil rights abuses were rampant for over a hundred years, you would think that they would lead in their civil rights protection. Think again! In the 2008 session of the legislature the sate lawmakers are working on a bill to create a Civil rights division with the Attorney general's office.

Does that mean that abuses in the past were not given the attention they deserved? Of course, it will be spun differently, but IMO, that is exactly what was happening. Mississippi is still suffering from massive civil rights violations. recently a black man was killed by deputies of the Harrison County Sheriff's Dept. And finally, the family was awarded a settlement for wrongful death. But here is the kicker--land owners will be paying for this violation with higher property taxes.

The people of Mississippi need to be more informed. For centuries, the people of the state have been lead around by their noses by rich influential people. The sad part is they seem to like it. An informed electorate is essential for a democratic government--Mississippi is missing that goal completely.

FYI--if you want to check out the creation of the AG's civil rights div--it is HB216--in the state legislature.