Dear Readers,

The Yankees are at it again, trying to capture the Confederate flag at strategic strongholds.

The motivation behind this latest round of anti-Confederate sentiment may be rooted in good intentions. Those leading the charge say they want more peace, inclusion and tolerance, and less hate, violence and racism. The Confederacy did not stand for equality and human rights, so it, and most any reference to it, must be destroyed.

OK, sounds fine, we must get rid of intolerance and hate, right?

Let’s take down the Confederate flag (and the Gen. Forrest statues, and remove Jackson from the $20 . . . let me know when we find some hero or symbol that is not deeply flawed in some way).

In other words, some are a little intolerant of the Stars and Bars, and hate what it stands for.

Oh wait . . . then forcing it to be taken down would in itself be promoting intolerance and hate? Confusing times.

Focusing on the flag and the word “Forrest” may be a case of treating the symptoms and not the disease. I am not a doctor, but I feel like the disease has something to do with confused, insecure individuals with not enough love in their lives acting out of hate, violence and disrespect for human life and fellow living creatures. That should be addressed. But treating the symptoms ain’t really treating the disease.

Now, I am all about some defiance, standing up for states’ rights and seceding from the Union, but I’m not sure I want to do all of that under the Confederate flag.

In Murfreesboro, a movement to change the name of MTSU’s Forrest Hall has gotten some traction.

That issue can easily be solved. Just simply use Forrest Hall to honor Forrest Gump. Yes, he himself was indeed named after the Confederate leader, but Gump, we should not forget, was a champion of civil rights. People today should preserve Gump’s legacy and cement his rightful place in the history of American education, for when Alabama Gov. George Wallace stood on a college campus in the 1960s, Gump courageously defied the period’s customs and crossed the line of racial segregation, defying Gov. Wallace, setting in motion the integration of the University of Alabama and changing the course of American history. That’s the way it went down, and that is what should be taught in schools.

Anyway, shall we set up a society in which personal relationships, romantic or otherwise, do not require government approval or registration?

Also in the news lately, Tennessee has unveiled its new logo. Some are uncertain that those fonts truly represent their values, while others in the “penny pincher” crowd express skepticism that someone typing two letters on a red background is considered to be worth $46,000.

I have taken the liberty of creating a new logo for the fine people of Tennessee. I have my limitations in Photoshop, but I was still able to bumble around and put no more than 20 minutes into this beautiful image you see above. It’s 100 times more awesome than that lame one the state paid for, and I will only bill, say, $9 grand. (Look at me, I’m an ad agency! Pay me.) Fly that flag with pride, Tennessee.

Remember the words of Thomas Jefferson: “A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing.”

Peace,

Bracken Mayo 

Editor in Chief