By Jim Brown
August 21, 2003

(AgapePress) - The lieutenant governor of Mississippi is blasting the National Collegiate Athletic Association for shunning the state over its flying of the Confederate battle emblem.

The Association recently announced it will maintain its policy of not awarding contracts for NCAA-sponsored championships in Mississippi because of the Confederate battle symbol that has been part of the design of the state's flag since its 1894 adoption. The NCAA has all but said regional sports events will not be coming to the state as long as the flag remains.

Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck is disappointed with the athletic organization's stance. She feels the NCAA is trying to force an unwanted change on the people of Mississippi.

"I did not support changing the state flag. I did support the bill to allow the people an opportunity to vote on that -- and over two-thirds of the people voted to keep our current flag," Tuck says.

The state politician refers to an April 2001 referendum in which citizens were asked whether Mississippi should keep its present emblem, which includes an inset of the Confederate battle flag, or replace it with a new flag based on a different, non-Confederate design. The voters elected by a margin of 64% to 36% to keep the flag the same.

Tuck says instead of punishing the state, the NCAA should accept the fact that the majority of Mississippi's citizens support their flag. "The people of this state have spoken very loudly on this issue. In my opinion, the NCAA needs to get back to doing the job that they're organized to do," Tuck says.

The NCAA has also decided to continue its moratorium on reassigned championship events in South Carolina where the Confederate symbol flies on statehouse grounds. The athletic organization is also asking schools around the U.S. to conduct "self-analyses" to determine whether their mascots, nicknames or logos may be offensive.

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