Mississippi Ratifies 13th Amendment

Mississippi State House
Mississippi State House

As a proud southerner, I know things move slower in the south, but sometimes it’s just a bit too slow. According to the Washington Times, Mississippi is only now getting around to ratifying the 13th Amendment banning slavery in the U.S. As a friend of mine said, “Best not to rush to judgement on these things. Let cooler heads prevail and all that.”

In defense of the Mississippi Legislature, their tardiness on the issue is related, somewhat, to a communications error. Apparently each State must report the ratification to the Archivist of the United States. Apparently the Mississippi failed to do that the first time they ratified the Amendment….

…in 1995.

According to state Sen. Hillma Frazier, the Democrat who introduced the ratification resolution in 1995, “We’re very deliberate in our state. We finally got it right.” (You got that right Hillma.)

For the record, Kentucky beat them. They finally ratified the amendment in 1976. Good for you boys in KY.

B. John

B. John Masters writes about democracy, moral responsibility, and everyday Stoicism at deep.mastersfamily.org. A lifelong United Methodist committed to social justice, he explores how faith, ethics, and civic life intersect—and how ordinary people can live out justice, mercy, and truth in public life. A records and information management expert, Masters has lived in the Piedmont,NC, Dayton, OH, Greensboro, NC and Tampa, FL, and is a proud Appalachian State Alum.

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