Debate over the Mississippi state flag

Amid racial tensions across the- u.s., debate is heating up agai- here in misssissippi regarding- - - - the controversial state flag.

- news 25's grant chighizola has- local and state reactions.- - the mississippi state flag is - once again at the forefront of- many discussions, - especially if and how it should- be replaced.

Sot-lea campbell,- mississippi rising coalition- "a flag with the confederate emblem which represents a - goverment that fought - - - - for the preservation of is just- unacceptable."

Ocean springs resident and- mississippi rising coalition- founding president is encourage- by the fact that a- bipartisan group of state - legislators have expressed a- willingness to change the flag.- sot-lea campbell- "it's really refreshing to see some cooperation across party - lines on an issue that will - progress our state."

Despite this, governor tate - reeves on monday indicated- that any decision regarding the- flag should be made by state- residents, similar to the 2001- referendum where voters - elected to keep the current - flag.

Sot-governor tate reeves:- r - mississippi - - - - "if and when mississippians decide that they want to change- the flag, and i - think at some point they will,- then it ought to be the people- of mississippi."

In a poll posted on our faceboo- - - - page, one commenter for the - current flag refrenced it's par- in the state's history, - while another commentor opposed- to it has changed their - opinion after reading about it'- history.- if the flag were to be changed,- however, campbell hopes - all state residents can come- together to find a new- design that represents everyone- sot-lea campbell- "it needs to be made collectively and it needs to be- made in the process that- centers the voices of the peopl- who have been most impacted by- the harm that that- symbol has caused."

For news 25, i'm grant- chighizola-