Tough Questions for Mitch Tyner

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Tyner answers tough questions about his Davidian quest for the state’s top office, if liberals can love God, and whether or not he’s a closet Democrat.

Republican renegade and gubernatorial candidate Mitch Tyner, 40, can come across as a John McCain-esque David to Haley Barbour’s Bush-esque Goliath. Critics accuse Tyner of being a Democratic plant to confuse Republican Barbour’s chance at the governor’s mansion. Still, Tyner talks a conservative talk, even as he conjures images of McCain. Although both claim to be card-carrying conservatives, they are willing to criticize the Grand Old Party, especially for its ties with Big Money and its creeping image of Big Government As Long As Its Republican.

Regardless of motive, Tyner’s conservative Mississippi credentials seem genuine enough: anti-abortion; gun enthusiast; graduate of a white academy (he was Mr. Canton Academy); two degrees from Mississippi College (computer science and law); member of the Christian Legal Society; member of Crossgates Baptist Church who also regularly attends Ridgecrest Baptist; campaign manager for Republican Curt He’bert (who was later an appointee of both Gov. Kirk Fordice and the first President George Bush); advocate of “traditional family values.”

At the same time, Tyner seems disenchanted with where the current GOP has gone. Before I turned the tape recorder on, he expressed frustration with uber-conservative talk radio hosts that hurl angry “liberal” labels with no factual basis; Tyner called such demagoguery “disgusting.” And every chance he got, he emphasized the need to curtail federal—even conservative federal—intervention into the states’ business and citizens’ lives. He is adamant that Mississippians need to learn more about Barbour’s Washington and lobbyist connections that, he believes, have led to dangerous alliances that don’t always have the people’s, or the country’s, best interest at stake.

And his message is starting to hit its target. In May, he forced himself onto the media radar by first demanding an apology from Haley Barbour over his unfortunate “whorehouse” gaffe (which didn’t come). And then at the Mississippi Economic Council meeting in Jackson last week, Tyner resurrected a 1997 charge that Barbour fashioned a controversial proposed tax credit for Big Tobacco that was later withdrawn. The Goliath candidate went on the defensive as the Davidian candidate starting scoring points.

Can he keep it up? I joined Tyner late on a Friday afternoon in his office just east of Interstate 55 to ask him some tough questions, as a gargantuan stuffed bear he killed in Canada watched over our shoulders.

JFP: You accused opponent Haley Barbour last week of inserting a large tax credit for tobacco companies into a budget bill in the summer of 1997. Barbour said that was a “dredged-up Democrat deception.” How do you respond to that?
Tyner: Well, I hadn’t planned to, but I will. It was a Republican congressman that discovered it; it was a bipartisan upheaval over what Barbour had done when we were at that time controlled by Republicans in both the House and the Senate. The House was so appalled that they withdrew it; every single congressman who supported (the credit) withdrew their support. And all but three senators voted to have it withdrawn. To suggest this is some Democatic issue is an absurdity when both the Republican House and Senate overwhelmingly thought it was ridiculous. The real meat, what is really sickening about this is the role that Haley Barbour played in the entire tobacco issue. He was elected Republican National Committee chairman in 1992; it was around 1996 when tobacco issues became very hot. He solicited funds from tobacco industry on behalf of the RNC; then he was in charge of doling money out to candidates who wanted to be re-elected. He had publicly committed that he was selling his interest in his lobby firm when he was elected; (Americans) took him at his word, but never followed up to see if he did. It was later discovered that he never withdrew from his lobbying firm. (The tobacco industry) hired him directly as soon as he left his post at $100,000 per month to do billing for them. It is the embodiment of bad government.

JFP: What do you mean by “bad government”?
Tyner: Money is corrupting the political system. It is absurd that a candidate is going to raise $10 million to seek the office of governor of Mississippi. He cannot reasonably expect to have that much money donated. The reality is: It’s not being donated anymore. It’s now considered an investment with an expectation of a return on investment. The state of Mississippi cannot afford the types of returns that my opponent has been giving for those investments in Washington.

JFP: As a Republican, are you concerned that critiquing the GOP will be considered, well, traitorous?
Tyner: If we followed our platform then it is totally in line with the Republican platform. It stands for smaller government, less intrusion in our lives, traditional family values. All we need is a few good people that continue with those things once they’re elected. The most difficult predicament for elected officials is to be reelected; to be reelected, he must raise money.

JFP: You’ve raised 20 some-odd thousand dollars as of today, right? Can you honestly expect to be elected with that little money on hand?
Tyner: I do believe I can win this election, or I would not run. I believe I can raise enough money to get my message out. That’s what really matters. If my opponent’s money creates so much noise that I cannot get my message out, then I cannot win.

JFP: It’s being said that the Democrats have put you up as a foil to Barbour. How do you respond?
Tyner: That’s a ludicrous idea; I wouldn’t be in the race if I didn’t believe that I would make the best governor, and I wouldn’t go through all of the headaches and intrusion into mine and my family’s life, and certainly not on behalf of the Democrats.

JFP: Have you ever voted Democratic?
Tyner: I’ve voted Democratic, but I’ve never considered myself a Democrat. I do vote for the person. I will not commit to blindly follow a party.

JFP: You seem capable of being quite critical of the GOP. Why are you a Republican?
Tyner: The predominant reason is because of the emphasis on God and family.

JFP: Can’t you be a Democrat and believe in God and family?
Tyner: Yes, you certainly can. Unfortunately that is not what comes to mind when you hear someone say “Democrat,” but to suggest that the Republicans have the corner on Christianity is also ludicrous. Actually, it’s not even consistent with Christian beliefs that a political party would have some corner on morality. That’s a crazy idea. But, in general, we have labels, and (Christianity) is not the first thing you think of when you hear the Democratic party. I also believe in (the GOP’s) stance on less government intrusion and smaller government, and free enterprise.

JFP: Republicans are often accused of wanting less voter turnout, particularly among minorities. Where do you fall? Do you hope for a high turnout among people of color?
Tyner: I want to be elected. Anyone that’s not going to vote for me I hope that they stay home. (Laughs.) I was asked recently a question that was put to me in a strange way: my opponent says his goal is to get 20 percent of the minority vote. Obviously, I want 100 percent of the minority vote. They should be voting for me because the type of government I envision is good for everyone regardless of the color of their skin. I do not have some plan to get them to vote, other than getting out my message, which hopefully will motivate them to vote. I’ve heard it said too often that someone voted for a candidate because they were the lesser of two evils. I hope that in my race they will have a refreshing choice rather than the lesser of two evils.

JFP: Voter turnout among younger people, especially under 25, seems to be shrinking rather than growing. What are you doing to appeal to younger people?
Tyner: I haven’t studied that, or done anything to motivate them. I’m not a career politican, so it’s not about the same old thing. I don’t have a grandiose idea of being a career politician. I expect to come back to solo practice of law after fulfilling my duties to the state. (When candidates) focus on being reelected for their whole lifetime, sometimes official black and white becomes too gray. I don’t look at this as being a career, so it allows me to make choices for the right reasons. I look at it as public service. I’m 40. Statistics show that attorneys make the most money between 40 and 60. I’m at the peak of my career with a successful law practice; I am leaving that. I truly view this as public service.

JFP: What is the most important issue facing the state of Mississippi?
Tyner: Budget. I would work very hard to make sure our projections are more accurate. Unfortunately, the current atmosphere has been to go ahead and overstate the projected revenue instead of going ahead of making budgetary cuts in the beginning. That’s created crises within different departments. The last two years, (the legislature has) had to come in and make cuts during fiscal year because of over-projections. There are not fewer dollars coming into the coffers of state; the amount of growth is not as high as projected. Revenue has steadily increased even though the country been suffering through a recession. There is no excuse for not keeping it under control, or not properly projecting numbers so we can properly allocate. This is terribly important. If you make plans based on a certain budget, and are now faced with the need to eliminate people and jobs, it causes a terrible disruption in your plans. It’s like at home: You have a budget based on a certain income, and suddenly there’s a lack of income. There is a failure to step up to the plate and say we don’t have enough money to fund this program. The fear of not being elected I think is the problem.

JFP: What needs to happen to ensure that public education in Mississippi is adequately funded?
Tyner: Important issue No. 1.5 is education. I diverge from a number in my party on this issue. I am solidly behind (public) education and solidly behind funding education. I was asked by the educators whether I would be willing to keep education at 62 percent of the discretionary budget. My answer is in the negative because you should know what is required; (education funding) should not be a percentage of what comes into the state budget. I would never want education to be subject to ups and downs of tax revenues received. It’s too important. I do believe we are currently spending enough money on education; I want to make certain those funds are being used to educate; we need to have some accountability. It’s devastating to read that 60 percent of sixth-graders failed minimum competency tests. It’s more disgusting to see them passed on to next grade even if don’t meet the standards. That’s not fair to our children.

JFP: They are passing them to the next grade to give them time to retake the test before failing them. They may be held back in the next grade if they keep failing.
Tyner: If they haven’t passed it within a few tries, they should be held back. If it’s a good test and they fail it, there’s a problem, and that needs to be addressed. Passing them through and giving a high school degree without addressing the problem is a disservice to that child. They may have a high school diploma and can’t read and write; they are going to have a very difficult time in their career and their family. It’s a horrible cycle that will continue.

JFP: Are you familiar with research showing that students who are held back have higher rates of drop-out rates, that in turn lead to higher crime?
Tyner: I haven’t studied rates of drop-outs; if failing to pass them on is causing them to drop out, we must create alternatives for that student. Rather, we should implement a program that helps them not to drop out; I can’t tell you 100 percent of students enter first grade are capable, have support or the foundation to get a high-school diploma, but there’s no excuse not to make (a diploma) available to every child that wants it. I was asked by the Association of Educators—I was requesting their endorsement—why I’m so strong on public education when I haven’t spent one single day in public education my entire life. My parents were both born into families whose socio-economic level was below the poverty line. They had good, hard-working families that encouraged them to go to school. Had it not been for public school, my parents would have never been able to rise above that level. I went to private school because my parents believed I would receive a better education than I would in a public school in the town in which I grew up. They could never have afforded it had they not had public school education themselves. Then I chose to go to Mississippi College, a Baptist school. From my junior year forward, I paid for all own college and law school. My focus was the Christian atmosphere (at MC). For law school (also MC), my focus was whether I could make a living here or in Oxford.

JFP: Under the strict federal testing requirement of the “No Child Left Behind” education act, it is conceivable that a student could flunk a federal test in a public school, even as he passes the class, then drop out and enroll in a private school and get the same diploma without taking the federally mandated test. Is that unfair in any way?
Tyner: I’m not concerned about that. That’s suggesting that a less capable student could go to a private school to avoid standardized testing. Most colleges require high school degrees from approved schools that meet state accreditation requirements. I would be surprised if that becomes a real problem. But, I am not a fan of having our states’ educational systems become dependent on the federal government; I’m concerned that the federal government has increasingly attempted to get control of the public school education. That should be left to the states. Who could be against a plan called “No Child Left Behind” but Satan himself? It worries me; we were one of the first states (whose educational plan) was federally approved; the carrot is we get federal funding for doing it. The problem is becoming dependent on federal funding, and it’s being able to dictate our curriculum. I don’t care to leave that to the whims of Washington. I’m a conservative.

JFP: You’re a trial attorney. It’s been reported that you believe caps on pain-and-suffering damages would not reduce medical malpractice insurance rates, but would hurt everyday people. You have said: “It is very bad policy to be stealing the rights of individuals. The next thing you know, they will be coming after your guns.” Where do you stand on current “tort reform” efforts in the state?
Tyner: The problem is that we’re attempting to address frivolous lawsuits with caps on actual damages. From firsthand knowledge, there are claims filed that you think are legitimate as an attorney. But once you get into them, you find out they’re not. Some attorneys will now try to recoup their costs and their investment in that case by settling the claim for “de minimus” value—for defense costs in order to recoup some of their investment. That is a frivolous lawsuit that will take money unfairly and wrongly. Those values are in the 10K, 25K, 50K range. So a $500K cap will not stop a single frivolous lawsuit; all we’ve done is cap the legitimaate ones. Caps don’t address the problem of frivolous lawsuits. I think even the most ardent tort-reform advocates believe that people should be able to receive a monetary amount that reflects their actual damages. I still believe that there’s something special about people that we can’t schedule physical injuries such as a leg-off is worth $5,000; a foot off is worth $2,000; a hand off is $10K. I think we’re losing our soul if we begin simply to stick arbitrary numbers on those things. I don’t believe in frivolous lawsuits; I think they can do nothing but harm. There is an area of medical malpractice in which a physician who is wrongfully accused of malpractice, then insurance pays the settlement, then the doctor is never totally exonerated after been accused. That stinks and is wrong. The doctor deserves to have the claim dismissed with no payment. I’ve proposed three strikes, you’re out. I believe attorneys will think twice about taking costs of defense settlement. I’m not telling you the tort system is perfect; if there are problems, let’s address them.

JFP: With outside forces such as the U.S. Chamber lining up to help defeat anti-tort reform candidates, do you expect tort reform to be a divisive issue in this year’s elections?
Tyner: I don’t know if that’s true. As a Mississippian, I don’t particularly care for outside forces coming in telling us how to do business; I’m a bit offended by that; a lot of criticism is undeserved, and we get a black eye sometimes. This state is made up of good, caring, loving, honest, hardworking people. We’re not perfect, so we can improve things, but I don’t like outside forces trying to cram their agenda down our throats. I’m always open to good ideas. I’m very comfortable addressing those (tort reform) issues. I bring a unique perspective to them.

JFP: You say in your campaign materials that you want to “protect the right to own guns.” What exactly do you mean by that?
Tyner: Pretty much that the right to bear arms I want to be unobstructed.

JFP: Is there any room for gun regulation, in your view?
Tyner: Yes, of explosives, bombs, those things. I do want to restrict bombs. Don’t see useful purpose for them among everyday citizens. But I don’t want to ever make our citizens totally vulnerable by removing all their weapons. I am a hunter; I killed that bear on Vancouver Island. I come from the old school that I should eat what I kill. I hauled that bear meat up the mountain and had it all over me, against my guide’s wishes. It almost felt unholy not to.

JFP: Here in Jackson, the mayor and police chief say their hands are often tied by state laws that protect the rights of anyone 18 or order who isn’t a felon to possess a gun, that they can’t take guns from a carload of young people if there is an adult in their midst to claim the guns. What gun-law changes, if any, would you support to help reduce crime in Jackson?
Tyner: I prefer to continue with the presumption that guns will be used appropriately until proven otherwise. Once that happens, and (the gun owner is) not to be trusted, I don’t have a problem restricting at that point. I don’t want to leave citizens vulnerable. Reality is that the people that would abide by gun control and restrictions are the ones that don’t need regulation. If you’re a thug, you’re going to get a gun regardless. (Stricter laws) would only remove the weapons from people who would use them appropriately.

JFP: What do you think of the federal “Second Amendment Tort Reform” effort, co-sponored by Rep. Chip Pickering to give the gun industry near-blanket immunity against lawsuits?
Tyner: Any time I hear “immunity” then what I’m hearing is no accountability. While I don’t like government intrusion and regulation and I believe that companies and individuals should be trusted to do the right thing, stripping our ability to hold them accountable beforehand is a grave mistake. I haven’t studied the bill (HR 1036: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act), so I don’t know if there’s a good portion. But when I hear making any industry or entity completely immune from accountability that brings on great concern.

JFP: Should Haley Barbour apologize for saying that some Headstart children would be better off “sitting up on a piano bench at a whorehouse” than in their own homes? Critics have said it is coded racism, much like “welfare queen” and “super-predator” rhetoric. What do you think? (Barbour has, to date, refused to apologize.)
Tyner: I called for an apology the following day. He insulted every participant and every parent of a participant of Headstart by attempting to label them. The program is intended to help students; if you stigmatize the parents of those students, they may be too embarrassed to allow their children to participate. I spoke in Lamar County to Republicans this week, and a lady came up afterward and said she had removed the Haley Barbour sticker from her car; she as a child was a participant in the Headstart program. I can’t fathom why he wouldn’t apologize, and to say why I think he won’t apolgize would be simply conjecture. I don’t know what motivation he has to fail to apologize to those people.

JFP: As a Republican, what do you think of the GOP’s “Southern Strategy” of using coded racism to appeal to racist voters?
Tyner: I would hope that I would never obtain such a label (racist). I grew up here, in a city where at the local theater blacks were not allowed to use the same door as whites; they had to sit in the balcony. At the local clinicwhites and blacks had their own waiting room—”separate but equal.” I don’t want to see us return to that. The great thing about the United States is that we are a melting pot; European whites were not the first ones on this continent. And to suggest that any particular race has no ability to contribute to society’s overall well-being is a disgrace.

JFP: Can the GOP do a better job of dispelling racist stigmas?
Tyner: Obviously if there are those who believe that the party is racist, there must be something the party can do to dispel that. But to suggest everyone that is a Republican is a racist is absolutely improper—because I know of at least one that’s not.

JFP: You label yourself as “pro-life.” Does that mean you oppose abortion in all cases.
Tyner: I would support it only for rape and incest. And I’m against “partial-birth” abortion. But I don’t like politicizing religious things. Who am I to say Southern Baptists got it right and Catholics got it wrong? That’s crazy. We’ve all been searching for the divine since the beginning. The God I believe in not going to condemn all the Jews, or other religions, to hell.

JFP: Are you concerned about the Bush administration’s curtailment of civil liberties?
Tyner: Yes, you bet I am; 9-11 did more to destroy civil liberties than any event in our liftetime. Yes, I’m concerned about that. Citizens have lost control. I think we have to do better than blindly agreeing to give up our civil rights; it is our liberties we are voluntarily giving up. I don’t want to be controlled by our government—it’s supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people—not government dictating to the people.

The JFP is inviting a variety of people in the news to answer “Tough Questions.” We will give Tyner’s opponents the opportunity to answer his accusations in upcoming issues. And we welcome your suggestions on who should answer Tough Questions in the future.

Previous Comments

Tyner doesn’t have a chance. Get real. Where’s the beef? ///// On tort reform he told us what is wrong with the current approach and lobbed out some vague notion about a three strikes law for attorneys that he knows would never survive a court challenge. He ducked your tort reform question and you let him swim away into the reeds without providing any specific alternative approach. ///// The question about the federally mandated school testing gave me a chuckle. The scenario you paint is highly implausible. The testing is to establish minimum proficiency levels not testing to fast track a student into an Ivy League school. The teacher’s union lobby made sure of that because they saw the writing on the wall. ///// The question you should have asked is how are our public schools passing students who can’t pass minimum level proficiency exams. That is the same question minority parents are asking, especially JPS parents, and why they are the biggest proponents for school choice and vouchers. Its time to stand and deliver in our public schools or else. The Dems know that minority parents are at the end of their patience and will go Republican if it means getting choice and vouchers for their kids. The are done being used and put into a holding pattern by the Dems. ///// To think that such a student would leave a public school mid-stream and then enroll in a private school just to skate to a diploma demonstrates a poor understanding for the enrollment criteria and rigorous academic standards of our Mississippi private schools. ///// Tyner is the same as the nuisance lawsuits he is against. Tyner is the frivolous or, “de minimus”, candidate.

#135969 | Author: John Q. MS Public | Date: May 30 2003

I was thinking the same thing… I wasn’t pleased with the way he answered the questions that were posed and he seemed to hold little “position” on anything. I agree – the responses were too vague.

#135970 | Author: Knol Aust | Date: May 30 2003

By the way all, a group of Free Press college interns from various schools are doing our Candidate Project this summer — that is, they are assembling “alternative” voter questionnaires, meaning they are looking for questions, of whatever bent, that don’t always get asked in horse-race journalism. We plan to submit the questions to all the candidates that Jackson voters will cast votes for, and then post all answers on the JFP Web site. SO, if you have suggestions for questions for Tyner or any other office to suggest, please post them here on the site, so they can collect them. A letter to the editor I got today suggested, for instance, asking gubernatorial candidates (a) how they voted on the state flag issue, (b) how exactly they would balance the state budget. The second question seems right on; what do y’all think of the first one? Does it make sense to ask that, or would it make more sense to ask how they would respond to any further efforts to change the flag? I really don’t know, and am curious about what you all think about it. John Q’s suggestion above about testing doesn’t seem exactly phrased correctly–the kids who fail the tests are being promoted while given opportunities to pass the tests, but may be held back the next year if they don’t–but I do think good open-ended questions could be something like: “How should districts balance the challenges of helping students pass federally mandated testing requirements in order to help keep them from being held back, and thus be at a greater risk of dropouts? Does it make sense to pass them on as they’re doing now and keep testing them? How should public schools fill in the financial gaps between federal testing mandates and the need for local remediation to discourage dropouts and help children be prepared to pass tests?” Anyway, we welcome other question suggestions.

#135971 | Author: ladd | Date: May 30 2003

I want to see the other three candidates for guv answer similar questions in this format. Will I?

#135972 | Author: Jlosset | Date: May 31 2003

Yes, we are going to extend the invitation between now and the primaries. I hope they accept.

#135973 | Author: ladd | Date: May 31 2003

Mitch Tyner’s answer to the Association of Educators didn’t make a lot of sense: his parents went to public school and pulled themselves up to a position where they could afford a private education for their son. All the way to a J.D., Tyner stays on the private track. I don’t want to start a Haley debate here — but it seems like Tyner may be the one who is really out of touch with Mississippi.

#135974 | Author: jlosset | Date: Jun 3 2003

I’m not a Tyner supporter, or a supporter of any of his opponents, either, but I find it fascinating that he is so conservative on social issues–and from all indications, he seemed to mean it–and then he departs from current ruling Republicans on big government and big brother-type issues and gun-industry immunity and, apparently, public schools. I’ve heard complaints about him after this interview from both folks on the left and right, and that makes me wonder if maybe he is truly an independent thinker. I know from experience how nervous that makes people–we like to say in this country that we value independence, but yet we get uncomfortable with people who don’t choose sides or a party platform, lock, stock and barrel–like McCain in the GOP and Dean for the Dems. Personally, I tend to respect independent thinkers even more, even when I don’t agree with them politically. At least they have the courage to think for themselves. That seems very American, in a classic sense, to me. And no Jay, I don’t think you can hold it against someone that their parents sent them to a white academy; that may well be exactly what made them decide to support public education once they were old enough to think for themselves. I suspect it would have had that effect on me. Personally, I thought he punted rather dramatically on the race questions, though, which is too bad. I’d like to hear Republicans tell us how they are going to smash the Southern Strategy, not act like they haven’t heard of it.

#135975 | Author: ladd | Date: Jun 3 2003

this tyner fellow, he sounds like a good guy, better than that corporationist fascist fatcat from washington, anyway. he doesnt seem to have done much research or even thinking about the issues though. but his values seem good, about all the smaller gov’t, anti-corporationisht kinda talk. i hope he gets heard and the republicans choose him over whatshisfacebarbour, who cant think for himself, and god, hes ugly. but since most people are dumbassed kling-on authority lovers, theyll go for barbour, who has the texas jackass behind him, not to mention money. yeah, but definatly give coverage to third parties, people need to hear about them.

#135976 | Author: rt | Date: Jun 3 2003

I’m sorry but his answer to the gun restriction question just cracks me up. “I do want to restrict bombs.” HA! Talk about skirting an issue. Also, someone posed the question of Bar-bar’s education. Does anyone know his college history?

#135977 | Author: bingo | Date: Jun 3 2003

I agree with the bomb restriction answer. So refreshingly strange. Two other things that I found odd: the comment about hauling bear meat up a mountain against his guide’s wishes, which was also included in the answer to the gun-control question. And then, something about his God won’t send the Jews to Hell? To answer an abortion question? Strange indeed. Re: Haley’s college days – I have heard that he didn’t finish at Ole Miss. What have you heard? I’m sure it will all come out in the wash…

#135978 | Author: JLosset | Date: Jun 4 2003

Barbour’s campaign biography states he has a law degree from Ole Miss.

#135979 | Author: Ex Libris | Date: Jun 4 2003

JLosset, I totally overlooked the “Jews” comment… Guess his words were coming through like the adults voices on Charlie Brown. Why the hell would he single out that specific religious group (and other religions)? Strange indeed. I get what he was saying but not the manner he used to relay the message. I realize politicians and most humans can not answer in a simple yes/no fashion but really… Seems he dodged alot of questions. …And when I went hunting, I carried a tent through the woods against my chiropractor’s wishes. 😉

#135980 | Author: Knol Aust | Date: Jun 4 2003

I found out last night from an old friend of Bar-bar’s that he graduated from Yazoo City High School and lacked 3 hours to graduate from Ole Miss then recieved his law degree from Ole Miss.

#135981 | Author: bingo | Date: Jun 4 2003

Barbour is older than Tyner and would have graduated before the schools integrated, so remember that it would have been a different situation for him. Before integration (and especially Brown vs. Board of Education) public education enjoyed widespread support in the state of Mississippi, including among white conservatives. Before “Black Monday” 1954, it was perfectly fine to spend taxpayer money to educate all children. BTW, I recommend reading Willie Morris’ “Yazoo: Integration in a Deep-Southern Town” for more info about forced integration in Mr. Barbour’s hometown.

#135982 | Author: ladd | Date: Jun 5 2003