Learning from our past

I’m writing today because what happened in Mississippi yesterday shouldn’t go unnoticed ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Ty Pinkins for U.S. Senate](#) {NAME}, Watching what occurred yesterday on the University of Mississippi’s campus was a stark reminder of our history and the moment we’re living now. Peaceful protesters at the University convened to speak out against the use of tuition dollars being used to fund Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza which have already killed over 40,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. They were soon surrounded by a crowd of predominantly White students who yelled profanities and slurs at protesters, participating in racially charged taunts that I won’t bother to describe here. Let’s be clear – I support the right to counter-protest just as I support the right to protest. However, it’s critical that we evaluate this moment in history, and how our response will be remembered by future generations. As a veteran who served for 21 years in our Armed Forces, I fought to protect our citizens’ Constitutional rights – including the right to free speech and peaceful protest. It’s been disheartening, to say the least, to see how our students raising their voices across the country have been met with opposition from University leaders, and in more than one instance arrest and violence from law enforcement. Our country has a proud history of student-led activism, of which protest has always been a key component. Students who were on the frontlines of integration, students who participated in sit-ins during the Civil Rights movement, students who spoke out against the war in Vietnam – all of these students were seen as unlawful agitators in their time. History remembers these students as important trailblazers who spoke out for justice and peace even when it was deeply unpopular. This is particularly true for the University of Mississippi. In 1961, James Meredith, an Air Force Veteran, attempted to enroll in the University – seven years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision that integrated our schools. The refusal by the University and state officials to allow Meredith to enroll led then-President Kennedy to deploy the National Guard to escort him on campus. The arrival of the National Guard to provide Meredith’s safety was met with a mob of angry White segregationist students who violently attacked federal marshals. What resulted was a full-blown riot that resulted in two deaths – all in the name of keeping Ole Miss an all-White institution. The riot remains a dark stain on our history and a reminder of how we can learn from our past, but it seems we have failed to do so. Yesterday, watching students who were peacefully assembled be surrounded and jeered with racial slurs by White students drew devastating parallels to some of our worst moments as Mississippians. I’m a born and raised Mississippian. I love this state, I love our people, I love the dirt that covers the rural roads I grew up on. It is because I love this state that I am committed to continuously improving it and growing from our painful past. I’m writing this today because I believe moments like these should not go unnoticed. If we continue to celebrate our history of progress led by student protest, we must recognize the direct connections to this moment in time with campus demonstrations occurring nationwide. I am proud of students who are bravely speaking out to make their voices heard against ongoing devastation overseas, and I encourage our campus officials and elected leaders to pause and reflect on our history in their response. Proudly Mississippian, Ty Pinkins --------------------------------------------------------------- The son of a tractor driver, Ty doesn’t come from a wealthy family. He was born and raised in the small town of Rolling Fork, and is a proud son of the Mississippi Delta. Frustrated by the lack of action from lawmakers on the issues facing people in Mississippi–and believing that the hard-working voters of Mississippi deserve much better–Ty Pinkins decided to run for office: the United States Senate in 2024. [LEARN MORE »]( Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense. Paid for by Ty Pinkins for Congress Ty Pinkins for Congress PO Box 4525 Jackson, MS 39296 United States If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please [unsubscribe](.