A Thought on Clarksdale

The CL did a story on Clarksdale and the Blues.

And while I don't mind the work-it's really something the state newspaper should be doing more of-some things stood out.

First of all, the mayor, former gubernatorial candidate Bill Luckett, who once tried to insult his way into that office, dismayed the state of the city, and one of the things he pointed to was the school district, and "white flight." One of his gripes was that white families left the school district for the academy, and took their tax dollars with them.

Ahem.

One does not remove oneself from paying school taxes simply because one does not have children attending the public schools.

Clarksdale's population has dwindled over the past several decades-it has seen a 13% drop in population since 2000, mainly through out-migration. Meanwhile, Batesville has seen an increase of 4%, Senatobia 22%, Oxford 60%. This doesn't even factor in the growth of the Memphis suburbs. Why did they all leave? Was it because they just can't be governed by those of another race? Or is it the fact that mechanization has decreased the amount of labor necessary for agriculture, and no other industry was there to take up the slack, and people-of all races-had to find gainful employment elsewhere? Wasn't that the entire point of the article-that the Blues was the main thing keeping Clarksdale alive?

Instead of casting blame at the citizens who stayed in Clarksdale, no matter where they send their children, perhaps the mayor should thank them. After all, if Clarksdale suffers from them not sending them to their schools, how much more would it suffer if they were to pull up stakes and simply leave altogether?

The quote from the mayor is telling. It really reveals how those on the left-and Bill Luckett is on the left, from reading past statements he's made-view citizens. We are not the engines that drive places economically, socially, and spiritually. We are cows to be milked.