Letter on MS Senate Concurrent Res. 505

In the interest of doing what we can to stop our state's Senate Concurrent Resolution 505, Mims has shared a letter he wrote to his representative and a few key senators. With his permission, I am posting the letter below. Hopefully, it will serve as a model for additional letters.

Dear Senators Brown, Moran, and Fillingane, and Representative Crawford:

As the Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, as my State Senator, as the author of CR 505, and as my State Representative, I want to express my opposition to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 505.

This Resolution establishes a government committee aimed at forwarding a Judeo-Christian prayer and ministry. This is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause as elucidated in the First Amendment. It is an affront to all non-Judeo-Christian residents of this State. It is an affront to rigorous social science research, all of which shows a negative correlation between the depth of a society's religious beliefs and the health of that society. Mississippi is the most pious of the fifty United States, and also leads in almost every negative social parameter, from teen pregnancy rates to crime rates to mortality rates to high school drop out rates to violence against women rates to divorce rates to poverty rates to obesity rates...I could go on and on.

Meanwhile, the only parameter which correlates positively with a healthy, prosperous, happy community - a high level of education - is ignored as we cut our education budget. Recent studies have shown that early education, specifically pre-K education, has a tremendous influence on positive social outcomes. I suggest that you do not spend a dime of state money or a moment of legislative time on activities which do not have a positive influence on Mississippi citizens, and do everything you can to promote education, from early education through university studies.

I know Jackson. You can walk easily to a venue from the state capitol to any number of religious institutions that can assuage any spiritual travails you may be feeling. You can also easily walk to an educational institution in need of help from the state in providing a good education for its young citizens. The same is true for almost every municipal or county seat of government in our state. I ask you to get your priorities straight and do what will really move our state forward.

Sincerely yours,



Mims H. Carter

Pass Christian

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