The city of Magnolia has decided to remove the state flag from all city buildings.  Mayor Anthony Witherspoon said the decision mirrors what residents of Magnolia want.

“I would like to have a flag that represents everyone in the city buildings of Magnolia,” Alderman Becky Magee told the Enterprise-Journal newspaper. “I don’t think our state flag does, and I think we need one that represents everyone.”

Hattiesburg officials did something similar a few weeks ago.

Magee has a valid point. The Confederate emblem on the state flag is offensive to some.

But as of now, it’s still our state flag. And as long as that’s the case, towns, cities and counties should fly it.

We’ve advocated changing the state flag to something that’s more representative of Mississippi, but we don’t believe the current flag should be removed from public spaces as long as it remains the state flag of Mississippi. For better or worse, it represents our state and should be on display.

Let’s be clear: the flag should be changed — either through a vote by the state’s residents or proclamation by the legislature. But until that happens, don’t hide the flag.