The hype around the presidential debate at Ole Miss next week has set me to thinking about a lot of things. I have over the last few years attended games in Oxford regularly, and listened each time to a watered down version of "Dixie" played by The Pride Of The Southland Band. For years, I have held that they should play it right or not play it at all. A few weeks ago something in my heart changed. I am not sure where the change came from but it was for me a fundamental change. This time when the announcer said "Now listen to 'From Dixie With Love'." it became the right song for this time in history. For those who do not know "From Dixie With Love" is a medley number that combines "Dixie" with "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic". I grew up with the old stile "Dixie" being played at Ole Miss games but, on this Saturday, I realized that I grew up in the old stile Dixie.

There are some who would have us do away with "Dixie" altogether, but I can't let go of music that was played during our national championship seasons. The song that lead John Vought , Jake Gibbs and hundreds of others onto the field cannot be written off completely. However we can no longer disregard the feeling that Deuce McAlester, thefamily of Chucky Mullins, and more hundredsof others

If we are going to ask "ARE YOU READY' we must ask are we all ready and we must be ready together.

A statue of a Confederate solder stands near the administration building on the Ole Miss campus. on the opposite side there stands a statue of James Meredith. They are part of our history. Nether can or should be ignored. The statue of the solder is one of a man standing still. The statue of Meredeth is on of a man moving forward. I do not believe that it dishonors our past to see that the future of who we are lies with the one moving forward.