Fry, principal at Moss Point High who was appointed to the flag commission because he is an educator, said he's received letters from Gulf Coast residents in Ocean Springs and Gulfport and from some state residents as far away as Corinth. Fry is one of three educators on the 17-member flag advisory Commission formed by Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. The governor appointed the commission after the state Supreme Court ruled in May that the flag is unofficial because the statute that established it was repealed in 1906. Musgrove's aim is to end the controversy surrounding the battle flag. African Americans who are offended by the flag say that it is a remainder of slavery and a symbol of racism.
Supporters say the design represents their heritage as Southern whites.
Fry said he has no problem with southern heritage, but he believes the flag is divisive. Fry and commission members will consider whether Mississippi's flag should be stripped of the Confederate battle symbol as well as whether the state's coat of arms should be changed. The coat of arms, approved in 1894, features an eagle with a palm branch in one talon and a bundle of arrows in the other. However, Fry said that public forums would be held in each of the state's five congressional districts to allow input from Mississippi residents about the flag. A work session will be held as well in Gulfport on October 18 that will allow several civic groups to voice their opinions on whether the flag should be changed.