A day after Mississippi voters chose to retain the state’s controversial flag, state residents remained polarized on the issue.

Mississippians chose 2-1 to keep the 1894 flag design despite its Confederate emblem which is deemed racist by some people.

&uot;(The old flag) has served the state well,&uot; said Natchez resident Joe Stutzman. &uot;I’m glad the majority of the people of the state had courage&uot; to vote for the new flag.&uot;

Stutzman also said he hopes that the flag debate has given both sides a better understanding of and respect for the opposing point of view.

&uot;Diversity and inclusion are a two-way street,&uot; Stutzman said. &uot;If I’m asked to respect another group’s heroes and culture and heritage, then I&160;should not be asked to expect anything less for my heroes and culture and heritage.&uot;

Thomas McCoy of Natchez was also glad to see the state’s existing flag win, although he is still not sure why the issue had to go to a vote at all.

&uot;It would be ridiculous to change the state flag after using it for so long,&uot; McCoy said. &uot;It’s something people recognize, something for our kids to be proud of.&uot;

But Dr. James Wiggins, professor of history at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, was one of thousands of Mississippians shaking their heads with disbelief Tuesday night during election results.

On Wednesday, Wiggins expressed his feelings about the vote by paraphrasing the song &uot;Dixie.&uot;

&uot;Explain away, explain away Dixieland,&uot; Wiggins said.

And Wiggins had three words for those wondering where Mississippians go from here:&160;&uot;Back to school.&uot;

&uot;Read any history book written in the last 40 years by any legitimate historian on the subject – or any book on the history of Mississippi, for that matter – to see why the Confederacy was actually formed,&uot; Wiggins said.

&uot;Yes, it’s part of our history, but it’s not something to take pride in,&uot; he said. &uot;And (the Civil War) was just a four-year span of a 300-year history.&uot;

Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, who headed a state commission tasked with redesigning the flag, said he was disappointed, but not surprised by the election results.

&uot;From the beginning, we knew this was going to be an uphill battle,&uot; he said.

Winter said he thinks the next step for the state is to &uot;let the dust settle.&uot;

Hopefully, Winter said, the discussion will continue to be positive and not take a turn toward controversy.

&uot;We’re all in this together,&uot; he said. &uot;Our common destiny depends on our ability to get along and respect each other as individual human beings.&uot;

And it’s that open debate and expression of opinion that will ultimately move the state forward, he said.

&uot;The outcome of this effort will be an increased understanding of our continued obligation to work for a Mississippi that has its face turned toward the future and not the past,&uot; he said.