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OPINION: Mississippi District 12 state...

OPINION: Mississippi District 12 state Senator Derrick T. Simmons, Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner’s decision to stop buying from Nike is unconstitutional

By: Sarah Ulmer - October 9, 2018

In a Letter to the Editor Senator Derrick T. Simmons calls the recent decision by the Public Safety Commission unconstitutional:

“As a state Senator and a private practice attorney, I agree with a September 28, 2018 article by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy published in The Clarion Ledger that says Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher’s decision to no longer purchase training equipment from Nike because of its ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick is unconstitutional.  Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback, is known for starting the movement of players kneeling during the national anthem.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy wrote, “MDPS commissioner made clear that his decision to initiate a government boycott was based on his personal objection to the speech made by Nike, saying: ‘As commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, I will not support vendors who do not support law enforcement and our military.’

I support the men and women of our military and law enforcement, but one of the protections they fought for is the Constitution and the First Amendment, which protects Nike and Kaepernick’s expressions, though many may not agree with how they protest.

While I do not always agree with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy on public policy issues, I wholeheartedly agree with it on this basic fundamental right. 

Specifically, I agree with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy on the following points of the article.

  • A government boycott of Nike is simply unconstitutional.
  • A government boycott in retaliation for corporate speech also ignores Mississippi law establishing bidding requirements for most public purchases.  We have those laws for a reason.

·      A public official boycotting vendors with certain views implies that taxpayer money is their money, to reward or punish whom they see fit based on their own personal beliefs.

About the Author(s)
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Sarah Ulmer

Sarah is a Mississippi native, born and raised in Madison. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where she studied Communications, with an emphasis in Broadcasting and Journalism. Sarah’s experience spans multiple mediums, including extensive videography with both at home and overseas, broadcasting daily news, and hosting a live radio show. In 2017, Sarah became a member of the Capitol Press Corp in Mississippi and has faithfully covered the decisions being made by leaders on some of the most important issues facing our state. Email Sarah: sarah@magnoliatribune.com