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| The Mississippi, Believe
It! Campaign |
| New 2008 Campaign Ads |
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| Yes, our roads are paved ... AND
we have the best student drivers under the sun. |
Who’s
running the roads in Mississippi? Teens, of course. But
our teens are building their own wheels ... and winning
titles for it. For the past seven years in a row, the Sundancer
Solar Race Team from Houston, MS, has won 1st place in the
Open Division of the Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge.
Launched in 1993, the educational program was designed to
teach high school students how to build roadworthy solar
cars. And for years, Mississippi’s students have risen to
the challenge. (Also, in 2007, a team from Choctaw placed
3rd in the Open Division, and teams from Decatur and Ocean
Springs placed 1st and 3rd, respectively, in the Classic
Division.) These kids beat out teams from across the U.S.
... and several other countries ... with their ingenuity,
determination, intelligence and spirit. Now, that’s
a bright reflection on the state of Mississippi!
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Yes, we have running water ...
right next to
the world’s finest kitchen appliances. |
It
started with a range. A special range Fred Carl’s wife wanted
for her new kitchen, but that he couldn’t find anywhere.
So what did he do? He took his Mississippi-bred initiative
and built it himself. From that one range grew an appliance
empire – Viking Range Corporation – right out
of Greenwood, Mississippi. Now, Viking’s full line
of appliances can be found in gourmet home kitchens across
the globe. And each one is still made in Greenwood. Fred’s
commitment to keeping his own business in his hometown wasn't
enough for the former building contractor. He wanted the
entire city of Greenwood to benefit. So, he began buying
and renovating old buildings, helping others set up new
businesses and literally heating up the town with his optimism
and enthusiasm. Mississippi’s always been known for the
delicious things that come out of our kitchens. Now, thanks
to Viking, we’re known for the first-rate appliances
that go into them.
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Y’all May Think We Talk Funny,
But The World Takes Our Music Seriously. |
Slow.
Southern. Drawl. A touch of country twang. Some people think
we sound funny. Except when we’re singing. From the
father of country music ... to the king of rock 'n' roll
... to the birthplace of the blues. For decades, Mississippians
have been scoring the soundtracks of peoples lives. From
the Deep South to the top of the charts, Mississippians
are music to the world’s ears.
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| A State of Grace. |
We
always hear about Mississippi being last. Last in this,
last in that. Well, at last, Mississippi is first ... in
generosity. And, in 1995, the world took note of Mississippi's
generous spirit through a single, unselfish act. Ms. Oseola
McCarty of Hattiesburg had made a living washing & ironing
for over 75 years. As a child, she was taught to save money
by her mother, a single-parent who was a cook and sold candy
to make ends meet. Over the years, Oseola – who lived
modestly, never even owning a car – accumulated a
small fortune. In 1995, she donated $150,000 to The University
of Southern Mississippi for an endowed scholarship. It was
the single largest gift ever given to USM by an African-American.
Having quit school in 6th grade to help take care of her
ailing aunt, Oseola wanted desperately "to help somebody's
child go to college." The Oseola McCarty Scholarship
does just that by giving "priority consideration to
those deserving African-American students enrolling at USM
who clearly demonstrate a financial need." Prior to
her death in 1999, Ms. McCarty received scores of awards
and other honors recognizing her generous spirit, including
the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second
highest civilian award. But all the awards and accolades
in the world could never truly match the rich, warm, humble
blessing that was Ms. Oseola McCarty.
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Yes, we can read.
A few of us can
even write. |
From
Pulitzer Prize winners to revolutionaries who initiated
momentous cultural change ... oh, yes, Mississippians
can write. No other state in the country can claim as many
honored, awarded and revered writers as Mississippi. Yes,
Mississippi. Where words transcend.
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Yes,
we wear shoes.
A few of us even wear cleats. |
Brett
Favre – the only player ever to be named
the NFL Most Valuable Player three years in a
row and current NFL record holder for career
touchdown passes. Walter Payton – over
20 years since he last took the field, “Sweetness” is
still ranked among the NFL’s greatest,
appearing in category after category of the NFL
record books. Jerry Rice – the greatest
receiver in NFL history, owns virtually every
major career receiving record in league history.
Steve “Air” McNair – miraculously
led the underdog Tennessee Titans to the AFC
Championship –a first for the 40-year-old
franchise. Eli Manning – led the New York
Giants to a stunning win over the undefeated
New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. These
men are just a few of Mississippi’s legendary
football heroes. Yes, Mississippi. When it comes
to world-class athletes, we’re a shoe in.
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Monster
Trucks? No.
Hog Callin'? No.
Tractor Pulls? No.
World-Class Entertainers? Yes! |
What’s
our idea of fun in Mississippi? It’s not what
you think. We actually enjoy watching movies and television,
or listening to the radio to see how many Mississippians
we can identify. We usually identify quite a few, as
you can see. Mississippi. You could say our leading
export is world-class talent.
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| Meet a Few
of Our New "Good Ole Boys." |
The “good
ole boy” network alive and well in Mississippi? Not
hardly. Our new “network” consists of more black
elected officials than any other state in the country – a
number that grew from a mere 81 in 1970 to 897 in 2000. Not
to mention women who have held high-ranking positions in
the state, such as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and
Lieutenant Governor. And an Indian chief – yes, an
Indian chief – whose business savvy and leadership
skills propelled the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
to the forefront of economic development in the Southeast
during his almost 30 years as chief. “Good ole boys?” Try “great
young visionaries.” That’s more like today’s
Mississippi.
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Mississippi.
When It Comes to Modern Medicine,
We Wrote The Book. |
If
you listen to “Hollywood,” Mississippi should
be the last place to turn for learning anything about medicine.
They couldn’t be more wrong. When it comes to modern
medicine, Mississippi wrote the book. Literally. While at
the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippian
Dr. Arthur Guyton wrote the Textbook of Medical Physiology,
used by medical students around the world since 1956. The
best-selling physiology book ever published, this textbook
may very well be the best-selling medical textbook of any
kind. UMC physiologist, Dr. John Hall, assisted Dr. Guyton
with the ninth and tenth editions of the textbook. Upon Dr.
Guyton’s death in 2003, Dr. Hall took over the textbook,
thus continuing to help educate the finest future physicians
in the world ... through a book written right here in Mississippi.
Mississippi. You could say we’re a textbook case for
advancing modern medicine.
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| A Mississippi
Stereo Type. |
There
are a lot of stereotypes in Mississippi. Our favorite “stereo
type” is the one that resonates in the ears of music
fans the world over. In 1965, Hartley Peavey started Peavey® Electronics
in his dad’s basement in Meridian, Mississippi. From
that small, oneroom operation, Peavey® has grown to
encompass 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing space.
A leader in manufacturing mixing consoles, amplifiers, speakers,
microphones, guitars, basses, keyboards ... and just
about anything else that has to do with music ... Peavey
supplies acts from rockers 3 Doors Down, Nickelback and
Kid Rock to country stars Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and
Hank Williams Jr. Peavey also has more patents, trademarks
and registered products than anyone else in the industry.
By the way, Peavey® remains headquartered in Meridian,
Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. We like the sound of that.
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Mississippi.
The First to Have a Change of Heart ...
and Lungs ... and Kidneys ... |
Health
care in Mississippi. It is by no means back-woods or antiquated,
as is often Hollywood’s interpretation. In fact,
Mississippi was home to the first-ever heart transplant
... and the first-ever lung transplant ... and the first-ever
kidney autotransplant. All performed by Mississippian Dr.
James Hardy, a surgeon at Mississippi’s University
Medical Center. Yes, Mississippi. We were the first in
the world to have a change of heart. Now isn’t it
time the rest of the world had a change of heart about
Mississippi?
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| No
Black. No White. Just The Blues. |
Some
see the world in black and white. Others see
varying shades of gray. But, Mississippi taught
the world to see ... and hear ... the
Blues. Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, W.C.
Handy, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddly, Muddy Waters,
Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton, B.B. King
... they all travelled the most revered blues
highway in the world – Mississippi’s
Highway 61. Mississippi. Birthplace of the
Blues.
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| The
Unmatched Courage of a Soldier. The Ultimate
Sacrifice of a Town. The Unparalleled Vision
of a Workforce. Mississippi. A Legendary Force
for Freedom. |
One
Mississippian – Lawrence "Rabbit" Kennedy – who
served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, remains
one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers in
history. One small town in Mississippi – D'Lo – sent
proportionally more men to serve in World War
II than any other town in the country ... which
was literally every eligible man in town. And
for over 60 years, one Mississippi workforce – Northrop
Grumman Ship Systems – has helped bring
freedom to those who seek her elusive grasp
the world over. One man. One town. One workforce.
One state. Mississippi – dedicated to
freedom. You better believe it.
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| Freedom
Unsinkable. |
They
tried to blow a hole in our freedom. Instead,
they helped make our freedom whole. On October
12, 2000, the USS Cole suffered a devastating
blow – a strike literally against our
freedom. And it was perpetrated by the same
terrorists who masterminded and executed the
attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on
September 11, 2001. Through both incidents,
we proved that our freedom is unsinkable. The
men and women on board the USS Cole that fateful
day epitomize that freedom. Some became heroes
that summoned all the strength and wisdom necessary
to wrest the USS Cole from the depths of the
sea. Other heroes on board did not survive
that day ... and paid the ultimate price
for our freedom. We salute them all. As we
salute the men and women of Northrop Grumman
Ship Systems who first built the USS Cole – and
did so with such skill as to create a ship
that could survive a catastrophic blast to
her hull. And we salute those who so meticulously
repaired her to make it possible for her to
be set back asea ... and prove that our
freedom is truly unsinkable. Finally, we salute
the men and women who now man the USS Cole
as she sails to fulfill her duty to the United
States of America and to freedom itself. God
bless them, every one. And God bless America.
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Moscow,
Russia. Varna, Bulgaria. Helsinki, Finland.
Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Mississippi? You Better Believe It! |
One
of the world’s most prestigious dance
events, the USA International Ballet Competition
is a two-week “Olympic-style” competition
where young dancers vie for gold, silver and
bronze medals, as well as cash awards and scholarships.
And, every four years, where is the USA Competition
held? Not New York. Not even California. Since
1979, the only place in the U.S. to see the
International Ballet Competition has been in
Mississippi. Mississippi? World-class? We think
we’ve made our point. Or, make that “pointe.”
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Houston?
No. Kennedy Space Center? No.
Mississippi? You Better Believe It! |
NASA’s
Center of Excellence for rocket propulsion
testing isn’t in Houston, or even Florida.
It’s Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi.
As NASA’s primary center for testing
and flight certifying rocket propulsion systems,
Stennis tests all Space Shuttle Main Engines.
It is also the lead center for NASA’s
Mission to Planet Earth Enterprise – where
U.S. companies are assisted in environmental
consulting, land use planning and natural resource
management. Stennis employs about 4500 people – 1600
of whom work in the fields of science and
engineering. So when you hear people say it
doesn’t take rocket science to know Mississippi,
they’re wrong.
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| Where
Is The World’s Largest Auto Plant That
Was Built From Scratch? Japan? No. Germany?
No. Detroit? No. Mississippi? You Better Believe
It! |
A
once-barren, 1400-acre field now bears a plant
that the world would envy ... in
central Mississippi. Yes, Mississippi. A state
known for its agriculture now cultivates plants
of a different sort. The automotive sort. In
May of 2003, Nissan started production at the
company’s $1.4 billion assembly plant
in Canton. The 3.5 million square-foot facility
has the capacity to produce 400,000 vehicles
a year. Nearly a half-million automobiles a
year. Right here in Mississippi. Mississippi
... now a powerful engine in the automotive
industry.
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