The Big Penalty for Living in the Past - Or How People in Mississippi Pay $3,000 a Month to Live in the Past

There is a big penalty for living in the past.

Massachusetts was one of the first states to outlaw slavery, back in 1783. Washington and California entered the Union as free states. New York outlawed slavery relatively early - in 1799.

These four states have the highest average incomes in the country - about 25% higher than the national average.

The Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery everywhere in the US and was ratified in December of 1865.

Mississippi ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in 1995 - and certified that in 2013. 148 years after it was ratified nationally.

Mississippi has the lowest average income of any state in the country, 31% lower than the national average.

The difference between Mississippi and Massachusetts' average wages is $35,000 a year - nearly $3,000 a month. Folks in Mississippi make roughly half of what folks in Massachusetts make.

There is a huge penalty for worldviews that dismiss or limit the potential of any member of a community. The past is not a better place. You should move out of there daily.

Of note: had it not been for Mississippi, Kentucky would have been the last state to ratify the 13th amendment. The state that gives us Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul ratified the 13th amendment in 1976 - a mere 111 years after the country as a whole. So, if you're ever wondering what kind of people think that McConnell and Paul would make great senators ... well, there you have it.