The Democratic presidential primary election will be held here in South Carolina on Saturday, January 26. After it’s over, with a population of just over four million, we won’t get much attention from the candidates or national press, but up until then y’all may find us quite fascinating. Like any place run by humans, we have our problems. And our state government often serves us very badly. But mostly South Carolinians are just like you, so if you could keep the anti-Southern bigotry to a minimum, that would be much appreciated.
–Ann Bartow
No, I strenously disagree. SC is NOT like other states.
You still have that damned flag flying in front of your capital. Not exactly the welcome matt for diversity–of any sort. Until the state government repudiates symbolic racism, nope, SC is NOT like other states.
I’ll stop the anti-SC stuff once SC stops the state-sanctioned bigotry.
You are correct that there is state sanctioned bigotry here. You are wrong that SC is unique in this. Georgia flew some version of the Confederate flag until 2003, see e.g. http://www.sos.ga.gov/museum/html/georgia_flag_history.html
Alabama currently flies a related Confederate flag: http://www.50states.com/flag/alflag.htm
So does Florida: http://www.50states.com/flag/flflag.htm
Here’s the Mississippi flag:
http://www.50states.com/flag/msflag.htm
Moving on to state songs, here are the lyrics to Virginia’s:
http://www.50states.com/songs/virginia.htm
Let me be clear that I don’t think bad behavior by other states excuses bad things that happen here.
But y’all put mustard in your barbecue. That’s just wrong!
“No, I strenously disagree. SC is NOT like other states.”
Me too. We, for example, know how to spell strenuously.
More seriously, South Carolina has a long way to go on racial equality front, but it’s note really fair to compare it to (say) New Hampshire, Nevada, Iowa. Sure race relations are worse here, but that’s because we have two populations (maybe 3, if you count latino immigrants are racial distinct) of significant size and identity, together with a terrible history not shared by the other early primary states. I don’t think anyone not hindered by their own ideological blinders would argue that there hasn’t been significant and heartening progress for black South Carolinians over the past couple decades.
Hopefully, this election will help folks around the country learn something about South Carolina other than that we once flew the confederate flag on the statehouse and now fly it at a confederate memorial on the statehouse grounds. Because, really, there is a lot more to South Carolina than that.
“But y’all put mustard in your barbecue. That’s just wrong!”
If you thought I was riled up about the confederate flag, don’t get me started on the heavenly goodness of Carolina Gold… mmmmmm
If we *are* from the South, can we engage in anti-Southern bigotry. It’s magically delicious!
I find mustard based barbecue sauce magically delicious. Being called a cracker, hayseed, or redneck, not so much. I also find it interesting that while much anti-Southern bigotry is overtly directed at white Southerners, it is often racist as well because it completely ignores Southerners of Color, as if they are completely unimportant or don’t exist at all. Almost a million and a half African Americans choose to live here in South Carolina.