My Home State

I don't find it odd, and many people do as I do. When asked by a stranger where I am from, I don't say South Carolina. I say Charleston. I will add, in South Carolina, if needed.

But I don't consider myself a South Carolinian. I consider myself a Charlestonian. I think the two are incompatible.

Yesterday I was reading a story on MSNBC about John McCain's 2000 campaign in our state. About the dirty tricks. About the phone calls to voters asking their "opinion" John McCain's "illegitimate black daughter". Who was in fact, John McCain's adopted daughter.

And there was Charlie Condon, golly-geeing and shucksing his way around the vast moral wrongness of it all with a "that's how we do it down here." See, that's how the family values party did it in 2000. Lied about an adopted child.

And it almost made me angry as well as sick to my stomach.

But then, I thought, why did it make a difference?

Did the Republicans supporting Bush who came up with this ploy just think the state was full of intolerant bigots? Or is our state, indeed, filled with intolerant bigots. If there had not been fertile soil for the seeds of hatred, the behaviour would not have been tolerated. Those responsible would have been and should have been shamed by the decent, God fearing citizens of this state.

But they weren't.

I wonder what levels of hatred and intolerance and just plain morally wrong decisions will be found this time around.

Or are the decent, God fearing good citizens of this state going to say, "No. That is not us. That is not how we do things. We will not tolerated lies based on bigotry."

I can dream.


Loki sez: Aren't you tired of being led around by your prejudices yet?