This space is supposed to be a glimpse of my e-mail in-box. But editors here like to joke I am the only reporter/columnist left here, or maybe anywhere, who often gets mail delivered the old-fashioned way — through the regular mail. Some of it is particularly brutal, and often suggests I leave town on the next bus. Sometimes a sweetheart who offers a steady handrail in a gale of furor will write in that I am a paragon of wisdom. Not today, though.
Today's offering comes from a guy named Jack M. who thinks I am a dunce. An "idiot."
Jack doesn't like that I, and others I have interviewed and written about concerning the impending arrival of Maurice's BBQ, despise the Confederate Flag. That for me, and so many, the flag represents oppression, hate, and slavery.
Here's some of the letter:
Jack, who wrote he had ancestors fight for the Confederacy in the Civil War, wrote, "Let me tell you a damn thing or two!" before writing "Yankees put taxes on our cotton and everything else so it wasn't just slavery."
"The Confederate Flag never flew on a slave ship. In a Klan rally what's the first flag you see, the American Flag."
Jack says, "blacks fought under that flag as well."
Near the end Jack tells me "So you dumb 'idiot' you don't know crap."
He ends with, "If you don't like my flag go to hell and kiss where I can't!"
I give Jack credit for one thing: He gave his return address and phone number. He was not anonymous. He may have slammed me, but it wasn't anonymous. I salute your grit and guts, Jack, even if I disagree with almost everything you say.
a few thoughts...
as for googling my handle and finding a pic of a horse...what did you expect - pork?
and as for googling Bessinger's 'words of wisdom from a southern gentlemen' you must not have looked too closely. or perhaps i just learned a bit more about keyboarding from my uncle Mr. Ed, so was able to go to more dark places in cyberspace, dunno.
Let me just ask you to think about this for a moment, regarding the 'hate vs. heritage' debate. I grew up in the south, so i 'get it' but they symbolism has changed.
consider this analogy: a wedding ring symbolizes eternal love, right? well, when/if the marriage goes, um...'south' then it becomes a symbol of loss, pain, the past, etc and is germain to nothing future or productive. that is how i see the flag debate. regardless of what it means to many, if it is offensive/oppresive to many others IMO it no longer symbolizes 'heritage' but rather hate and division.
another thing: obviously Bessinger is not stupid. he did market research before coming to RH. so of course his business will flourish here. what upsets me is that SC is so darned determined to be last in everything from education to progress, that 15 miles up the road in downtown Charlotte Bessinger would never succeed. (and anyone who buys his 'i wont fly the confederate flag here; it's too expensive' oratory detritus, well i've got some sound-proof land near the airport to sell ya, lol. This is one way Hitler got into such a position of power: subterfuge, insidious, slow-burning and restrained hatred. wanna bet how long it'll be before he 'decorates' his restaurant and begins selling hate literature/icons?
in the words of a black friend of mine: i feel a huge sense of relief every time i cross the NC border.
that is truly sad. but 'goshdarnit we'll cling to our heritage likely long into the next century, and anyone who doesnt like it can leave!'
whew, what a mindset. hate to be the one to break it to ya guys (and contrary to proclamations made on sites linked to Bessinger's 'a southern gentleman makes a political statement') but we indeed surrendered at Appomattox and lost the Civil War.
i love South Carolina; its the mentality i find hard to swallow at times. Seig Heil.