Southerners (but not exclusive to them) - WHAT A WEEK

[underpants]

Just a week ago we awoke to the news of the tragic racist act of terrorism in Charleston South Carolina.



Since then we have seen:
The Governor of South Carolina call for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the Capital grounds. South Carolina is 2nd or 3rd of the holiest places in southerners' hearts after their home state and maybe Virginia (I'll get to Virginia in a second) depending if they cherish the beginning or the end.

The Citadel is removing the Confederate battle flag from anything associated with them. The Citadel is one of the two southern sort-of military academies with VMI (I'm getting to Virginia just hold ya horses), vestiges of the Confederate military in history and tradition.... and the heritage of said historical tradition. You all have no idea how deep it gets stacked down here.

The Governor of Alabama, ALABAMA! Said "Take it down" and they did. ALABAMA?
There is some discussion about changing their flag too.
ALABAMA?!?!?

The Governor of Virginia (South Boston Latin: VUHginYA) takes the battle flag off the license plates. Just a few years ago we were all convinced that anything like that was next to impossible. We are so steeped in HISTORY around here we just take it for granted that there are powers that just can't be overcome.

This is amazing. Such a drastic change in just a week.
It was going to happen sooner or later but I would personally have those 9 lives back and waited - we're used to waiting.





Due to where I live and my child and work I can't tell you how much time I spend on Monument Avenue (Stuart, Lee, Stonewall, Jeff Davis, Maury....and Arthur Ashe monuments). It is something that people take a lot of pride in around here and others just take it, as Bruce Hornsby (Virginian) said, "that's just he way it is, some things will never change". It is changing and rather suddenly.

[arcane1]

1. This expatriated Richmonder is looking forward to his visit home this year

There will be some very interesting conversations! I'm fortunate that my family wasn't tainted by racism or civil war fetishes, so we'll be speaking freely on the topic.

This year, I might actually agree with my family on most subjects for a change

[underpants]

2. It's changed

Since I moved here in 1994 it is very different. GREAT foodie places and culturally it is much more open.

PM me if you want. Would love to meet up.

[arcane1]

4. I believe it! I moved away in 1999 and it's more unfamiliar every time

I'll let you know when I plan to actually be there!

[underpants]

5. Awesome

[gratuitous]

3. Pent up demand

We've been held hostage for decades by a very strident, very dedicated coterie of dead-enders. Most Americans either didn't care one way or the other about the confederate fetishes, or figured they couldn't muster the public support. After Mr. Roof's rampage, though, a lot of people who didn't care suddenly cared: Here was a concrete, identifiable, indisputably bad action that could be definitely tied to this cult of death.

Initially, there was some of the same old pushback from the same old quarters, and the same old "let's not be hasty during this emotional time" nonsense. Well, it didn't fly, and Republican politicians - sensitive to the winds and whims of change as perhaps nobody else - finally decided to run around to the front and pretend they had been leading the parade all along. Fine, as long as you walk your talk. This time around, we're not taking "wait and see" for an answer. Those flags and other memorabilia of human oppression are coming down from the public squares; we'll be watching to make sure they follow through.

The ineffective counter-push is indicative of just how little support (in terms of raw numbers) all this nonsense really had. We steamrolled them because we are so many and they are so few. A strange thing: When we fight, we win.

[underpants]

6. Fantastic post

Cult of death

Run around to the front and pretend they had been leading the parade all along

When we fight, we win