My column this week is about polls that have shown that 27 percent of Mississippians, 23 percent of Georgians, and 21 percent of North Carolinians say they wish the South had won the Civil War.
Polls are what they are: fairly random snapshots of a moment in time that are highly influenced by the nature of the questions and highly dependent on whoever answers the phone and whether or not they are the type to engage in a political discussion with strangers.
Still, I think the attitude is consistent with the sentiments I have heard as a lifelong Southerner.
It’s an attitude that not only denies the historical reality of what the South really was fighting for – slavery – but it’s also somewhat disloyal. I’m glad I’m an American, and I don’t want to be a Confederate.
It’s becoming a little bit fashionable to complain about our country’s situation by threatening to leave it. Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay alluded to the idea of secession during the health care debate. Even actor Chuck Norris seemed open to the idea. Those sentiments recalled some of the statements by Democrats who threatened to emigrate to Canada in 2004 after President George W. Bush was elected.
My opinion: Try to help solve the problem first. And if you really don’t like it here, then leave. Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out.