I received the email from my Dad a few days ago. "Can you believe South Carolina? No wonder you live in Colorado."
Wondering what new embarrassments had emerged from my tiny home state, I clicked on the link to a story by Brian Hicks in the Charleston Post and Courier, a newspaper whose idea of balanced editorial page in the past has been to run columns by George Will on the same day as Cal Thomas.
South Carolina Needs to Stop the Stupidity
Let's get this straight: The White House has allowed first lady Michelle Obama to tool around Moscow, the Czech Republic and even Ghana in the past year, but officials are a little worried about her coming to South Carolina.
They consider the atmosphere here too dangerous.
http://www.postandcourier.com/...
Bravo to Mr. Hicks to write this. I now worry for his safety.
Apparently, SC State, a predominantly black state college, recently asked Michelle Obama to come speak at a function there, and the negative reply was relayed to Rep. James Clyburn.
Mr. Hicks continues:
Just when it seemed the summer of shame was over, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn dropped this bombshell on The Post and Courier's Yvonne Wenger on Friday. Clyburn says the White House is wary of bringing the first lady to the state because of the attitude of some of its residents. Even if they are overreacting, or if Clyburn is overstating the case, it's embarrassing. If security professionals, who apparently have reservations, actually believe it is too dangerous for the first family to visit a U.S. state, then we have dropped below the status of a Third World country. It makes us look like buffoons, racists and backwater morons.
A loudmouthed minority of Neanderthals and sore losers have so poisoned the national discourse with their racist rantings, crude jokes and veiled threats that they have sullied South Carolina's reputation more than any governor, congressman or senator could ever imagine. So, thanks for that.
If unemployment holds at its current rates, you can thank these same idiots. Think any international company, any major business, will locate to a state where the president's own wife might not be safe? This is not about politics or that socialism baloney cooked up by politicians and insurance companies. It is about respect for the office.
This is the bottom of the barrel.
Wow. How sad if the Secret Service feels that it wouldn't be safe for the First Lady, who has ties to South Carolina through several branches of her family, to visit any state in the union presided over by her husband.
She spent time in Georgetown as a child visiting relatives of her father, and visited them during the election campaign. http://www.chicagotribune.com/.... Recently, researchers have traced Michelle Obama's lineage through another grandparent back to a 6 year-old slave girl in South Carolina, according to a fascinating and poignant article in the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/...
South Carolina, with its tumultuous and sordid history regarding race relations, a state with 30% of its population African-American, should more than welcome the chance to show respect and some "Southern hospitality" toward our First Lady. This is an embarrassment and shameful episode for SC, a beautiful place that I love deeply, a place where there are many good and decent people, but a place becoming more known these days for its ugly underbelly. I don't want the First Family anywhere the Secret Service feels is too dangerous, and glad they are on top of this perceived threat.
I applaud the journalist Brian Hicks for admonshing his fellow South Carolinians, and thank the Post and Courier for publishing him. Maybe times are a changin...just a bit.
Update...I had no idea till just now that this article by Brian Hicks has been cited by Fox news, Michelle Malkin, etc, many local blogs, where the Obama administration and Michelle Obama have been made fun of for being "scared" to visit SC, or accused of not loving red states, etc...I certainly do not want to put words in anyone's mouth, particularly the First Lady's, who I respect and admire greatly. I doubt if she is afraid of visiting anywhere, thus, I have added the question mark to the title. I also changed the wording to show that it is my opinion, rather than Michelle Obama's. Thanks for the recs..
UPDATE2 I just heard back from Brian Hicks, the journalist cited.. Here's the original newspaper article "Clyburn Cites SC Hostility" by Yvonne Wenger, whose interview with Rep. Clyburn started this discussion.