Emblem of the Dinosaur Republic? (Wiki Commons)
At Fort Sumter, South Carolina, the Civil War began. That war is known locally, still, as the War of Yankee Aggression. Odd…since it was the South Carolina militia that fired the first shots.
South Carolina also appears to be laying claim to the title Dinosaur Republic, if Rusty DePass, former chairman of the South Carolina elections commission and GOP activist, is any indication. Speaking about the escape of a gorilla from a zoo in Columbia, SC, DePass said “I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors--probably harmless” as reported by several news outlets, including Huffington Post. And he admitted he meant Michelle Obama.
I wonder who DePass’s ancestors were? At last check, we were all descended from a primate called “Lucy,” found in Olduvai Gorge by the Leakeys and some other scientists about 40 years ago or more. I’m pretty sure I’m descended from Lucy. But then, I don’t think man was plunked down on Earth, magenta golf pants and all, only 5,000 years ago. I’m pretty sure God didn’t give us the ability to do carbon dating, allow us to use it to prove hominid skeletons were 1.6 million years old, and then yell, “Ha, ha, I got you. I really created you only 5,000 years ago, but I made all that other stuff and strewed it around in Tanzanian gorges and let you find it so I could have a good old belly laugh at my dopey creation. Gotcha!” My God isn’t a joker…at least I didn’t think so until I read Mr. DePass’s statement. Some of Lucy’s progeny do seem a bit laughable, just not the ones he thinks.
Mr. DePass is laughable at best. He says he’s sorry if he offended anyone. He did, and, for me, his offensive comment opened up a whole other can of worms (and I use the term advisedly), including the mentality of Rudy Giuliani. Remember him? Before he started to think with his lower brain, he was a pretty good mayor of New York City, and actually something of a miracle man during and after 9/11. But one has to wonder as his powers of discernment, not to mention his character, when one hears he chose DePass as a county co-chair in his 2008 run for the Rose Garden. Oh, right: Rudy probably didn’t choose DePass. Some other good old boy probably did. So maybe it’s not Rudy at fault there, but just a whole passel of Republican good old boys.
Now, it may sound as if I am down on good old boys, in which case, good. I am. I have personally suffered living among them. They are so good at turning on the charm to suit the occasion, that this jaded Yankee actually married one once, thinking he was a thinking man, and being totally erroneous. (I admit my errors, and move on.) I also worked for a southern agricultural magazine once. And yes indeed, it was a true case of selling out to the enemy for a few--emphasis on few--bucks. I have regretted it every day since the day I took the job, in some financial desperation, and left after 11 months of misery, still in some financial desperation, but at least no longer suffering an ethics meltdown. Aside from feeling like slime just for being there, just to pay the bills, it was misery to be locked up in a glass and chrome tower with men whose idea of equality was to put a hand on my shoulder in the cafeteria and warn me not to go to Richmond’s trendy Shockoe Bottom for drinks and dinner because it was, “Well, a bit rough, if you know what I mean.” I did know what he meant, and his statement turned my stomach.
DePass isn’t even smart enough to button his lip about his reprehensible antediluvian ways when the world has gone about…let’s see…144 years beyond the War of Yankee Agression.
What’s really funny about the entire thing is that DePass both supported the push to impeach President Clinton over Clinton’s private business, and wrote an op-ed for The State, “Do Republicans have higher moral standards than Democrats?”
It seems that South Carolina has a few tidbits of unfinished business to look into. Possibly they might want to survey their history textbooks to see how their iconic war turned out, and let their politicians know. Hint: The War to Free a Large Part of Humanity from Their Immoral Captors is over. And the freedom fighters won.
Comments
you sound like you are misplacing your anger that should be directed towards your ex husband
Reese: I think you're reading something into this that is not a reflection of me. In fact, if I'm mad at anyone, it's at myself for falling for the smooth talk, both personal and professional. I mention it only because it seems to be of a piece--this living in a Black or White, instead of blackandwhite--world, as Mr. DePass is doing, and as both my ex-husband and ex-employer did. Those three entities were products of the vanquished Confederacy; in short, in politics, corporations and personal relationships, the values of the Confederacy--values not acceptable in a multicultural, ethical world--still live. Unfortunately. And for anyone to agree with them--for the sake of finances or love or any other reason--is unethical a priori, as well as unworkable. And, as I said, I learned those lessons the hard way and moved on.
I agree that Mr. Depass' comments are completely out of line and unaccpetable, but to say that it is a South Carolina problem is akin to saying that New York is a state of pimps and thiefs due to the actions of Elliot Spitzer and Bernie Madoff. We can't control who lives here or what they say.
Ft. Sumter
I enjoyed this article. His comments about Michelle Obama were disgusting. DePass is reprehensible.
soup: Thanks. Change in the works.
Reese: You have a point...although if one elects them...? Still, your point is well-taken. And believe me, I'm no fan of Spitzer or Madoff, and I, for one, am embarrassed to admit I was born and lived a very great part of my life in the state that spawned them. (BTW, NY is full of pimps and thieves...and some regular people, too, thank goodness.)
Depass is not an elected official and it should be noted that he did run for office and was defeated.
The article was VERY well written. I agree, it is a "SOUTH CAROLINA" problem. Racism exist, and there is very little that is being done. It is totally embarassing to live in a state where one can be so disrespectful toward another human being, especially OUR first lady. Nothing derrogatory was ever said/written about the previous president's wives, what makes the OBAMAS any different? De(Jack)pass is quite the IDIOT.
Vee- One person's public comments make it a "South Carolina" problem? I still do not buy that logic, as I have yet to find anyone else is who is willing to publically support Mr. Depass' comments. Have you?
SecretAgent72: Your comment is being taken down because you chose to preface it with a personal insult. However, yes, I am a product of the public schools, which leads me to believe you are one of the higher life forms educated in private. Your statement that the Civil War was not fought to free the slaves is erroneous. Yes, it was an economic battle as you might contend, as well. But perhaps you never heard of abolitionists (Uncle Tom's Cabin, anyone?), or that slaves were, in fact, an economic commodity. But then, perhaps your private education left something to be desired. Perhaps it was lily white, and self-apologizing and couldn't accept the fact that any part of this nation participated in that reprehensible reality based upon plantation economics.
Sad to say, I agree. I have lots of family in SC, who moved there from the Northern states. Lots of discrimination against them from locals claiming the "yankees" have stolen all their jobs, taken all their land, etc. Lots of confederate flags on cars, t-shirts, and so on. It's like a different world down there. Scary and sad at the same time.
You're embarrassed of Spitzer?
I'd be embarrassed that the guy who pinpointed the issues which were leading to the economic collapse was discounted just because he slept with a call girl.
We know there are Congressmen and other legislators who are homosexuals with a fondness for pedophilia, who have conventions in Las Vegas and sleep with legal prostitutes in the surrounding counties, and sleep with illegal prostitutes in Washington, D.C. Why aren't they exposed? They're not exposing the greed and corruption of the banking system, that's why!
The Bush family has been accused of participating in a child sex torture ring, and in the June 29, 1989 issue of The Washington Times, there's a story about homosexual prostitutes being brought into the White House.
Hi there. I do hate to stay on a subject that the original article didn't seem to be about. But... The Civil War could not have been started over the slavery of humans because the North didn't start the war, remember? South Carolina, in all it's stupidity did that. When Lincoln taunted the South Carolinians that even though he had promised to give over Ft. Sumter to them and then later told the Fort commander that he needed the south to make the first shot. Anybody here actually read history? When those students in SC, in all their stupidity, began firing at the fort that makes it the south that started the war.
Please don't insult my intelligence by saying you actually believe that the war was started the free the slaves.
Was it fought to free the slaves? Lincoln himself never said that until halfway through the war. in fact he admitted that if he had to let the south retain its slaves he would agree to that to put his nation back together.
All that aside. (Continued...)
All that aside. Living in South Carolina is getting to be very hard to swallow. The war is over!!! Stop pretending like it was a better way of life Carolinians!!! Losing was the best thing that ever happened to this state. How do we keep ending up with so many idiots here? You newer South Carolinians need to begin running for government. You outnumber the indigenous South Carolinians by 2.5 to 1. Start voting PLEASE!
By the way, just in case you wish to argue the subject, please read The American Heritage New History of the Civil War, (Part of Chapter 6)". But up to the fall of 1862 slavery was not an issue in the war. The Federal government had explicitly declared that it was fighting solely to save the Union. " edited by James M. McPherson. A man born in South Dakota (not the south, lol). He received his Bachelor of Arts at Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota) in 1958. Currently he resides in Princeton, New Jersey, and is married with one child. Who has also received the Pulitzer Prize. Finally ( and I agree, thankfully) Before someone, mentions the American Civil War being fought over slavery (tragically laughable) he/she should remember the tragic slaughter of blacks in New York when the news of Lincoln's freeing of the slaves reached the newspapers.
So many unpopular things so easily forgotten.
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