Peeved In Extremis (A Political Tirade)

Okay, I was clued in today by my pal Stacey about an article in our local fishwrapper. Seems there is a movement afoot to relocate a buttload of conservative Christians to my fair state in an effort to swing the political balance..... in effect, making SC a haven for conservative Christians. Kind of like, "Is Michigan getting too liberal for you? Move to SC -- where your prejudices and petty narrowmindedness will find the perfect home."

Well, first off, I'm thinking, HELLO? How much more conservative can you GET outside of South Carolina? The state that's been solidly red for the last 25 years? Home of Strom Thurmond? Both senators are GOP (now that ol' Strom has passed on and Fritz retired). If I want to elect most of my local leaders, I have to vote in the Republican primary (otherwise, I don't get a say in who's running for sheriff or county council or anything else).

Great God almighty, you can't get more "better red than dead" than good ol' SC.... what the hell do these people think they're coming in to change? HELLO?

Part of me wants to say, "Go ahead. Move in. I hope you find that South Carolinians are far more tolerant than you think. I hope you find they laugh in your faces. I hope you meet people who you think will jump right on your bandwagon, only to find they have NO interest at all in your views." Ooops.... better stop there before I launch into a chorus of "Sweet Home Alabama" redone as "Sweet Home Carolina." Actually, I do have Northern friends whom I love dearly. Furthermore, most of them would never do anything like this either.

There's the other part of me that wants to tell them to take their sorry azzes back to wherever it is that spawned them. The part that would sing "Sweet Home Carolina." I am Carolina born, Carolina bred, and if God is good, someday, I will be Carolina dead. My roots here are deep. My families arrived here in the Carolinas well over 200 years ago. Some came from places like Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland... others came from another land altogether. But they found it good and to their liking and stayed. And I have too. I love the South, and especially my home state (warts and all). And I will be damned if I see it turned into a haven for religious lunatics who think they can turn my beloved Carolina (North OR South) into their own private Idaho.... so to speak.