Thursday, April 05, 2007

South Carolina Compromise


For a country boy from the Coast Range Mountains of Oregon going to South Carolina was like traveling to another country. The only difference was I didn't need a passport. With travel restrictions getting tighter I may need one in the future.

This is in Charleston where both the Revolutionary war and the Civil war all began. I had no idea that so much defiant history haunted this town. Just think within the last two hundred years the folks of this little city have told "Big Gubberment" to take a hike. "We don't need your taxin' n regulatin' round here".

Prior to taking this business trip last January I had never been any further east then Wyoming. But I had watched plenty of "Flip this House". A week before goin' south I happen to see Richard Davis and his crew rennovatin' an eatin' establishment in Charleston called, "The Crab House". As soon as I was done with my work I beelined to the Crab House where these two lovely people gave me crabs. They looked damn happy about it to. They were from Oregon themselves so they were so happy to oblige. Southern Hospitality "Oregon" style.


Then we all headed for Columbia. The capital that is. Not the country in South America. When we were there we visited the capital buildin' and set out findin' what ever happen to there Southern Cross flag. We finally found this nice gubberment guy named, Skipper P. He told us that they use to fly the Southern Cross flag on the top of the capital, a hundred feets in the air. Then these intolerant Yankee type trouble makers got their panties in a bunch and demanded they take that there flag off of that there capital buildin'. Then a whole bunch of people got all red and stuff. Ticked off at each other and a bunch of old sores were opened and all. Then they decided let's do what all good gubberments do. Compromise!

So they went a compromisin' and arm twistin' and a little more arguin' which all sounded like a lot of work, but it wasn't. Then one of the good old boys named Leghorn or Foghorn sumpin' says Yeah all! why don't we just take the darn flag down and put it on the capital grounds? Man ol' mighty, holy lord jumpin up and down, the place went crazy. You'd a thought Clemson had won the national title and all. Dey had finally brought the darn issues to a conclusion. And it didn't cost all dat much. Gubberment on the cheap ain't heard of these days.

One side thought hey, yeah we won dis here fight. Yes we did, Hmm, hmm. Thems goin' to take that rebel flag down from the top of dat der dome. And put it on da ground. Yep, yep, we wins. The NCAA will finally come heres and have a convention or sumpin. And thems Yankees will leave us alone til da next election.

So now da rebel flag flies proudly at da entrance of dat dere captial buildin' . Instead of hundred feets above where you couldn't see it all dat good. Another fine gubberment solution.

Bein' from Oregon and all I think you need to be careful how you compromise.


If you look real close you can tell that is Buford Pusser Pirate himself guardin' dat dere rebel flag.