The Athens of the Delta

If this story had been told by a northerner, we'd all be accused of regionalism and maybe racism into the bargain.

R. Bottoms,

Read the article...observe and make your own judgments. That's why there is so little commentary. Note the Flannery O'Conner comment. There is a going on. First, this is a ridiculous story, a ridiculous way for people, black or white, to behave and to talk. On the other hand, you can find things to think about in how the town handles it's local democracy, part 'pragmatic" (e.g. let the old guy mayor for 30 years, nothing gets done anyway...said by white and black people) and idealistic (e.g. white and black people voted for the "new Obama").

People live everywhere, but they act so different; some live in uneventfully administered suburbs, some begin democracy (note Athens in title), some act like this when they have it. These are apparently, the ridiculous stories you find from the South...they usually involve things like black and white, poverty, education, resistance to change, and so on. Again, the white and black characters in the story are on both sides of every distinction you care to parse the story for, so don't limit it to that.

There's plenty here to reflect on, especially if you are actually willing to judge between the good and bad (both are here in this story, on both sides, not just one of them). And if you are such a PC reactionary to not be able to see the ridiculous absurdity all over that article that is too bad for you, life doesn't need to be so boring.

gk;
"uneventfully administered suburbs" is a fascinating description that really does explain a lot if you consider it more. if you look across the country, you see so many different models of governance, and vis a vis, opinions and relationships to governence itself.

people often assume that rural people are conservative republican-inclined voters for primarily moral/values reasons. but when you consider how incompetent and ineffective many of the people elected into these rural district offices are, is it any wonder that people begin to believe that government as a whole is incompetent and ineffective?

by contrast, i live in a congested northeastern city where people are living hectic lives/careers on top of each other. and running lots of diverse and localized businesses. and a lot of the folks who end up in elective office are people with advanced college degrees, and are activist-minded, and who have big and new ideas on how to use the levers of government to manage and grow their jurisdiction, and make the big urban cacophony all work somehow.

so into the middle; the uneventfully administered suburbs, i guess, really are the true breeding ground for a polite (non-crazy) form of small government sentiment. pave the streets, keep the school nice for the kids, put out fires, and leave us alone to mow the yard, and watch hdtv, and play basketball in the driveway.

but that is worldview about the role of government that in its own form of apathy is more similar to the cynical and apathetic rural attitudes like the one rod refers to here, than to ones of non-suburban people who by race/class/demographics may be more similar to themselves, but who grow up in an environment where government activism and civic engagement (ie democracy) are experienced as truly being able to bear on the well-being of their lives and communities.

My point, of course, is that these people are crazy. All of them, bless their hearts. Franklin Jennings picked up on one thing that made me laugh: that the black single mother was a backer of the old white dude, because (it seems) he strikes her as a guarantor of order, while her white (in rural Mississippi!) boyfriend supported the black challenger, because he was ready for a change of regime. I love too his remark that ain't nobody saints in this town after they leave church.

Moreover, it's amusing for a woman who has had 10 children by the age of 31, and has no husband, to complain bitterly about the criminal anarchy among the youth of her town. Golly, ma'am, how do you think that happened?

Crazy people, the lot. I'm probably related to somebody there.

My point, of course, is that these people are crazy.

Possibly true.

My hope is the new Mayor rises to the occasion and inspiration that caused him to run and be a success for everyone involved.

G'Kar was the heavy all through season one of Babylon 5, and surprise he rose to find a nobility no one expected.

Why does everyone think just because I have a burning hatred for the specific people who wronged me, my brother, and my father I can't see the individuality in who I deal with now.

My disagreement with Rod is with his politics. I do everything in my power to ensure the party he nominally supports does not succeed.

My enemies are my enemies, everyone else is neutral to friendly unless proven otherwise. And just because you are a political enemy doesn't make you a literal enemy. When Rod's politics are wrong, which is most of the time, I say so. And may the best man win at the ballot box.

In this particular case I just wanted to know what was his point. As a journalist I might have stated a little more clearly people are crazy is the point of the post, but to each writer his own.

And anyone is surprised why she's in poverty and why her kids will be too?

Hmmm. Out of wedlock births... think maybe some serious efforts at teaching birth control methods and free condoms might help?

Then that might upset people like Sarah Palin.

Wait a minute...

Still at it, I see.

Okay maybe I am being insensitive and very un PC but - this cast of characters sounds like perfect material for a cartoon strip - seriously - ok maybe not seriously - but - this could be the Doonesbury of the South.

Air Jordan 12

Brown: "We rely on the intercession of the mighty above us to shower us with indulgences."

"Ten kids by 31? And anyone is surprised why she's in poverty and why her kids will be too?"

I assume we are to regard her as a role model for not using contraception.