Klan mentality still permeates Oconee politics to this day
There are no organized cross burnings that I am aware of in Oconee County, Georgia in 2012. Feel free to let us know of any klaverns that are meeting at night down some dirty back road, and we will gladly expose the racist cockroach scum for what they are. That much being said, there really does not need to be any white hoods, cloaks and horses pulling burning crosses to lynch African Americans to taste the contempt our local public seems to have for anything resembling real integration on any scale resembling the rest of our country.
The secret klan meetings may no longer be taking place in open space, but they have moved on to the country clubs, golf courses, board meetings, the authorities, the foundations, the church meetings, the not-so-secret lodges and groups, and good old boys and girls getting together under whatever auspices they wish to cover their fat and wealthy asses with at the moment. We are not talking about Southern heritage here people, but we are talking about Southern hate. This hatred might not be as overt, but it is quite palatable nonetheless. Just try to put up an Obama Presidential Campaign sign in your yard and see how long before some redneck Republican/Taliban removes it from your property.
They have done a damn fine job of demonizing the Democratic Party and our President to the point where people have become very scared to mention their affinity for our two party system, yet alone a candidate for local office. Nothing I say or write or cite could possibly prove this thesis in the eyes of the Court, but there is evidence to suggest otherwise right below the surface. The sheep have all had the wool pulled down past their eyes, and the rest of us are left to pick up the shorn subtext of any real progress toward racial reconciliation or integration.
African Americans have resided in this county as long as I can remember. You can find people from Taiwan to Bulgaria to India living in our county with very little difficulty. But how much have those divergent ethnic groups really become part of our day to day society locally? They might be on your kids sports teams, but they are probably not going to worship with you or even shop or go to the same doctors, yet alone sit together at local restaurants or have any meaningful fellowship (or ride bikes together, or maybe even date your daughter).
Oconee County has been nicknamed "Sloconee" for a reason, and that is that change is very slow coming to such a rural, suburban area. People move here for a variety of reasons, and most of which revolve around being left alone. Being left alone to our own devices, we will only see change generations from now. Intolerance is taught at home, and forgotten on the road.
We can make a difference in the ballot box one vote at a time. We can stand up for our individual rights and freedom. We can demonstrate our indifference to the color of the skin of our neighbor by remaining focused on the color of their funds, green. We are in the midst of a fundamental change, a watershed moment, with the arrival of the Caterpillar plant and the opening of various related businesses. Let's move this county forward by including everyone in the process, not just the few, the white, the powerful in the discussions.
The secret klan meetings may no longer be taking place in open space, but they have moved on to the country clubs, golf courses, board meetings, the authorities, the foundations, the church meetings, the not-so-secret lodges and groups, and good old boys and girls getting together under whatever auspices they wish to cover their fat and wealthy asses with at the moment. We are not talking about Southern heritage here people, but we are talking about Southern hate. This hatred might not be as overt, but it is quite palatable nonetheless. Just try to put up an Obama Presidential Campaign sign in your yard and see how long before some redneck Republican/Taliban removes it from your property.
They have done a damn fine job of demonizing the Democratic Party and our President to the point where people have become very scared to mention their affinity for our two party system, yet alone a candidate for local office. Nothing I say or write or cite could possibly prove this thesis in the eyes of the Court, but there is evidence to suggest otherwise right below the surface. The sheep have all had the wool pulled down past their eyes, and the rest of us are left to pick up the shorn subtext of any real progress toward racial reconciliation or integration.
African Americans have resided in this county as long as I can remember. You can find people from Taiwan to Bulgaria to India living in our county with very little difficulty. But how much have those divergent ethnic groups really become part of our day to day society locally? They might be on your kids sports teams, but they are probably not going to worship with you or even shop or go to the same doctors, yet alone sit together at local restaurants or have any meaningful fellowship (or ride bikes together, or maybe even date your daughter).
Oconee County has been nicknamed "Sloconee" for a reason, and that is that change is very slow coming to such a rural, suburban area. People move here for a variety of reasons, and most of which revolve around being left alone. Being left alone to our own devices, we will only see change generations from now. Intolerance is taught at home, and forgotten on the road.
We can make a difference in the ballot box one vote at a time. We can stand up for our individual rights and freedom. We can demonstrate our indifference to the color of the skin of our neighbor by remaining focused on the color of their funds, green. We are in the midst of a fundamental change, a watershed moment, with the arrival of the Caterpillar plant and the opening of various related businesses. Let's move this county forward by including everyone in the process, not just the few, the white, the powerful in the discussions.
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