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Same As It Ever Was

Posted on January 13, 2012 By Tom 1 Comment on Same As It Ever Was
History and Genealogy

Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was,
Same as it ever was!

—David Byrne, Once in a Lifetime

I finally finished reading Walter Edgar’s tome, South Carolina: A History. Seems like I’ve been reading it for several months now. Edgar has undertaken a monumental task, covering nearly all aspects of South Carolina’s 340+ year history. I won’t say it’s a quick read, but he’s managed to do it without making it seem too dense. I’ve gained new perspectives on my native state and some of the characters that made it what it is.

Speaking of characters, Edgar goes into depth about some of the political turmoil that seems to hit the state in cycles. As I looked at the cyclical nature of politics it struck me how I kept seeing the same thing over and over and over. Different groups may gain power for awhile, but in the end that all end up looking pretty much like one another.

Thank goodness we’re not arguing about slavery, secession, Jim Crow laws or such idiocy, but the antics of some of these politicians doesn’t seem to have changed much from today’s . That seems to be born out by the tone of the political attack ads in the current presidential horse show — vilifying people supposedly in the same party, taking a nuanced difference between candidates and blowing it completely out of proportion as being evil incarnate.

So this evening, Friday the 13th, at least five of those GOP presidential candidates will be a couple hundred yards from my office enjoying BBQ in our high school cafeteria. I’ve gotten calls from C-Span and other local media about network availability and set-up. I’ve watched as our maintenance folks have worked like mad to spruce the place up and make it look great for its day in the spotlight. The CNN satellite truck rolled up while I was there earlier this morning, and I’m sure more will arrive as the event approaches.

Who knows? Perhaps this might even make it as a footnote into Edgar’s next history of South Carolina. However, I don’t think I’ll be a part of it. I think I’ll head home as soon as I can and enjoy the madness on C-Span from the comfort of our living room with martini firmly in hand.

Tags: A History of South Carolina books history review South Carolina Walter Edgar

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One thought on “Same As It Ever Was”

  1. Ken Cothran says:
    January 13, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    Ah, priorities! Wednesday night, I walked out of the church after choir and smelled … gin. I thought, “Surely I’m not craving it THAT much.” I’d noticed the wonderful smell earlier, as i arrived, and was surprised. Gin isn’t that popular in college bars. I spoke of this with some folks, and determined the source. There is a pile of mulch in a corner of the lower parking lot. I think that, perhaps, the mulch has a heavy pine component, giving it that wonderful aroma that one gets with gin. Glad it wasn’t the mulch they use at Furman, which smells like someone hurled en masse. 🙂 Or the third type, which smells like the barnyard on a wet day. Enjoy the martinis; I hope to have some myself in the not-so-distant future.

    Reply

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