Wednesday, June 30, 2004

People are amused at the description of Greensboro as a liberal mecca. Certainly it does not seem so liberal compared to, say, the Upper West Side. But let's be proud of ourselves for what we are. Guilford County is a reasonably progressive place. We were settled by Quakers, Germans, and Scotch-Irish, not the planter class. We did not want to secede from the Union. Our modern economy was kick-started by Jews. The Civil Rights movement got an early boost with the Greensboro sit-ins. Local government is by and large moderate, and colleges and universities are prominent in local life.  North Carolina itself is hardly Mississippi -- we may have elected Jesse Helms for a generation, but we also have a long and proud history of moderation. I thought the original remarks in the NYT reflecting wonder at the standing O in Greensboro for f911 showed some ignorance of the city, an assumption based on stereotypes. And I think the commenter who calls the surrounding areas "fascist" needs a dictionary. 2:53:38 PM    comment []

Mr. Sun and I have tweaked Jack Kemp for endorsing NC 5th district candidate Vernon Robinson. Now the solar blog reports that Kemp has withdrawn his endorsement. 10:33:48 AM    comment []

Elijah opened my bedroom door before 7. "Crabbing?," he whispered. I would have preferred for him to whisper "Two more hours of sleep?," but what the hell. Soon he and his sister and his cousins and I were pulling crabs out Barnegat Bay. And soon we shall eat them. 10:23:16 AM    comment []