Letter to the Editor: Gantt fails to understand the South

I'm not really sure exactly what the real subject of Derek Gantt's Oct. 31 column, "Living in the South," was, but I think he was inferring that he hopes U.S. presidential politics don't take on more of a Southern flavor because the South is a place of hate. The last time I checked, the South didn't have a corner on the market for hate or racism. I do believe though that on the whole, the South is much more conservative than the North. That is not to say, however, that the South is necessarily more aligned with the Republican party than the North is.

There is no real difference between the Democrat and Republican parties these days. Forget the current definitions of conservative and liberal; they are both about big government, with all the control, waste, and bureaucracy that goes with it. The real conservative is about less government. That's what no politician gets about the South.

Personally, I hold no affinity for Ann Coulter, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, George Bush, or any of the host of wannabes. These people don't speak for me and they don't have a clue about Southerners or the South, but they will say and do what they feel is politically expedient.

As for presidential candidates wrapping themselves in the Confederate flag, Gantt should know better than to think that would be the case any time soon anyway. Look at how the suck-egg dogs run every time they get close to the South Carolina line lest they be seen in the presence of a rebel flag. If I'd known that was all it would take to scare off a politician, I'd have been flying one years ago. Personally, I don't think anyone will emerge that would be worthy of the honor.