Pictured is the Mayes House built by Mayesville, SC founder, Matthew “Squire” Mayes.
While those familiar with “Gone With the Wind” will see where the treatment of slaves or house workers pre-Civil War on plantations of the rich was degrading at best—as in the case of “Prissy” and “Miss Scarlett”–and downright wrong—in owning others–, there is another side to Southern “gentleness” that has been well-known but is now being cast aside. This is despite the fact that slavery was ended entirely by April 1865.
“The South” has long been recognized for being hospitable—an amazing fact despite the reality that as an entity, it was overcome in war, financially ruined, had cities, bridges, railways and homes destroyed in the Civil War, its population of males greatly decimated, was put under martial law and stripped of its white citizens’ voting rights for a decade, and has endured over a century and a half of derision, being put down, and—in some more recent cases—of downright hatred.
Southerners as a group have been classified as “sweet,” “genteel,” “God-fearing,” “family-loving,” “neighborly,” “humble,” “welcoming,” “friendly,” “lovers of humor,” “supporters of local schools,” and all-around “nice people.”
Even the burgeoning ranks of “new Southerners” moving by the millions into Southern towns, cities, and states has not erased the description of Southerners as “friendly, nice people.” In fact, this “Southern warmth” (and maybe warm Southern food!) is likely WHY so many people have felt at home flocking here.
So why, then, is it that the South MUST be crucified in a continual, unholy campaign that seems aimed at its complete and utter destruction? Have Southerners become less than human beings? This is simply wrong.
It’s been long stated that to visit New York—as the greatest example of the crown of Northern cities—is to feel “put off,” “not welcomed,” “insulted,” “ignored” at best, “abused” with vulgar language, at worst mugged or the absolute worst raped and murdered as happens way too often in NYC! If we remove all things Southern, then is it our desire as Americans to live in such a “national world” where we feel always ill-at-east and unwelcome, where disrespect for our neighbor or strangers is the desired “norm” instead of Southern hospitality?
As a native Southerner in America with deep roots, there seems to be attempts too often to make me feel like a “worm” or even “a monster.” It seems that no amount of hospitality, or humility, or church and prayer, or giving pies to the neighbors will ever win any respect for us as human beings of value or even of equality as United States citizens with the continuous and blatant attacks on our character by the dominant media and Hollywood.
It seems, in fact, that the War Between the States never ended, though over 166 years have passed and the South has been totally transformed. If we are “homogenized,” are we to be like rude New Yorkers? If all our character is removed, then this is the transformation desired. Is there any small corner of Southern history or character that America will decide is worth redemption or respect when all is said and done? I fear that the answer appears to be “No.”
Please share freely and donate to The Standard on this page to assure the continued availability of news that is ignored too often by the dominant media.
RSS - Posts