"Despising Dixie" -- A Friendly Yankee Responds to Anti-South Book "Better Off Without 'Em"

Daniel J. Flynn, a writer at the American Spectator, takes author Chuck Thompson to the woodshed for "despising Dixie."  Thompson is the author who wrote the stupid little book, "Better Off Without 'Em," which I panned in a prior post.

Flynn defends the Southern contribution to America, and writes:

Even a Yankee unable to pronounce the letter "r" can articulate the charms of the drawling South. America's military heroes, from George Washington to Alvin York to Dakota Meyer, have disproportionately come from below the Mason-Dixon line. Whether one drinks Coke or Pepsi, Jack Daniel's or Jim Beam, one drinks to the South. Has the CNN travel writer traveled to Savannah, Charleston, or Nashville? The musicians who invented rock 'n' roll -- Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers -- all hailed from the South. It's also a fact that the South has better fiction: Flannery O'Connor, Zora Neale Hurston, William Faulkner, etc.

Who but a hater wants to discard all that?

Read it all here.

Hat tip to Stacy McCain for the link.

Edward Sebesta's Continuing War on "Neo-Confederates"

Back in the 1990's various leftists discovered ways to make themselves relevant and fill their lives with purpose.  They would announce themselves to be experts on some group or the other, and liberal news media (but I repeat myself) would contact them when they needed an "expert" opinion on these groups.  One really fat guy whose name I have thankfully forgot made himself an expert on militias, and one Edward Sebesta made himself an expert on "Neo-Confederates."  Neo-Confederates are anyone who believes the South was right in their War for Southern Independence, or is proud of their Confederate ancestors, or who wish to preserve Southern icons in state flags, state songs or monuments to the Southern Confederacy.

Edward Sebesta, nicknamed "Crawfish," made himself an "expert" on "Neo-Confederates."  Sebesta found dark conspiracies in groups like the Sons of Confederate Veterans or the Daughters of the Confederacy, involved in such seditious goals as trying to name state highways after Jefferson Davis.

So as not to disturb his preconceived conclusions, Sebesta made it his policy never to discuss such issues with the Evil Neo-Confederates themselves, so he refused to answer any questions by such people.

Apparently, Edward Sebesta is still fighting against the evil Southern hordes, trying to ban mint juleps, magnolia trees and hominy grits.  Well, I may be exaggerating just a little...but not much.

Now Robert Stacy McCain, a member of the Sons, has taken Sebesta to task.  He has written a post about Sebesta's obsession called "How To Become Irrelevant."  Read it here.