It might be in the soil of South Carolina, or maybe it goes back to the American Revolution. South Carolina lost almost as many people to other South Carolina bullets in fighting the British. South Carolina had a mini-civil war going during the American Revolution. Some people were dying to keep the king while others were dying to kick the king out. Anyway, it was South Carolinians fighting each other.
The “I’m against it” attitude stayed rather dormant until the 1840s when their famous (or infamous) Sen. John C. Calhoun threatened Andrew Jackson, then the president, with secession. It was some dispute over tariffs. Andy Jackson told Calhoun he would personally lead the army to South Carolina to hang those who wanted to secede from the nearest tree. Sen. Calhoun, not a stupid man, took the better judgment and the talk of secession ended, or at least it did for another 20 years or so.
When the slavery issue was heating up, South Carolina led the charge to secede from the Union. It was at a time when one president was going out and another was coming in. Cannon fire rained down on Fort Sumter and what we call the Civil War began. (It’s still called the War Between the States in South Carolina.)
I have no idea what makes South Carolina feel they’re much different than anyone else. The Civil War should have taught them something, but it evidently has not.
Now, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is throwing a fit about ex-Sen. Hagel (also a Republican) becoming Secretary of Defense. It appears the germ of the problem is when Hagel was in the Senate he pointed a finger at then-President George W. Bush and said the Iraq War was wrong. It made fellow Republican Graham very upset.
In trying to enrich his right-wing credentials, John McCain has joined in the attack on Hagel. McCain had appeared to be a rather intelligent, somewhat moderate, conservative, but that has all fallen to the wayside. McCain, being the man who gave us Sarah Palin, should be enough for the right wing to embrace in the next primary. The senator is not taking any chances. He should be aware that even Fox News, the most right-wing news organization in the world, has dropped Sarah Palin. Maybe McCain should put a bandage on his wounds and get back to being an American.
President Obama is entitled to choose members of his Cabinet without this cry-baby attitude in the right wing of the U.S. Senate.
Ronn Mott, a longtime radio personality in Terre Haute, writes commentaries for the Tribune-Star. His pieces are published online Tuesday and Thursday on Tribstar.com, and in the print and online editions on Saturday.
Columns
Related Photos
-
Ronn Mott
Discussion
RONN MOTT: South Carolina
- Columns
-
-
Shooters compete to fight cancer
A team of employees at Taghleef, formally A.E.T, would like to give a personal invite for you to join in on a lot of fun while helping save lives.
Cindy and Mark Wilguess are the inspiration behind the Taghleef Team. Cindy herself fought this battle with cancer and won. Last year she led her team to be the No. 1 fundraisers in the Relay for Life. -
GRAPE SENSE: Same old whites getting you down? Try something different
If the same old Chardonnay, Riesling or Pinot Grigio is getting you down, try something different.
-
TRIED ‘N’ TRUE: A Rhubarb Nut Bread for the season
Last fall we went to the Covered Bridge Festival. Gene loves to go. Anyway, I got to talking to this lady, Treva Smith, at Bridgeton.
-
GUEST COLUMN: Nursing more than medicine and bandages
Being a nurse … Like most nurses, I chose this profession because I had a strong desire to help others and no other career would allow me the opportunity to touch lives the way I have been able to through nursing.
-
RAMBLIN' RECK: It’s May … a time for horses and horsepower
It’s the first day of May, a great month for sports.
It begins with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. My Old Kentucky Home is played before the start of the race on which hundreds of bets will be placed by folks who ordinarily don’t bet on thoroughbred horse racing.
A week later, practice begins for the Indianapolis 500.
-
REDNECK QUAKER: Collings wins safari raffle
And the winner is … Brad Collings of Bridgeton, Indiana!
On April 13, the raffle ticket was drawn to see who would be going on safari in South Africa with Van Vuuren African Safaris. Attendees of the Vigo County National Wild Turkey Federation banquet were on the edge of their seats hoping their name would be announced.
-
Amey Takes Aim: Can’t bottle the joy of Amey vacations
The first bad sign was the Gatorade bottle.
In the Bataan-Death-March drive to Orlando that got the Amey family spring break vacation off to a bad start, seeing it between lanes of I-24 — as we zipped along at a 100-miles-in-five-hours clip — filled with an ominous yellow liquid was a little bit scary. And although we didn't stop to check for sure, I'm fairly certain I knew about its contents.
And the person stuck in the same traffic jam with us, the one with the existential license plate YMIHR4, couldn’t have asked a more pertinent question.
But, after seeing a lot more of Oak Grove, Ky., than we’d planned, and after enduring more traffic slowdowns in Nashville, we were on our way. Even some rain in the dark in the Smokies didn’t slow us down much, so you would think our first-day troubles were over.
You would be wrong. -
YOUR GREEN VALLEY: Lessons on going green are all around if you look
It won’t be long before the corn will be knee high by the Fourth of July. As we prepare our gardens and fields for planting, lets remember a moment in our nation’s history that shaped the way we farm today: the Dust Bowl of the dirty ’30s.
-
TRIED ’N’ TRUE: Chicken Broccoli Casserole
We always like chicken and broccoli casserole. But it takes so many ingredients, and a lot of the time and I don’t always have all the ingredients.
-
CHRIS DAVIES: Common sense, education help slow spread of MRSA
A lingering, and possibly lethal, opponent still lurks in the community: methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureaus or MRSA.
-
YOUR GREEN VALLEY: A look inside at what it takes to become a foodie
What is a foodie?
Mathea Tanner, 33, was raised with a strong interest in food. Her father was from the South and her mother was Greek. Dinner time was a fusion of foods from their two cultures. -
Lent meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute
Initially, the concept might conjure images of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman jumping out of an airplane or sitting atop the Pyramids. Instead, think “Lent Meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute.”
-
NCAA Division III basketball tournament returns to Rose-Hulman
The last time Rose-Hulman served as host for the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament, its game was played inside an old World War II airplane hangar.
You “old-timers” should know the building I’m talking about and the matchup wasn’t really that long ago — March 6, 1997, to be exact. -
RONN MOTT: South Carolina
It might be in the soil of South Carolina, or maybe it goes back to the American Revolution. South Carolina lost almost as many people to other South Carolina bullets in fighting the British.
-
Sycamores blossom on Hawaii trip
Quick quiz … what’s the state flower of Hawaii?
Don’t worry. I can’t just rattle state flowers off the top of my head. I had to look it up too, even though I’ve seen them all over the place in Honolulu.
I didn’t even know that Indiana’s state flower is the peony, which replaced the apparently unloved zinnia in the 1950s.
Hawaii’s flower, and they’re ubiquitous in Waikiki tourist shops and in actual flora on Oahu, is the yellow hibiscus.
The yellow hibiscus is big, bold and bright. I’ve never seen one blossom, but I imagine it has to be a beautiful sight.
What I have seen blossom — and it’s the only reason flowers would be brought up in my column — is the Indiana State basketball team at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. -
Etling, Meggs enjoying great year
It’s been a great year so far with more to come for a pair of longtime friends and St. Patrick’s School classmates.
Former Terre Haute resident Jack Meggs quarterbacked the Bellevue Wolverines football team to the Washington Class 3A state championship this fall, culminating with a 35-3 win over Sammamish Eastside Catholic — Bellevue’s fifth straight crown.
Danny Etling, meanwhile, has completed graduation requirements at Terre Haute South and is preparing for an upcoming high school all-star game and his first college classes in a couple of weeks.
-
Shooters compete to fight cancer
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Active Search for Utah Missing Mom Ends
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Raw: Aussie Zoo Shows Off White Rhino Calf
Raw: Tearful Reunion After Okla. Tornado
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
MLB Hoping for Large Replay Expansion in 2014
Horse Saved From Slaughter, Goes on to Win Big
OKC Hospital Describes Treating Tornado Wounded
Raw: Crews Search for Survivors of Okla. Tornado
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
Arias Tells Jury What She'd Do if She Gets Life
The all-new Xbox One
RAW: Massive tornado strikes Oklahoma
VIDEO: Teacher reunites mother and son after tornado levels elementary school in Oklahoma City
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Jennifer Lawrence Gets Naked and Painted Blue as X-Men's Mystique
Pickler's Dance Moves Cause A Stir
Obama to tornado survivors: The country stands beside you
Reporter Cries Over Devastation
Sneak Peek: 'Modern Family' Says Good Bye
Trailer: 'The Last Stand' Available on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Download
IWitness Look at Moore, OK Tornado
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
