I never said I was for set-asides. I used to administer those contracts for the government, mainly because no one else wanted to. The SBA dictated to other government agencies which competitive contracts would no longer be competitive, the SBA didn’t allow negotiations on offers submitted by their chosen minority contractors, and, in effect, the contracts I had usually resulted in an increase of about 20% in costs to the government over competitive contracts. Finally, the responsibility to declare a set-aside contractor “viable” (able to compete and thus removed from set-aside status) was with the SBA. This never happened while I was there.

Cajuns were officially (in schools) prohibited from speaking french in Louisiana…and we were allies of the French in both world wars and the military extensively used french speakers from Louisiana in both wars. Who can figure what tiny little differences in people make discrimination possible? And since there was discrimination against Cajuns, some tried to be included in the government’s Small Business Act for minority set-aside contracts and they were denied. I still think they had/have a case to be included.

In case I run for office one day, I don’t want to be accused of being “insensitive.”

What would be the word, out of curiosity, for someone who was prejudicial against Southerners (or for that matter Northerners, Californians or whatever else)?

I was thinking:

Dixiephobe
Rutilophobe (fear of red)
Regionist
Anti-Southite

Just need a blanket label to attach to someone if I detect the slightest hint of animosity towards a group I’m proud to belong to.

Yeah, that’s pretty insane isn’t it.

Eric, I think this was a good post. The world is changing and America is becoming more diverse (I hate to use that word, but there it is) as people of different cultures continue to pour in to seek the American dream. My wife’s cousin (Taiwanese)is married to a white guy and the kids are struggling with these identity issues…we had to educate the neighbors kids on a few things, they were being pretty stupid. This was in a tory suburb of Chicago. The South certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on race issues. I can drive you around Columbus and Cincinnati, near the birthplace of Sherman and Grant, and let you guess which neighborhoods are black and white, which schools perform well and which ones fail, etc. On the flip side, Scottie is right on the money to say the South has made a lot of progress in the last fifty years, and there is a lot more to the deep-rooted programming than racial bean counting.

I think Butch’s rants, and the ambiguity of his sarcasm level, speaks to the caution one must use when blogging. People who remain anonymous do so to avoid the social blowback from throwing idea bombs at others, as a result we’re exposed to a lot more of the hatred that used to be kept quiet. When I hear about guys like that I feel pretty sad about their bunker down mentality. At the same time, I don’t want to put too much public info out there because I don’t want a target on my back.

I certainly hope you don’t high tail it over to DC Offline, as I do enjoy the posts.

I’ll close with a wise bit of philosophy from ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, “Sarcasm is the refuge of losers; it’s losers’ way of bringing winners down to their level.”

A mental note: I’m programming myself to remember if I ever type the words, “Wait, I’m not done…,” then I’m done.

Rip said what I meant to say way better anyway. So I defer.

And Eric, you are indeed welcome on this side of the river…as long as you bring your passport.

The racial epithets were in jest (as you well know, good try) to better illustrate the idiocy of a)dismissing you because of your last name, and b)answering labelling with more labelling (again agreeing with your point).

Sincerest apologies you didn’t catch that, and still disappointed that you don’t see your dismissal of a Southerner because he’s a Southerner as illustrating your point.

And no, clarifying that racist social programming as being unique to the South is indeed sterotyping. (whether or not the majority-like yourself- are nobly able to overcome it).

I’m all for stereotyping I just wanted to make sure you knew that you weren’t above it.

As Rip pointed out, your post, the heart of which I COMPLETELY agreed with, lost value when you made the point that someone’s ignorance had more to do with being from the South than from simply not knowing (or caring) any damn thing about you but your last name.

Hey, we’re all one big happy damn family here…but I get my ass chewed up about every second time I post here (and so does Scottie). You can take it, especially when everyone agrees with your post.

As Randy Jackson would say, “I’m just keeping it real, dog.”

However, obviously Rip and Scottie answered with more sanity, and that I applaud. My medication is on its way. But it takes a while to get down here to the South…