General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What is Southern Heritage? [View all]Uncle Joe
(58,420 posts)The South is more prosperous and diversified than it has ever been.
One theme that held the South together for so long on the Confederate Flag issue, which I've tried to make has been the anchor of poverty, "misery loves company."
While I applaud us moving on, I can't help but think of how more challenging but substantive issues affecting race have given way to a symbolic one after the good people in the Charleston Church were massacred.
The powerful NRA combined with the federal government has been waging an ongoing domestic arms, the NRA says "more guns = less crime," as a natural result the government has militarized our civilian police forces to counter the real and perceived threat and this has created a widening gulf or chasm between the police; and the people that they're to protect and serve.
Combine that with the corruptive and immoral "for profit prison industry" and the so called "war on drugs" and I see us in the process of creating a 21st century version of slavery, for the most part prison labor.
There are some glimmers of hope, President Obama has talked of prison reform even becoming the first sitting President to visit one, gun reform and of course the attitude regarding cannabis seems to be evolving for the better, but we're definitely not out of the woods yet.