The truth about Joe Wilson's district/ SC

[Mari333]

According to Census figures released this week, the percentage of uninsured for those under 64 and not covered by Medicare in 2006 was 27 percent or greater in Beaufort and Jasper counties. But even in relatively affluent Lexington County, 18.1 percent didn’t have health insurance.

There’s a wide disparity by race in these numbers. According to Dr. Saundra Glover, director of the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities at the University of South Carolina, the uninsured rate for African-American males in the district is twice that of white males. Overall, 12.3 percent of those in the district reported they couldn’t see a doctor in the past year due to costs. For African-Americans, that figure is 22.1 percent.

By far the most staggering numbers are those for children on Medicaid in 2007-2008. They range from 29.5 percent in coastal Beaufort County to 64.5 percent in Allendale County. That means Wilson’s district already has something approaching socialized medicine, albeit under another name. In the most affluent areas, the American taxpayer is paying the medical bills for about a third of the children he represents; in the poorer areas, two-thirds.

There’s one other important thing to know about the 2nd District – probably more important than any health care statistic, if you want to understand Wilson's motivations. Particularly in the agricultural areas along the coast, illegal immigration has become a hot issue as more and more Hispanics have moved into the area, with many putting down roots in small towns where everything used to be seen in terms of black and white.











http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_911_1005.aspx

so, it DOES, as usual, end up being about race.

[Submariner]

1. This Cracker* still has his government website down

I have a few choice words to write this stars and bars racist creep.

Mod: * = Cracker, and I mean that in a sodium-rich, hydrogenated oil and starchy preservative kind of way.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Underneath race, however, it is about economics

Someday, I will organize my thoughts into a coherent thesis and announce that all human conflict - boils down to economics and the attempt by those on top to keep 'the other' in submission. No matter whether the stated intent of any conflict is due to differences in race/religion/ideology/territory/resources, a true 'root cause analysis' will uncover economics as the true basis.

That's not to detract what you or this article state, however. In fact, I believe my thesis supports what you say. It's easier for racists to shrug off accusations when their detractors claim that they don't like people because of the color of their skin. When it comes to hating 'the other,' however, it's much harder to deny that they've been oppressing them economically for hundreds of years.

[Mari333]

3. well, the two go hand in hand yes

as far as Im concerned, I saw the KLAN marching yesterday. Nothing else. I saw the same spirit of hatred in their faces that I saw in the white faces of the people in the south who attacked black folks for civil rights. I saw the same thing yesterday.
I saw the KLAN.

[GoCubsGo]

4. Many of those uninsured African-Americans are not registered to vote...

I suspect that maybe THIS will be enough to get them on the voter rolls. I was rather surprised that Obama's ticket wasn't enough in 2008. I guess enough of them were skeptical of his chances to be elected that they didn't bother to register. It also wouldn't surprise me if they were intimidated in some way...

[jeffbr]

5. Wilson can’t stomach single-payer government health care. Yet he gets it himself, for life. So do

his four sons and their families - all military men. Nonetheless, he has voted 11 times against health care for vets, a Newsweek reporter (himself an uninsured vet) revealed this week. And he voted to cut vets’ benefits, though not his own, to make room for President George W. Bush’s tax cuts. Wilson has also voted repeatedly to slash Veterans’ Administration funds.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1197094

[ThomWV]

6. Concerning the last paragraph you quoted

"illegal immigration has become a hot issue as more and more Hispanics have moved into the area, with many putting down roots in small towns where everything used to be seen in terms of black and white."

The same people still everything interms of black white, Hispancis are today's blacks to them. Different time, same hate.

[frazzled]

7. By the way, to Keith O and others: Beaufort is pronounced ...

BYOO-FERD (not BOW-FORT). Just saying, so we don't alienate the locals any more. (I know this because I am married to a dyed-in-the-wool liberal who grew up in Charleston, SC).

[Are_grits_groceries]

8. Yeah.

It's "Byoo-ferd", SC and "Bow-fort",NC. There are a lot of names like that near Charleston.

I grew up with a "One-M Simons" (pronounced like Simmons). Legare is pronounced Le-gree. Huger is U-gee. There are more, but I'll have to think about it. I'm almost trilingual. I speak English, Southern, and Charlestonese.

[frazzled]

9. Heh, we were just talking about Huger and Legare ...

And comparing these to the massively confusing pronunciations of place names we encountered while living in the Boston area.

My husband, according to the family lore, spoke in Gullah as well as a little boy, since his mom ran a store that catered to island people and most of the people he heard were Gullah speakers.

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. I can speak some Gullah and

I can understand it fairly well. My aunt is fluent in it.

[dgibby]

13. I don't know if "cousin" Arthur Ravenel actually speaks Gullah,

but his island accent is so pronounced I couldn't understand a word he said until I'd lived in Beaufort for about a year.

I love the Gullah culture. It's one of the best things about SC!

Ef hunnuh whan kno de tru ting bout who wi da, disya dey whey hunnuh pos ta ax! Thank you for coming to the Gullah/Geechee Nation to learn from us that are authentic Gullah/Geechee people and the native keepers of our culture.

http://www.officialgullahgeechee.info/?f51564b8

I strongly urge anyone visiting the Low Country to check out this group.

Also, this group:

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Gullah.And.Geechie.Mahn.Tours.843-838-7516

More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. Fritz Hollings was bad enough.

He must have communicated with hand signals for a while when he was in the Senate.

BTW I have the outlines of my windows and doors painted blue.

[dgibby]

16. Good idea.

Dr Buzzard and Minerva would approve!

[Are_grits_groceries]

17. I'm going to Beaufort

with my cousin to visit Dr.Buzzard. I need some roots worked to take care of some wanderers and deminted people.

[dgibby]

18. Did you ever read any of Sheriff McTeer's books?

Dr Buzzard was a real powerhouse in his day. He had waaay more influence that any elected politican in the Low Country.

Wonder what he'd do about this bunch we have now. Wish he was still around (physically) to take care of them for us. I'd just like to see him in action! I'm sure he's still able to have an effect from where he is now, but I'd have liked to meet him in person.

[Are_grits_groceries]

19. I read his books a while ago.

I'm trying to find copies, but they are expensive. My cousin said a new Dr. Buzzard had taken over. I don't know how that works, but I'm sure not just anybody was trusted.

[dgibby]

11. Hell, Grits, your CAT meows in Southern!

Of course, so do mine, and the dogs bark out something like, "Ya'll come back, now, ya heah".:fistbump: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :fistbump:

[Are_grits_groceries]

12. LOL....True

It's like other things. It's drawn out into several syllables - "Mee-eee-ooww-aaah."

Also, I don't think a lot of people understand "fixin to." I'm fixin' to get up. I'm fixin' to go to the store.:P

[mitchum]

15. You are correct about the pronunciations; I once lived on Huger St...

and often had to explain to people,"That's just the way it is..."

[dgibby]

20. I am beginning to believe more and more that opposition

to any type of social programs designed to help the poor and middle class is just covert genocide being waged by the far right against these groups, but especially against minorities.

[Are_grits_groceries]

21. Oh I believe it.

Have you seen "Corridor of Shame?" What they are doing is criminal.

http://www.corridorofshame.com/

They are making another documentary. That's why I don't like their charter school hooha. It isn't for the masses. They let the public schools keep getting worse.