The Folklore Project
Charlottesville: Our Readers Respond
The folks who join The Bitter Southerner Family — who put their money where their mouths are to keep our brand of journalism going — get a few benefits. One of them is admittance to a closed Facebook group we reserve for Family only.
This Sunday, we asked our Family Members to write to us, to share their thoughts about what actions should be taken in the wake of the Charlottesville attack. We were overwhelmed at the response.
Today in our Folklore Project, we present five full-length essays — and a collection of thoughts from 16 other members of The Bitter Southerner Family. We recommend you read as many of these as you have time for. If you’re trying to figure out what to think and do, now that we’ve entered a dark new chapter of Southern history, you just might find some help here. — Chuck Reece
New Orleans, Louisiana
Separating Hate from Heritage in the Lies They Told Us
By Alex B. Johnson
Alex B. Johnson responded to our call for reflections on the Charlottesville attack with his thoughts on how to separate the good parts of Southern heritage from the hatred wrapped up in our region’s history.
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Greenville, South Carolina
Daddy’s Too Quiet
By Brad Willis
Brad Willis, who lives in South Carolina, answered to our call for responses to the Charlottesville attack with this stellar essay about events like this mean for how Southerners raise their children.
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Tallahassee, Florida
I Am a Racist
By Rob Rushin
In response to the Charlottesville attack, Rob Rushin of Tallahassee, Florida, owns up to the most racist act of his own life and looks at the amends required of Southerners.
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Milledgeville, Georgia
They’re Still Murderous
By Holly Croft
Holly Croft of Milledgeville, Georgia, answered our call for responses to the Charlottesville attack by recounting Facebook discussions in which commenters tried to find a moral equivalency between the white supremacists and those who protested against them.
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Asheville, North Carolina
The Punishment Pass
By Pete Candler
Georgia native Pete Candler, now living in Asheville, North Carolina, responded to our call with this essay describing the crawling perniciousness of the rebel flag.
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A Roundup of Thoughts From Our Readers
We had so many submissions in the wake of the Charlottesville attack, we simply could not run them all at full length. What follows is a collection of excerpts from 17 members of The Bitter Southerner Family.
