The Palmetto State

My morning began as usual. The alarm clock went off. It kept going off. Reluctantly I got up and turned if off and began my day. (sometime in middle school I developed this love of sleep... and subsequently a hate of my alarm clock)

I went downstairs, ate breakfast, enjoyed a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper and watching CNN (yes, at the same time). Then I came upstairs to do some work on the computer. In searching for a list of "strange laws" in South Carolina to use in something I am preparing, I came across an essay written by an individual affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta (aka - Georgia Tech). Here's the link if you'd like to read it as well: http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~mleach/sc/

My “usual” morning turned very different. I assumed (unjustly) that this article was written by some teenager who had never visited South Carolina and knew nothing of it. Turns out it was written by a fifty-year-old professor of Audio Engineering at Georgia Tech.

Let me explain quickly my history with South Carolina. I was born here in 1984 and have lived within this state for every year after then except for the thirty months I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with my family (which, by the way, was a most incredible thirty months and I encourage you to help those guys out in the midst of Katrina if you are able). Most of my family arrived here in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a few more coming in the nineteenth century. Many came from Ireland, and then an assortment from Wales, Britain, Italy, and a hand-full of other places. Some migrated to Texas over time, but for the most part, my family stayed in this little state called South Carolina. At some point in time, my ancestors owned slaves and had great big plantations. They don’t today, and I really don’t agree with the ones who did back then, but I wasn’t there, so I can’t say much about it. When I look at people today, they are people in my eyes, and no different from me regardless of where they may have come from. My family has a history in politics, education, business, and the military.

In short, I have very strong ties to this state, it is my home, and I am very passionate about this. Yes, I have visited other parts of the world, I love visiting other parts of the world, but this is my home, and I love it dearly. To hear someone degrade my state doesn’t necessarily anger me, it saddens me. Either this person is too arrogant to actually visit this place and see what it is really like, or they have endured a negative experience while in my home state. So, I will do my best effort to tell you about my state.

First, I'll get this out of the way. The Civil War began in Charleston, my anscestors fought in it, just as they fought in the Revolution and World War II. We were not the only state in the Confederacy. The Confederacy was not successful. Many historians say that the military advances caused by this war led the United States to become the superpower it is today. I'm glad we're still a "United" States, I love my country just as much as my state, and I'm very glad that a vast majority of people in this state today are able to see each other as people and nothing less.

South Carolina is home to a lot of religious, conservative people. They’ve been that way since settling Charles Town and probably aren’t going to change anytime soon (although we were liberal enough to change it to Charleston). We love sweet tea and we love to shag. We’re home to three nationally-recognized research universities, one of which competes frequently with schools like Georgia Tech (athletically and academically) and frequently wins. It was also the first college in the country to peacefully welcome African-American students, the first who later became mayor of Charlotte.

Our education system is decent (although it leaves room for improvement). Yes, we do rank last in some things. Most unbiased research firms have ranked South Carolina in the upper thirties among states when it comes to education over the past few years (usually between 32-33). Georgia, to give some comparison, has ranked in the lower thirties (about 38). We are home to some of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, the oldest municipal college in the country, and Queen Elizabeth II’s knee was manufactured here, in addition to portions of space shuttles and military aircraft. And I almost forgot about one of the first three genetic research centers in the world… I was born a block away from it.

Our state produced the first operating submarine, has the only presently-operating U.S. tea plantation, and is the largest source of peaches in the United States (just because you name everything “peachtree” doesn’t mean you have more of them). We also produced a number of ambassadors (including the present one to Canada and a number of other countries). If you drive an X5, Z-3 (or 4), or have Michelin tires, South Carolina was responsible for those.

If our state were a city, we’d be a little larger than Los Angeles, and we’re ten times the size of Atlanta. We’re fairly rural, but when it comes to the number of people per square mile, we’re twice the national average. We rank pretty high up there on individuals owning their own home, nearing the 75% mark. Our education system rests alongside the national average, and has been increasing over the past 30 years.

Despite our population, we’re passionate about our land, and rightfully so. The northern portion of our state edges the Appalachian Mountains, with dozens of hiking trails and waterfalls open to the public daily. The foothills gradually transition into the midlands, where lakes, rivers, and grassland fill the terrain. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find seashells, from when the ocean reached the midlands thousands of years ago. Keep going and you’ll reach the low-country, known for its plantations, Spanish moss, and roads lined with huge century-old trees. This all accompanied by hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, inlets, waterways, swamps and marshlands, wildlife, incredible golf courses and gardens, and some of the best fishing you’ll ever find.

The most amazing thing about this: you can go from mountain-top to ocean in about four hours, without speeding and worrying about state troopers, all with the same education requirements of any other state. I've never heard them address anyone by other than "sir" or "ma'am", which we're very proud to still use for the most part.

Maybe I’m just proud of the same state that produced John C Calhoun, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Andrew Jackson (yes, the President), and Radio. Maybe I’m proud of a state that has so much history it takes a thousand-page book just to scrape the surface.

Sure, we like our rural settings (and commute times under 25 minutes). Sure, we enjoy being a little slower-paced than New York or LA. We enjoy going to church, hiking in the mountains, and going to the beach. We’re big on using the palmetto tree and moon on everything we wear, write-on, and drive. We’re South Carolina, we like it, and if you for some reason don’t seem to, we’d prefer you leave this little slice of heaven to those of us who do.

Above this, if you have an open mind, I welcome you to come visit my state. We love visitors and welcome you to see our amazing state.

I should note before closing the most important point of all. South Carolina was the eighth state to enter the Union. Today, there are forty-nine others. Together, we are a United States. South Carolina is just as much a part of this as Hawaii, Georgia, Maine, or Texas. While my passion for South Carolina is strong, I am an American. We are Americans. I'm not here to degrade your state, and I hope you're not here to degrade mine. We live in an awesome country, not because of any one state, but because of the fifty that united together. This, my friend, is one thing we should never forget.

A proud American,
gcm

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