Last thing we need is Jim Crow

James Case watches his yard closely these days.

A couple of weeks ago he woke to find that, overnight, someone had declared his yard a battlefield -- planting a Confederate flag out front.

Case was angry, told Berkeley County deputies that he didn't know who might have done this, or why, but he suspected it was because he and his wife are an interracial couple.

"I told some guys at work and one of them said the flag is not racist," Case said Thursday. "Well, I don't think they were trying to remind me of my Southern heritage."

Here we go again.

With a thing like this, people quickly make up their minds. If it walks like a redneck and talks like a redneck, it must be a redneck -- what other motive could there be?

So whoever you geniuses are, thanks for perpetuating ugly stereotypes about South Carolina.

Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in.

One step up

In December this state will begin its commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the most divisive and deadly blemish on this country's history.

Various groups and organizations around the state are planning to mark the important dates -- secession, the firing on Fort Sumter -- with scholarly lectures, re-enactments and museum displays to let people know everything that was really going on back then, and why.

The thing that has been most impressive about South Carolina's plans is how much cooperation and interaction there is among the groups.

It seems everyone -- everyone -- is interested in a well-rounded picture that doesn't focus simply on battlefield glory, but also the role of the home front, women, the politics of the war and, yes, slavery.

No one is trying to whitewash anything. They simply want an accurate recounting of what happened. It is a huge step forward for this state.

So why does some idiot have to dredge up Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan now?

Two steps back

Ten years ago the state got involved in a contentious fight about moving the Confederate battle flag (well, it was really a Confederate Naval Jack) off the Statehouse dome. The compromise, which moved a similar flag to a Confederate monument on the grounds, didn't sit well with the NAACP, which has been boycotting the state ever since.

There is a reason some people question the motives of anyone with an abiding interest in the Confederacy. A prime example is the guy who put that flag in Case's yard (well, him and guys who carry the flag around while wearing Casper the Friendly Racist Halloween costumes).

"I'm sure the flag is not racist to a lot of people," Case said. "But when it's used like that, I don't think there is any other interpretation."

That's exactly right. Not everyone who is interested in, or commemorates, our state's history is a racist. But anyone who would do this most assuredly is. There is a big difference, and it's something more people need to realize.

The funny thing is, if the moron who did this actually longs for segregated schools and separate water fountains, then he's the one in the minority.

Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com. Read more columns by Brian Hicks here.