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_______________LEFT HOOK: WHY LOTT AND BARR HATE CLINTON BY JOE CONASON (12/22/98)
	As much as I enjoyed Joe Conason's column on Sen. Trent Lott and Rep. Bob Barr and their connections with neo-Confederates, I was piqued by his patronizing view of the South. His phrase "old-fashioned Southern racism" smacks of the common belief that white Southerners hold some monopoly on bigotry, or rather that our brand of racism is inherently more corrupt than others. It's neither more nor less corrupt, and firing such scattershot accusations of racism at the white South is reckless and counterproductive, especially for liberal "stepsons of the Confederacy" like myself who yearn for racial harmony. That harmony -- and its co-requisite, equity -- will only be realized in an atmosphere of civility and honor, traits which Lott, Barr and President Clinton (and Conason's tone) all lack. Gary Bridgman Oxford, Miss. It was very distressing to me to see Joe Conason slander the good name of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in his recent column. He states that Lott "maintains close ties to white supremacist and neo-Confederate organizations such as the Council of Conservative Citizens, the Southern Partisan magazine and the Sons of Confederate Veterans." The Sons of Confederate Veterans is recognized as a nonprofit, historical, educational organization made up of descendants of Confederate soldiers. Our main goal is to educate the public about the positive aspects of our ancestors. How dare Conason call us a white supremacist group and attempt to tie us in with organizations to which we have no affiliation? He has done a great disservice to Salon's readers and to members of the SCV. We have Native-American and African-American members, and we recognize that the Confederate States of America were multicultural. We abhor the misuse of our Confederate symbols by hate groups, and we take every opportunity to educate the public about our heritage. -- Collin Pulley Chairman, Heritage Defense Committee Sons of Confederate Veterans Thank you for this article. I only hope it will not be buried among all the rest and silenced. I hope the rest of the media take this issue and spend the next year exploring every aspect of the racism that has been present in our political system all these years with the same voraciousness they have gone after stained blue dresses. Your efforts are truly appreciated. -- Shirley A. Blair Keller SALON | Jan. 5, 1999

R E C E N T L Y+| PORTRAIT OF A POLITICAL PIT BULL BY RUSS BAKER

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