Help Educate Asheville C-T Columnist Jason Sandford

From: exec@slrc-csa.org

Chuck/Pop --

Please encourage everybody in SHNV-land to check out the following inane column from Asheville Citizen-Times writer Jason Sandford -- and then respond to it HERE

The boy (he's local) is hopelessly confused and may have been dropped on his head or exposed to radiation at an early age. He seems to think that "Southern" and "Mountain" are two mutually exclusive things. At any rate, he doesn't want to be tainted by the "Southern" label and thinks Asheville has "outgrown" its Southern-ness. He apparently belongs to that unfortunate class of Southerner who feels that the only proper way to refer to his heritage is either by ridicule or apology. (Note the crack about trailers and Confederate flags.)

Back story: Sandford calls his column "Ashevegas". He apparently thinks this is cute and that it identifies him with the "happening" Asheville of brew pubs, sushi bars, avant-garde theatre, bad poetry and street parties honoring every ethnic group imaginable (except Southerners).

Interestingly, a good many people have objected to the "Ashevegas" title on grounds they consider Las Vegas tawdry, flashy, self-indulgent and shallow, and they resent the comparison. Nevertheless, he keeps right on writing his silliness and the C-T keeps publishing it.

Let's see if we can help straighten the young man out. It's the least we can do.

Roger McCredie
SLRC