However, antagonizing Southerners will just make it more difficult for them to yield their current position.

I would say that that depends on who's doin' the antagonizin'. As a southerner m-eye-self, in m-eye finest southern drawl I don't hesitate any loonger at m-eye age, whenevah I'm confronted with a big ol' loada Southern BS, to look my southern brethren and sistren rat in the eye and pro-ceed to rip the shit out of their political, religious or racial ignorance, not with opinion, but with accurate information. They're stymied at first, not expectin' me, a southern white, middle aged male, to correct their foolish nonsense and even more surprised that I would have the temerity to do so. The "southerness" right away starts to take a backseat to what is often surprisingly agreeable conversation wherein more often than not, accurate information is discussed and listened to. That would not work if I was a Yankee.

Speakin' of which. In the 20 years I spent in NYC, you would be amazed at how many times white, non-southerners would confide in me the most obnoxious racial stereotyping, taking it for granted that as a white southerner I would be in agreement with their views. I always felt insulted and told them so. I'm proud of my southernness, but I'm not gonna let it be defined by the ignorant, no matter where they're from.

The South controlled the American government for many many years and will not give up control easily.

I noted to friends on election night in November that for the first time in decades (since Reconstruction ?), no Southerner was leading any branch of the federal government.

I mostly keep quiet about the fact that I believe abortion should be legal, marijuana should be legalized nationwide, gay marriage should be allowed and the rebel flag should be outlawed.

Oh god no, if you live in the South and you believe all of that PLEASE speak up. We need to hear your voice!

Here's a true story. I'm in Nashville, TN and traveling along one of the ubiquitous Interstates here just the other day, driving in my own lane, minding my own business, I noticed that as a pick up passed the owner was giving me the finger. Why? On my bumper I have "IMPEACH BUSH" and "OBAMA/BIDEN", but it was probably my little fish (people down here have the Christin fish symbol on their cars), except my fish says "DARWIN" and it has feet.

The problem with your argument is that southern whites committed one of the most heinous crimes in human history. Slavery and the aftermath, chain gangs of innocent blacks, turpentine camps, mines, and Jim Crow continued until recent times.

Before we get too far down the road to Southern bashing, let's not totally pervert history. Slavery was practiced or legal in quite a few places other than just the south for a long portion of American history,e.g. it was legal in NY up until 1817. It had been practiced in NY beginning in 1626. I'm not trying to excuse southern slavery, and you can pile on the South all you want about continuing the practice, but the South didn't invent slavery, not even American slavery. Slavery was first outlawed in Georgia for instance by Ogglethorpe, the founder of the state.

Joan Walsh for getting Paglia to write a column for Salon. Don't you dare ever let her leave or die. The commentary is just simply too priceless and wonderful to ever let go. It's the ONLY real reason to become a paid subscriber to Salon. You know you're in the possession of a goldmine: Reader Responses to Camille Paglia Columns on Salon.Com. It will be a huge runaway bestseller. I predict years on the NYTimes bestseller list, front page reviews in the London Times Literary Supplement. Paglia brings out the best in your readers, the alchemy between her and them is almost better than sex. I live for her columns (which I never read anymore) because I know how malicious and emotionally satisfying the comments are going to be. LONG LIVE PAGLIA READERS!

Joan, ignore the pea-brained supporters of Paglia, their apologies and defenses of Paglia are dried cat dung next to the intergalactic star spears that her detractors hurl out of their boundless disdain for her narcissistic contrarianism. The truly amazing thing is that her supporters all sound exactly alike; the letters could have all been written by the same person, Paglia? But the hate mail, the hate mail is freakin' lovely, every barb a gem, every line of disgust and invective a distilled potion of some of the most inspired and creative vitriol to be found anywhere. You are blessed with the best readers on the net.

I wrote love letters. Both of my letters were about how much I love Paglia's readers. What you write is hate mail. Moron. Now this is hate mail. You bring out the worst in me you awful person.

It's not about you.

HA! HA! HA! HA HA HA HAHAHA....you told Paglia that it's not about her! HA HA HA HA.....that's hysterical. She hasn't written about anything other than the crazy delusions of grandeur in her head for the past 30 years. She can't hear you, she's too busy writing about her favorite color.