Bus Trip

Thank you for taking the time to answer Willie. You did answer the question I was asking and I understand and appreciate your concerns. I asked because I observed people being openly hostile to Cunningham the other night and I wondered if he had done something to offend or if he was a victim of circumstance.

By all accounts Michael Cunningham is a fine christian family man who a strong set of values. And I think his only offense here is taking a job that was offered him, just like Dabo probably would have step right into head coach had it been offered. And that process might have made some fans angry but I think most would agree in the end he is the best man for the job and his team would have suffered if the fans were angry with him for taking it. And I think in the end Michael Cunningham is the best man for the job and his team - the citizens of Anderson County- is going to do a lot better if everyone puts their anger at the circumstances behind them and let him be the administrator he is capable of.

I'm glad you brought up the Bowden/Swinney coaching situation, Blogger.

Clemson bought out Bowden's contract, then made his top assistant, Swinney, INTERIM HEAD COACH while they conducted a search for a new head coach. After Swinney proved himself by coaching the Tigers to four wins in their last five games, it was obvious to everybody that he deserved the job.

Anderson County Council, on the other hand, agreed to buy out Preston, then named Preston's top assistant as COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR immediately, with no "interim" stage at all. Even Clemson wasn't foolish to do that, and given the lame-duck status of the current Anderson CC majority, it made the move even more boneheaded.

Dabo Swinney at the moment enjoys an almost idol-like status among the Clemson faithful. Michael Cunningham, unfortunately, is going to have to work twice as hard to prove himself after being put in a most unfortunate, most uncomfortable situation NOT OF HIS MAKING. Strange, isn't it, when both men are probably equally capable at what they do for a living?

I'm sure the current Council thought they were helping Cunningham when they promoted him. They were just trying to protect them from those hungry wolves who are Joey Preston's critics. Instead, they tied a steak around his neck and threw him to 'em. Nice guys, huh?

JD your right, I won't argue with anyone that it could have been handled better. But at the end of the day Michael Cunningham is still our administrator. And a protracted legal battle and misdirected anger aren't going to help our county. What's done is done and it is time to heal and move on. There is a lot going on in our country right now, economic turmoil, buyouts I don't understand, job lose. In order for our County to stay solid in the midst of all this we need to concentrate on our strengths and work together. And that means stop turning every council meeting into a hate filled circus and start letting the administrator and our council do it's job. I believe Michael Cunningham is a fair and thoughtful man and if people raise valid concerns he will listen there is no reason for people to line up and spew borderline language and hate.

Blogger, I haven't yet heard any "hate" directed at Michael Cunningham. I've heard comments about how heavy-handed his promotion was, I've heard comments about his involvement in blocking media and other access to county records, and I've obviously heard that he was Joey Preston's assistant (implying that he agreed with everything Preston did or stood for, which is a stretch.) That's all political rhetoric, nothing more, nothing less.

Have I missed something? What "borderline language" and "hate" are you talking about?

I know what issue you're dancing around, Blogger. And I'm NOT afraid to address that here: Anybody who judges a man by his race, and not his capabilities and/or performance, has no credibility with me or with the vast majority of those who read this forum and post here. I sincerely hope that we, as a country, as a state, as a county, have moved beyond that. Like you, though, I fear we haven't. But look at the bright side of it. If Cunningham performs well, those "haters" will be reduced to a single argument. If they resort to that argument, we'll know who they are - and we can ignore them forever. You know, "Know thy enemy ... " 

I would urge a bit of caution there, Wyatt. If you define "hate" or "hate speech" too far downward, you'll wrap yourself up in your own definition.

I've attended a couple of hundred County Council and Council committee meetings over the years - Pickens County, Greenville County, Oconee County - and I've been there a number of times when they natives were restless, occasionally even as a target or their ire. They were rude. They were juvenile. They were often profane and threatening. But was it hate? I didn't see that, even when I was one of those in their sights.

I'll agree with you that critics of Joey Preston have often gone way too far in Anderson County and turned it into a personal war as much as a political war, Wyatt, but only if you'll agree that critics of Cindy Wilson have done likewise.

My apologies, Blogger. Hard to tell sometimes what page you're on in the hymnal, since you're so often off-key.

I have learned that in "liberal-speak" the term "hate speech" is a usually a codeword for either racism or for any conservative idea that doesn't mesh with the left-wing view of "diversity." (Liberal definition of diversity = Full participation in the public forum and the political process unless one happens to be Christian or conservative.)

I haven't seen any such "hate" speech on this forum yet (other than the general hatred by the atheists among us of all things religious), and I hope I don't - but the racial issue is bubbling just under the surface in Anderson County and, for that matter, nationally. I personally hope it stays there long enough to cool down and become a non-issue. My intent in bringing it up here was to quickly move past it and get on to things that really matter, not to point any fingers.

By the way, I have a "general animosity" toward most liberal Democrats. But some of my best friends fit that definition. By no means do I "hate" them. We just disagree very strongly on many issues.

Thank you for taking the time to answer Willie. You did answer the question I was asking and I understand and appreciate your concerns. I asked because I observed people being openly hostile to Cunningham the other night and I wondered if he had done something to offend or if he was a victim of circumstance.

By all accounts Michael Cunningham is a fine christian family man who a strong set of values. And I think his only offense here is taking a job that was offered him, just like Dabo probably would have step right into head coach had it been offered. And that process might have made some fans angry but I think most would agree in the end he is the best man for the job and his team would have suffered if the fans were angry with him for taking it. And I think in the end Michael Cunningham is the best man for the job and his team - the citizens of Anderson County- is going to do a lot better if everyone puts their anger at the circumstances behind them and let him be the administrator he is capable of.

-blogger

 

I haven't seen any place where their right to protest has been questioned?
We all have a right to be stupid. Some of us come by it easily.

-republikin

I could not agree more!

Nah JD I've never fallen into that trap of using the word hate like that. Maybe because I hate brussel sprouts and beets and it has nothing to do with what color they are.  I am actually pretty naive about the whole racism thing unless someone is being overt with it I usually assume they have other reasons for disliking someone. I hope you are wrong about the racism bubbling under the surface, Cunningham deserves a chance to prove himself. 

Willie are you referring to me as a redneck or are you talking about other people? I agree with challanging authority, but I also think there are better ways to do it than what was done at the Dec 2 council meeting. And I think since you didn't think the heckling was funny you might think thats not the way to go either. And no Thompson certainly wasn't on his best behavior either. But as I said to JD, Cunningham is a reasonable man who listens to people if people have a problem with an issue I believe he will listen and do his best to find resolution. Do you want him out of office now because you don't like the way he was put in? I don't think that will do any good, again a protracted legal battle will not do anyone or this county any good. The mans in office why don't you all put some of that energy you seem to have into trying to work with him for the changes you want instead of against him?

 haven't seen any such "hate" speech on this forum yet (other than the general hatred by the atheists among us of all things religious), and I hope I don't -JD Tippett

Sorry, JD but I have to call you on that one.  Please show me one example of general hatred of things religious by me .  That's the problem with those broad statements, isn't it, JD?  Sort of like the ones by Merrymac that I had to respond to.  And now you have a great day.