Keep Yourself Safe

Crossing divides in small Southern towns.

Yesterday, I was in a small Southern town, the type of town with the court house at the square where the cars drive slow and old timers sit outside the soda shop and the waiter in the diner always says “God bless you, honey pie” when I tip him for my coffee and the bells on the door jingle on my way out.

It’s a deceptive town, of course. This town isn’t like this for everyone, and not even always for me. This is a town where flag waiving agitators stand guard at the Confederate monument, yelling slurs…