Like most people in this part of the country Mr. Beale and I used to spend a week or so at the beach every year — Florida, to be precise. We’d go to a place near Appalachicola, and rent a house for a week or two, usually in September when we could take advantage of “off-season” rates. It was cheap, we could bring our dogs, and it was a relaxing, quiet way to spend the days. We’d bake ourselves in the sun, eat lots of shrimp, go for long walks on the beach, throw a tennis ball into the water and watch the dogs chase after it.
We haven’t done that in about 10 years. Back in 2002, the last time we were down there, I was shocked to see a green pickup truck on which someone had spray-painted in gigantic letters: “Nuke The Ragheads.” They were proudly driving around town with their bigotry and intolerance on display for all to see, somehow thinking it was “patriotism.” I told Mr. Beale I couldn’t go back to Florida. So we haven’t.
Not once. Not even when we’ve been invited by relatives and friends, even though my mother-in-law goes down there every year for a month and temptingly offers a spare bedroom. I know my in-laws think I’m being nutty, a bit capricious; my friends think it’s stupid, there’s lots of wingnuttia all over the country and for god’s sake, I live in freaking Tennessee. Some of my family thinks it’s because of the stolen election in 2000 and while that may be part of it, really what pushed me over the edge was that “Nuke The Ragheads” pickup truck.
Since 2002, I’ve had lots of reasons to reinforce my Florida boycott: the statewide ban on adoption by gays and lesbians, Hillsborough County’s 2005 ban on gay pride events, the Koran-burning pastor, the Republican Party fundraisers involving shooting at effigies of prominent Democrats, the wackadoodle Governor Rick Scott, who by all rights should be in jail for ripping off the American people when he was head of Columbia-HCA. I’ve not been tempted to rethink my Florida ban, not even once. Sure I may live in Tennessee, but when I’m thinking about where to spend my vacation time and my vacation money, that ain’t it. There’s lots of coastline in the world and I don’t want my money going to support what’s coming out of Florida, even indirectly.
So that’s just me. And then we have Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who for over 30 years has apparently regularly visited a hunting camp with friends, family, donors, and other political allies. And that hunting camp was named “Niggerhead.”
I guess that’s the difference between Rick Perry and me.
Southern Beale 
I live in Florida ;( but vacation in Tennessee
Those who are committed to their indignorance will dismiss this Perryanesque Pecadillo in the same way that they dismiss Ron Paul’s racism.
Now that Chris Christie has been flattered into running for president by the same idiots who have been serially wrong about Palin, Bachman, Cain, etc., Perry’s big ol’ Texas Star will prolly look a mite tarnished. The only good thing I see coming from all of this is the increased exposure of these venal bastards having a negative impact on their in-state popularity come next gubernatorial or congressional elections. I’m not holding my breath.
My father in law has a place in Gulf Shores, AL if you want to rent it :).
Plus, he has better hair. Just sayin.
I solved the “vacation problem” by moving to the Left Coast in far Southern Oregon, leaving Texas behind. I can see the Pacific whenever I want and it’s rarely hot.
Of course, I’m one of those hippies who don’t have to work for da man any longer.
Wait! I don’t think I ever did. Lucky me.
Oh, I’ve been trying to get Mr. Beale to move west for years. I think we’ll do it one of these days. In the meantime, we took our first vacation to the San Juan Islands year before last and all I can say is: Paradise! When I win the lottery I’m totally moving out there.
SB, the only drawback living here is that it’s rather chilly and there are no Indian restaurants. OTOH clothes can cure the former.
Another good thing: the mosquitoes here are wimps.
No Indian restaurants? Really? Dang, we travel the Pacific Northwest a lot and they’re everywhere in Seattle and Vancouver … San Francisco … maybe I should get my Indian friend to move out there.
I’ve always had a fascination with Bend, Ore., and I’ve never been there. It keeps cropping up in my life. Maybe someday I will go…
Brookings, OR is rather isolated. No Indian food, but one of the finest sushi restaurants on the planet, a really good burger place and surprisingly a bar/restaurant that knows how to make a martini.
The nearest Indian restaurant, sadly, is two hours away in Medford. Crap! A day trip.
I’m a native Floridian and upon my yearly visits, I don’t like what I see & is really disappointed at what’s going on in my beautiful sunshine state. But thank God there are so many other beautiful and interesting places to visit.