‘70 year old white boy’ ready to suit up for Beamer’s Gamecocks and rock out to Soulja Boy

Soulja Boy next Gamecock anthem

Just read David Travis Bland’s op-ed on Coach Shane Beamer and Soulja Boy’s “Turn Your Swag On.”

Totally agree with you. Even this 70 year old white boy native of Pee Dee area knows of Soulja Boy. I’m ready to suit up and play for Beamer!

I saw his intro of this at SEC Media Day, and loved it. Have watched his locker room follow-up at least ten times.

I do like reading your perspectives on this and other topics. Excellent writing style and presentation. It makes me feel like we are in a room talking to each other.

Jay Altman, Columbia

Voter suppression in Richland County?

Has voter suppression already come to Richland County?

As a senior citizen it has been my preference to vote by mail-in ballot in recent years even though this process has been made more complicated with the addition of several more steps. On August 30, 2022 I spoke with the county voter registration office and asked that a “Request for a Ballot” be sent to me which I received and mailed back but never received the ballot (they have a record of the initial request but nothing else).

So, on October 7, 2022 I again called them and was told they would mail the request for ballot to me “in the afternoon mail”. Once again it was never received.

During my third call to this office I discovered that they had no record of my call on October 7 and could not explain why the employee I spoke with on that day made no record of the request and mailed nothing out. Is there any other explanation for this interference in my constitutional right to vote?

Jean Watson-Gregson, Columbia

Retired physician appalled

David Travis Bland’s article on U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace hits the nail on the head. Our U.S. House representative has chosen to sling egregious lies at Dr Annie Andrews. By choosing this action Mace has guaranteed that medical professionals will undergo threats and attempted violence for no actual reason. Incitement of violence is a dangerous road to go down.

As a retired physician I’m appalled that my colleagues have to undergo these crazy lies that 10 years ago were unthinkable. Dr Andrews has had to step down from her role as a physician to protect her colleagues and hospital from the threats they also received. Is this still America? Is Mace who we want working on our behalf in Congress?

In any reasonable society those actions would disqualify her from this position of trust in our government. In SC today, I would hope reasonable people would agree that these actions are disqualifying.

John MacLaurin, DO, Hilton Head

Another gas crisis

Here with go again with another gas crisis. Since the first gas crisis back in the 1970’s, everybody blames the administration in power at that time. After all these decades, we are still dealing with the same problem. It is time that we, the American public, take action to control our energy sources instead of waiting on foreign governments and foreign energy companies to supply our needs.

I was amazed right after the pandemic when we had experienced the ability to work from home and reduce our dependence on gasoline. Now, companies are encouraging people to go back to the workplace. It is time to stop asking what our government can do and look at what we can do.

I am personally going to re-schedule my activities in a way to save at least three gallons of gas per week. Now, if most Americans can save that amount, it would put a big dent in our energy needs. During the Pandemic many people worked from home and saved millions of gallons of gas. Why don’t our industries adopt a four-day workweek or a five-day that includes one work at home day, if possible. We can do this America.

James Muldrow, Columbia

This story was originally published October 16, 2022 at 5:05 AM.