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Opinion

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Speak Out: Should We Return to Paper Ballots?

Mount Pleasant man advocates for a more "transparent" system for voting with a paper trail. What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

A Lowcountry man is seeking to rewind technology for voting and return to paper ballots, the Charleston City Paper reported. Frank Heindel of Mount Pleasant spoke to Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration May 15 about his concerns. "I believe every citizen in Charleston County deserves an election process that is transparent, conforms to existing laws, and can produce an audit paper trail," Heindel said. City Paper reported: Heindel's full proposal was that the county conduct some, if not all, local elections this November without using its iVotronic touchscreen voting machines, which the election-integrity hellraiser says are flawed due to problems like vulnerability to virus attacks and a lack of hard-copy …

stanley seigler

9:36 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

re: live voter verification assume this refers to the voterID requirement...this legislation is the most unnecessary bill probably ever written...it's only purpose was/is to 'suppress' DEM (minority) votes... asked/not answered here numerous times...how would anyone so inclined commit voter fraud at the ballot box...if election officials do their job in assuring rosters of registered are current…   more ›

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Speak Out: Did You Vote for Candace Glover on 'Idol'?

South Carolina woman wins "American Idol."

Candace Glover, 23, of Beaufort has won season 12 of "American Idol."  Glover has received lots of support from her home state Fox Carolina reported: Glover said: "I'm the poster child for perseverance and determination." And it's paying off: her debut album, Music Speaks, is slated for a July 16 release just a few weeks into the Idol summer tour. Click here to read more.  Speak Out: Did you vote for Candace Glover? What did you think of her performance on "Idol'? 

Patricia Kottka

2:45 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013

Absolutely amazing voice. It was a tough choice. All five girls were terrific and will be very successful but in the end I think we got it right! Candace truly was the best! So proud of her!   more ›

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Speak Out: Is Charleston a Bigotry 'Hotspot'?

New map based on Tweets says no. What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

A new map based on Twitter postings and the location of those tweeting has created a bigotry map of the United States. The project is called "Geography of Hate" and it maps homophobic or racist tweets to determine "hotspots."  The Huffington Post reported: The map, created by geography students at Humboldt State University in California, looks at more than 150,000 geocoded tweets (tweets that say where the user is located) between June 2012 and April 2013, sorting for those that contained a racist, homophobic or anti-disability word. The researchers then decided whether or not the tweet was using the word in a hateful way.  South Carolina had some warm spots (like near Orangeburg and Spartanburg) but no real hotspots. The Charleston area …

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stanley seigler

1:49 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

re: '...people like me [josch] are definitely NOT the reason...' 'definitely NOT'...the reason: the T-GOPs, etal...eg, the family value, christians, hypocrites who elected sanford... sadly they trump the many 'atticus finch's' of the south... those who say 'some of my best friends are n-words' need to soul search...   more ›

Monday, May 13, 2013

Speak Out: Were Political Groups Unfairly Targeted by IRS?

The targeted groups (numbering in excess of 100) received greater scrutiny than others with different political views.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Speak Out: How Do You Say 'Pin'?

Do you say "pen" for "pin" and soften your R's? Tell us in the comments!

In the Charleston area, we have developed a way of talking that almost puts a neon sign on newcomers as "from off." Simons is pronounced "Simmons," Huger is pronounced "U-gee" and Cooper is pronounced "Cup-ah."  Aside from our own unique pronunciation of words, there are also actual dialects that have been mapped in the area. According to a new North American Dialects map, Charleston area natives say "pen" for "pin" and drop their R's, in addition to the Southern dialect already prevalent in the region.  Click here to see a full map of North American dialects. But the Charleston area has a growing number of people who did not grow up here — coming from different parts of the South, from the North or West, or even from another nation.  …

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Jonathan Allen

11:29 am on Monday, May 13, 2013

you can always tell if someone is from the Lowcountry by the way they pronounce Beaufort (even in the Upstate most of them say it wrong - speaking from personal experience). Also the CVB should provide street maps with phonetic pronunciations of downtown street names for the tourists.   more ›

Friday, May 10, 2013

Speak Out: Should Confederate Memorial Day be a Public Holiday?

Some government offices were closed on Friday for Confederate Memorial Day.

Confederate Memorial Day was Friday, May 10, and you may have noticed that some government offices were closed in rememberence of the public holiday.  Some public offices were closed Friday including Dorchester County and state offices. South Carolina is one of nine states that observes Confederate Memorial Day. The other states include: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, according to TimeandDate.com. Last year, a Winnsboro-area House representative called for an end to public entities closing on the day, to no avail.  "We have important issues that need our attention, but instead, the Legislature is taking a day off to observe an archaic state holiday," State Rep. Boyd Brown said. "I’m …

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JoSCh

1:04 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I think petty retribution should probably continue to be the focus of the right wing, you guys wear it well.   more ›

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Speak Out: Have Perceptions Changed on Pit Bulls?

Star of "Pit Boss" will be at Saturday fundraising event in Charleston.

Are pit bulls killers, prone to violence? Or are they just another powerful breed caught up in hype, like the doberman or rottweiler? Has your perception of this breed changed in recent years?  Find Love in Pit Bulls is holding a pit bull awareness and fundraising event 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at Hooters in North Charleston. Star of Animal Planet's "Pit Boss" Sebastian Saraceno will be at the event. Here is what Saraceno told Charleston City Paper: There is no merit at all to the bad reputation (pit bulls) get. The only reason — and this goes for all animals that people own as pets — the only reason that pit bulls would be aggressive is because of human nature and the owner making them that way. If owners are responsible in socializing …

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JoSCh

11:12 am on Monday, May 13, 2013

Absolutely Gunny. People should be held accountable for their actions, including choosing to own a dog.   more ›

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Speak Out: Should We be More like Charles Ramsey?

Should we all try to emulate hero Charles Ramsey? Tell us in the comments!

Rough around the edges, Charles Ramsey has been catapulted into the national spotlight for what has been described as a heroic act — something he refuted and said he was just reacting to the situation.  Ramsey was the savior of three missing women and a child being held in captivity in Cleveland.  The Huffington Post reported: Charles Ramsey, the neighbor who helped to free three women from the Cleveland-area home where police said they were held for more than a decade, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that any reward money tied to the case should go to the victims. Watch the video above for an interview with Ramsey as he tells about kicking in a door to help save the women after one pleaded for help. Ramsey told Cooper: I’m a Christian, an …

michael large

10:30 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013

Sorry guys, tired of playing. I was just refering to all of the posts, a lot of which seemed to be from folks that don't even live in SC. I read a lot of the posts on the Patch and I can't help but wonder if a lot of people commenting with such personal comments might have been picked on or bulied as kids or in high school and now they feel as though they are getting even, behind their computer …   more ›

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Speak Out: Teen Mom Unable to Have Pic with Son in Yearbook

Should teen parents be allowed to have yearbook pictures with their children?

A North Carolina high school senior was unable to have a pic of her son and her in her yearbook, Live 5 News reported. The picture of the two of them was reported "pulled" from final publication. The teen mom chose to take her son with her when the school asked seniors to bring a "prop" that best represents them.  School officials have said the yearbook should be about the student and not his or her family.  Click here to read more. Here is local information about teen pregnancy rates in Charleston County, provided by Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council:  In Charleston County, 10 girls under age 20 become pregnant every week. In South Carolina, 169 girls under age 20 become pregnant every week. In Charleston County, 1 girl …

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JoSCh

10:04 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

You could, and should imo, post "thank God that she had the child and did not abort it." on every patch post about a human that lived... ever.   more ›

Friday, May 3, 2013

Speak Out: What Are You Doing This Weekend?

Weather mild but slightly rainy this weekend.

It should be "May Flowers" time but it seems like we're still getting those "April Showers." Despite a few rain drops, some outdoor activities like gardening, walking the dogs, and a few outdoor festivals and expos should still be enjoyable this weekend. Temperatures are in the high 60s.  Click here for The Weather Channel's full weekend forecast. Speak Out: What are you doing this weekend and why? Tell us in the comments! Need some ideas on what to do? Here are a few options:

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5 War Veteran

5:42 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013

Yep he rides me like his favorite toy, makes all sorts of comments about what he calls conspiracies and rarely follows the links provided to see the evidence for himself. A true sheeple suffering from cognitive dissonance. Of course he apparently knows everything and the world is greater for it. I am so lucky to have such an admirer. Kind of reminds me of a 13 going on 30 adolescent. Telling dad …   more ›

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