I was born in the South,but raised in the Northeast; visiting in the South frequently. Your observations about race relations were also mine. Popular psychology in the Northeast readied me to expect a Simon Legree, with a whip, on every street corner.

The “Flying TIgers”? This is news. It was more properly known as the American Volunteer Group (AVG). The paymaster was Fiorello LaGuardia. Nothing new here, there is an old B&W movie about them. Their organization preceded 1941, I believe it was 1939. Pilots were required to resign their American commissions, but that was just a formality.

Being local to Boston, I notice the police are fighting back. People arresteed are not charged with “resisting arrest” which in non-prosecuteable, they are now charged with “assault on a police officer”.

Sherlock Holmes first words to Dr. Watson “You have been in Afghanistan I perceive”.

This after observing Watson’s sun tan and a limp caused by a wound from a jezail bullet.

That was more than a 100 years ago.

“there was a sort of social thermocline at Fredericksburg”

A little different from Fred’s take. Once, in the 60’s I was thumbing home to Virginia from Prep school in Massachusetts. It was windy and I held to a sign post. When a car stopped I ran to it, leaving part of my palm on the sign post. Rapidly, I found the guy had picked me up because he needed someone to yell at. I took it for about 20 miles. We came to a stoplight and I exited. In years of “thumbing” here, or there, I was only approached by one homosexual. My parents never seemed to worry, and the stories I heard, they colored my 16 years.

I have been accused of thinking too much. However, it has long seemed to me that concurrent with the rise of black football players, I have noticed a decline in suburban interest in high school football. I have also noticed the rise of the idea that soccer is “nicer”, particularly among suburban moms. I have heard various explanations, soccer is more “international”, the fear of concussions, etc., etc. I am not buying that, I think there is some cause and effect. This does sadden me. Suiting up for high school football practice is so American, and I have many pleasant memories of it.