A Massachusetts schoolmaster in Camden in 1793

This columnist recently acquired a letter from Elijah Dix Green (1769-95) in Camden dated March 28, 1793, to his brother, Dr. John Green of Worcester, Massachusetts. The letter contains much new information previously unavailable to local historians or others. For that reason, excerpts from it are carried below.

Seeing the changes at the KCSO

Whether you voted for him or not, you can't deny that Jim Matthews, his command staff, investigators and deputies have hit the ground running during his first month in office.

'Tiger Mom' offers clues to race gaps

Amy Chua's not so tough. The Yale law professor's new memoir, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," has touched a raw national nerve with its descriptions of her tough "Chinese way" of parenting, a way that shows all of the warmth and charm of a Marine Corps drill instructor.

The benchmark of '64

The two ladies were dressed in a manner which would allow them to attend either a football game or a funeral.

The other lunch bunch

I ended up at lunch recently with Wife Nancy and a few of her friends. I'm still trying to figure out how they found time to take a bite between the non-stop chatter. Words were flying faster than shotgun pellets at a turkey shoot.

Discretion advised

WASHINGTON -- Discretionary spending, the part of the federal budget that is not on autopilot and is subject to annual appropriations, generally constitutes less than 40 percent of federal spending. Take out defense spending and that share drops to well under 20 percent. So if your goal is to slash government spending and your approach is to go after discretionary spending without touching the military, it will require punishing, drastic cuts to make any ...

There's work still to be done

In my column last week, I said that it's not enough to simply honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday. We should make a conscious effort to also recognize the nameless, faceless and countless numbers of Americans who fought beside King for racial equality.

Obama bounces back

At this midpoint of his first term, it is too early to say what President Barack Obama's legacy will be. We don't even know whether he will get a second term. But we're beginning to see more clearly the outlines of what that legacy might be: In a contentious age of left-versus-right, he's a center-left pragmatist -- and he's beginning to make it pay off.

Parenting: to push or not to push

WASHINGTON -- I come from a family where the "joke," if you came home with a 97 on a math test, was to ask what happened to the other three points. The punch line, if you scored 100, was to ask whether there was any extra credit.

The outrage industry

NEW YORK -- As a longtime champion of greater civility in public discourse and one who has led the charge for dialed-back rhetoric, may I respectfully take most of it back?

Speaking of inspiration

What inspires you? It's an important question -- one that can tell you a lot about yourself.

Reliving old college jazz radio days

I recently posted a blog entry in the C-I website's Community section about the music I was listening to during the winter season. I followed that up with a "Note" connected to my personal Facebook page about music from the 1980s I've downloaded to or copied from my collection in recent years.

TRAC report sidelined

With the passage of Act 81 of 2009, the General Assembly took an important step to confront the antiquated and faulty tax structure that has been cobbled together over the decades, and that is now breaking down in the modern economy. The legislature created the South Carolina Taxation Realignment Commission to conduct a "thorough assessment of the State's current tax structure to determine its 'adequacy, fairness, and efficiency' and to ensure that our State ...

Muslim 'Cosby Show'? Couldn't hurt

CBS anchor Katie Couric startled some listeners when she suggested a Muslim "Cosby Show," but the idea has merit. It's hard for us to be afraid of the people we see on TV sitcoms every week.

Successful 2010 sets Camden on track to bright future

As we move into a new year, I'm proud to reflect back on 2010 as a successful year for the City of Camden despite great and obvious challenges.

Not such strange bedfellows

WASHINGTON -- Breaking news: Conservative organizations suddenly have found common cause with one of their favorite objects of contempt -- the benighted Mainstream Media.

Seniors reflect

I meet with a lot of groups and committees over the course of the year, and I think it's important for me to do so. One of my favorite groups is Student Cabinet, which is comprised of student government leaders from each of our high schools. We meet four times a year over lunch. What I love and value about students is that they don't hesitate to tell you what's ...

A matter of conscience:

In 1929, my family moved from Chesterfield County to a farm adjoining the farm of Donald Holland's parents in the Cassatt community. I was a year old at the time but before many years passed, Donald and I established a friendship lasting until Donald's passing in 2003.

When DOJ targets press, we all lose

To say I was stunned was putting it mildly. I was shocked to learn about the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) decision to seize phone records belonging to the Associated Press (AP). The C-I does not belong to the AP; I have never written for the service. That doesn't negate my outrage at DOJ's actions.

Fredericksburg Township explored

Our grand city of Camden is a beautifully preserved town laid out in an 18th century plan devised by Joseph Kershaw. We are proud of our historic homes and buildings, carefully placed public parks, wide streets, and beautiful trees. So it is easy to forget that this was not the original plan for the "town" that was to develop in this area of South Carolina. The original plan was a part of the "Township ...

What was the IRS thinking?

Well, this is a fine mess.

Are we willing to pay for increased public safety?

Kershaw County public safety is at a crossroads. The sheriff's office is greatly understaffed and deputies are compensated for their mandatory overtime work by an antiquated and grossly unfair payment system. The solicitor's office is working with half the staff it needs to properly prosecute the cases it receives every month and the jail is barely able to keep sufficient staff to meet state standards. <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; line-height: ...

Benghazi redacted

Gatsby? What Gatsby?