The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

click to enlarge The Great Dismal Swamp used to be known for hideouts for Revolutionary spies, Civil War spies, cypress trees and the nemesis of Stephen Colbert - bears. It was also a place of fondness for Thomas Jefferson for his love of the scuppernong grape and the "affordable" wine it produces.

Jefferson lamented on occasion that when his finances warranted, he enjoyed the best of the wines Europe could produced, but when times were hard, he enjoyed the unique American sweet flavors of wines produced from the scuppernongs grown in the Great Dismal Swamp. Over the years, the size of the swamp has diminished with the constant harvesting of timber and many attempts to drain the swamp. Currently, it is a less than half its original size.

But now something else is harvested from the Great Dismal and it is mercenaries produced by Blackwater USA of Myock, NC.

North Carolina has a great history of defending this country - Pope Air Force Base, Cherry Point Marine Air Station, Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune. To this day the coast of North Carolina is dotted with old submarine watch towers that were active during the Second World War. NC even has a sunken WWII German submarine lying off of Beaufort, NC. Blackwater, however, it not such a point of pride.

I cannot think of a point in American History when a siting President controlled the American military while also commanding a private Army. I can think of plenty of OTHER world leaders, but none come to mind for history of American democracy.

It is something North Carolina and the United States of America can do without.

Note: Yes, the wine glasses are period correct for Monticello, in fact, Jefferson used glasses of this kind for his guests.