I live in a so-called "red" state. We are said to have a disdain for unnecessary government intrusion into private lives and a love of traditional values.

We are more than bigots and uneducated religious fanatics, though nationally prominent commentators try to make you believe otherwise.

But my native South Carolina, like any other state, does struggle to match practices to principles.

We are a state that requires hair braiders - HAIR BRAIDERS - to receive 1,500 hours of training before being allowed to practice their craft.

Gov. Mark Sanford pointed out the absurdity of it all in a news conference announcing his intentions to veto a bill to lower that to a mere 60 hours.

"It's utterly ridiculous for us, as a state, to say that you only need eight hours of training to carry a concealed handgun but for some reason, you need 60 hours of training to braid hair."

He's right that even requiring 60 hours is too much, but he's wrong that such a discussion, or any discussion, is ridiculous in this state.

Because this is a state where Benedict College implemented a policy allowing students to pass their first two years of college if they tried hard enough while legislators argue the merits of private-school vouchers and poor public schools sue rich ones because of unequal funding.

A state where natives decry the growing influence of recently implanted "Yankees" while benefiting from the tax base growth they provide, while some of those "Yankees" decry the state's backwardness, even after leaving their "blue" states to retire here.

A state with one of the lowest average SAT scores but among the most nationally certified teachers.

A state that rejoices over the several thousand jobs generated by German carmaker BMW but complains that other countries are stealing our manufacturing and textiles. That is until we sing praises over the return of jobs for steelworkers in Georgetown, made possible because China's economy is re-energizing the world's steel industry.

This is a red state where we ban video poker in one breath, establish a state-run "education" lottery in the next and allow $25,000 jackpot bingo - as long as a portion of its proceeds goes to charity.

This is a state where residents soon will be able to legally get tattoos and be served drinks from large bottles - five years after blacks and whites officially were allowed to marry.

ONLINE | To read past columns, go to Bailey's page at MyrtleBeachOnline.com.