I used to enjoy writing a “letter to the editor” from time
to time, but somewhere along the line I lost my taste for that. I guess today’s political situation just may
change a few attitudes, though, not just my attitude towards writing. And so....
Well, it’s like this, friend: I am a white man, from parents who were
German, on my Mother’s side, and Scotch Irish on my Dad’s. Now, if you were to want a bit more info on me, I would be able to supply just a bit were I to adopt the naming used by many of our Southern (really Southern) neighbors. But that could give the criminal element just a bit much, so I won't go there. Aside from that, I am a scientist, which I
point out to remind all that regardless of our more recent heredities, we all
remain creatures that are all “out of Africa.” Think the original Adam and Eve were
white? Your right, I guess. Still, here I am, born in the South, raised
in the South, living in South Carolina, and I tell you, friend, while I am and
have been an independent from the beginning of my political life, I am now
considering joining with the Democratic party to work for that party and help
it in its attempts to win in South Carolina in the upcoming election and in the
election of 2020. And, even though you
may find some people I know who will tell you “he’s just an outsider at heart
who wants you to think he knows something you ought to consider while he is, of
course, wrong in every way,” yes, even though there are some out there who
would say this about me and others like me, I feel the following needs to be
said, and I hope everyone might give these thoughts some consideration in spite
of the strength of that particular bone they may have in their heads that
overwhelms any attempt they may make to give the least bit of realistic
consideration to anything that may go counter to what they have believed for,
say, since Trump was elected as well as, perhaps, for a few more years before
that.
And, to elaborate just a bit more, while I would undoubtedly
disagree with those who would criticize my current political thinking, and
while I would still fight (as I once was privileged so to do, thanks to an
angry draft) for their right to criticize me at any time for my thoughts and
wishes in the matter of what needs to be done in South Carolina, and, yes, in
America in general, I must say, while they probably will not find much to agree
with here, it’s just because they and their minds are so steeped in the past
and rooted in the current across the board Republicanism of our state that they
refuse to give one iota of consideration to anything anyone might say that
could be considered critical of that kind of thinking, especially after having
read the beginning of this “letter.”
When I was in High School, I was part of a South
Carolina that was part of the solid “Democratic
South” that had been in charge in the South for years and years. It wasn’t until Strom Thurmond made his
decision to change parties in 1964, stating the Democratic party had grown away
from him and his thinking to the extent that he really had no choice but to
change parties, that things began to change.
Most would say Strom was right to do what he did. As also, so I believe, would be any other
politician doing this today, but, of course, that politician would have to go
in the opposite direction than did our venerated Strom.
You see, today our political situation is the exact opposite
of what Strom found in 1964. Today it’s
the Republican party that has roamed away from its roots and become the staid
party of choice in South Carolina, doing all sorts of nothing for years to
maintain our roads, our state parks, our public utilities, and all sorts of
other things that, quite simply, required funding over and above that which was
provided after Strom made his move and others throughout the South
followed. “Ah’ve nevah in my whole
cahreah voted for a tax increase” was how one politician put it, suspecting
(rightly) that his constituency would find this to be just one more reason to
return him to office at the next regularly scheduled election. (And return him they did.)
And now, what do you suppose the name of the game might
be? Well, for one thing, there is that
tax increase found at our gasoline pumps.
That’s right, a tax increase, one that our Republican controlled
legislature approved sometime about a year ago, or so, one that is currently
going into effect. This tax increase is
being used to fund construction on our highways and bridges as we speak,
something that just might give those current legislators something to brag
about (not the tax increase, mind you, just the construction) in advance of our
next general election. “See how we’re
improving our state’s transportation system?
Do you think the Democrats would be doing this?” is what we might expect
to hear, wouldn’t you think?
How many others might come to the conclusion along with me
that would allow them to move in opposition to the current majority in our
legislature? Also to consider is how
many of that majority might be thinking there just might be something
questionable about that “base” that is considered to be supportive of President
Trump in all things. This President may
be on a path that would change our mostly bicameral legislature into a more
viable tricameral grouping (if there is such a thing) that would be more representative of those in the
electorate, some of whom might give up their “independent” status and join some
Republicans and some Democrats to form a third party—one that might even become
controlling in future elections. Would
this be a good thing? You be the
judge.
And so it goes. What
is needed now is for someone, some strong leader in our legislature, to
consider being the Strom of our era and allow a migration from the Republican
party to the Democratic or, even better, to that middle party suggested here
sometime in the near future. Could this
happen, my friend? Perhaps. And then what?
It’s said that politics breeds strange bedfellows. Hang onto your hats, folks: With RINO Trump at the helm in Washington,
breeding season could be just around the corner.
Stephen V. Geddes
Aiken
