BRACK: Lawmakers need courage to move state forward

By Andy Brack, editor and publisher  |  There’s something about the children’s narrative of Winnie the Pooh that seems to be a good fit for South Carolina’s legislative leaders.  

In one Pooh book inspired by creator A.A. Milne, the timid Piglet remarks, “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”

Sound familiar?  Think about it in the context of a General Assembly that makes little headway on really big things that need to be done for South Carolina, such as taking major, proactive steps to reduce poverty, offer dynamic educational opportunities to children, fix roads pocked by potholes and improve the health of hundreds of thousands.

Like Pooh, state lawmakers and leaders are kind and often well-meaning.  But when it comes to big challenges, they have got to get their heads out of the sand, particularly with new Census reports that more and more people are moving to the South.  Just this week, officials reported that four areas in South Carolina — Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Hilton Head Island and Rock Hill (part of metro Charlotte) — are among the fastest-growing places in the country.

State lawmakers need to wake up to the realities of what more people will really mean — more distressed calls for government services like roads, education and health care.  Ignoring these needs is not acceptable.  Doing nothing, or even only a little, is not acceptable.  If the state wants to remain vibrant and relevant, it’s going to have to provide what’s needed to get the job of educating, growing and moving commerce done.

And that will take a longer-term view.  It will take real leadership.  It will take elected leaders who are willing to listen and compromise, a quality lost in today’s political debates at the state and national levels.  

In short, moving forward will take real courage, a quality for which Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling observed, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

Or as actor John Wayne noted, “Courage is being scared to death … and saddling up anyway.”

Across the country, taxpayers are fed up with the establishment practice of doing nothing or little, of toting the policy football inches rather than scoring.  On one hand, the Donald Trumps of the world point blame at outsiders and spew invective, bluster and fear.  On the other side are the Bernie Sanders of politics who point internally to corruption, Wall Street and other bogeymen.  In between are opportunists who use dark money and feed on negativism to fuel the fires of discord and discontent.  What they all have in common, though, is a very real anti-establishment focus that has got to have some incumbents shaking in their boots.

In the face of these forces, it’s time for South Carolina politicians to saddle up and show some courage about our challenges.  Instead of worrying about their seats, they need to show how much they care for the state by doing more, not less.

Again, the Pooh stories are instructive. Christopher Robin, one of Pooh’s best friends, gave encouragement when he told the bear:  “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

It is a season for us to be brave, strong and smart.  For Christians, Easter is a time of resurrection and rebirth.  It’s also a time of courage — for having the courage to believe.  

As South Carolina’s political leaders take a furlough during the next week, we hope they’ll reflect on the story of rebirth and have the courage to act for the good of the whole state to fix problems, not get bogged down in finger-pointing and doing nothing.