The Spy does love South Carolina. Why is unnecessary to discuss, much like any love. It’s just a fact.
It’s painful, then, to see the image the state has elsewhere in the country. Mention “South Carolina” to anyone two or more states away and you’ll get reactionary references from Myrtle Beach to Strom Thurmond (both of which The Spy believes are great gifts to our nation). With these also come “redneck,” “racism,” “Baptists,” “backward,” “uneducated,” and more.
Sandlappers don’t necessarily consider all of these to be negatives. Strom Thurmond, for instance, or Baptists. But in the context of the unfamiliar, they are. Some of these perceptions are of the “so what?” variety, but for the Palmetto State to prosper, its image has to be taken seriously. The brand needs to be more than the crescent moon/palmetto tree emblem and it needs to project beyond the Grand Strand. There is much more to the State’s soul than the Confederate battle flag and mustard-based bbq.
Unfortunately, there is some validity to these negatives. We can, of course, start with The Corridor of Shame. For whatever reason, excuse or condition, this is unacceptable. No matter if only 10% of this documentary is true, that’s far too much truth.
But the problems are far more and more extensive than rural education. The entire educational system is hurting as is true and lasting economic development and, with it, South Carolina’s prosperity. But as critical as the education environment is to the population, there are more holes in the state’s future.
For years, The Spy has wondered why this is.. why it has been consistently so for generations. Some of it may be long reliance on an agrarian economy – one that has gradually dissolved over the decades. Some of it may be due to geography – too close, but not close enough to major transportation and commercial hubs like Atlanta. Some yet may relate to military presence, which brings in some economic advantage, but not the large good-paying and lasting commerce needed to sustain a progressive population. And, some of it is due to the “traditional” ethos of the citizenry.
And, naturally, there are the fiefdoms with the State Legislature. But, state legislative intransigence is not unique to South Carolina, nor are any of the other “some of’s.” Why then, can’t South Carolina succeed as do its neighbors North Carolina and Georgia?
Is it the state constitution itself that’s hijacking South Carolina’s future? When The Spy came across ReformSC.com and, subsequently, Gov. Sanford’s video, it was not unlike getting that one piece of intel that, while not the complete answer, it ties other bits together.
Whether or not reforming South Carolina’s constitution is the answer, something must be done to viably improve the lot of the state and enhance its image. South Of The Border, slavery, “I Believe” license plates and Maurice Bessinger are not what South Carolina needs to be known for.
Constitutional reform will not be the singular solution, but it may well be the kind of spark that’s needed to ignite the engine of transformation.
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