Recent South Carolina newspaper editorials:
The Times and Democrat
January 5
Staying vigilant against the virus during the vaccine US launch
South Carolina surpassed 5,000 confirmed deaths from coronavirus on Sunday, with the state reaching 300,000 confirmed cases.
With a post-holiday peak in the expected cases, it’s not time to take the COVID-19 threat less seriously. The Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC is reporting that a high percentage of tests for the virus have returned positive results, indicating widespread transmission in the community.
DHEC is pleading with the South Carolinians to remain vigilant against the virus.
During a press conference on Saturday, the agency’s interim director of public health, Dr. Brannon Traxler, emphasized the importance of wearing masks to slow down COVID-19, even when vaccines started arriving in the state.
“I want everyone to remember that while we are vaccinating, that everyone agrees across the country it will take a few months to complete the entire population, I encourage people to continue doing the things that we know work, which are very simple, like wearing masks “said Traxler.
Traxler said that a model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that wearing masks across the state can reduce the number of deaths by 450 people between now and April 1.
DHEC’s appeal comes at a time when the Associated Press is reporting questions from SC lawmakers about the pace of vaccine launch in the state.
On Saturday, Traxler said 41,508 doses of the vaccine were administered. These doses go to first-rate health professionals and people who live and work in long-term care facilities in the early stages of the state.
There must be priorities for the most vulnerable, but it is not difficult to see why so many are impatient for the vaccination process to move forward quickly. No one wants to hire COVID-19 now with potentially life-saving vaccines so close.
The central objective of saving the maximum number of lives must remain, although Traxler is guaranteeing the South Carolina “that everyone who wants to get a vaccine will be vaccinated”.
Until your turn comes, follow the advice on wearing masks and practicing social detachment. You can only save your own life and also protect other people.
The Post and Courier
January 3
New design for the South Carolina flag
South Carolina is a very independent and business-oriented state of mind, so it’s not necessarily surprising that our state’s flag design has been outsourced to the private sector for decades.
But South Carolina is also a state where a motivated and passionate person can make a difference, so we are pleased to know that a team of respected historians seems close to deciding on a project for an official state flag.
This design looks very much like the state flag that we have known for a long time, but its exact color and the size of its half-moon and heart of palm vary slightly from many other versions made, sold and flown.
Years ago, these variations irritated Scott Malyerck, a Newberry political advisor who led the initiative to create a standardized version of the South Carolina flag. If the Legislature and Governor Henry McMaster agree – which we hope they will do this year – Malyerck will have a vexilological victory.
“It is an important symbol for our state,” Malyerck recently told reporter Avery Wilkes, “and we must get it right.” We agree.
The most recent official version was approved in 1910: it was heavily influenced by Ellen Heyward Jervey from Charleston, who corresponded with an important state historian regarding its design. His work included a study of palm hearts near his home on 71 Rutledge Ave. and possibly a field survey on Palmas Island.
Even previous versions with the palm heart and the half moon were approved when South Carolina split before the Civil War, but half a century later, many had forgotten what the flag was like, starting work on a new official version. By 1940, however, that version was revoked by state lawmakers – not because of any controversy over its bill, but as part of a bill that rescinded the requirement that Clemson University manufacture the flags at cost. (no, unfinished state mandates are nothing new).
In the past 80 years, the state has not had a formal model: its agencies have ordered flags from at least five different suppliers.
Eric Emerson, director of the SC Department of Archives and History, eminent South Carolina historian Walter Edgar and others researched the history of the flag to come up with a recommendation for a new standard design. It has Pantone 282 C – the indigo color of the uniforms worn by Colonel William Moultrie’s 2nd South Carolina Regiment in the Revolutionary War. Its crescent shape is based on emblems worn by Colonel Moultrie’s soldiers during the war. And the palm tree – a tribute to Moultrie’s victory in June 1776 over nine British warships during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island – is based largely on Jervey’s 110-year pencil sketch.
Apparently, his tree outline resulted in a sparser-looking heart of palm than many favors, and as a result of this feedback, Mr. Malyerck and others plan to return to the drawing board for further adjustments. Public opinion seems to indicate that historical accuracy only goes so far; aesthetics is also important.
Even without an official version, the simplistic yet historic design of the South Carolina flag has made it one of the best state flags in the country. And while the Legislature has held its share of passionate debates about the flag in recent decades, we hope that 2021 will be a landmark year for those seeking a peaceful and unifying resolution to the state’s best-known symbol.
The Index-Journal
January 2
Attempts to make it is a misdemeanor for local authorities to vote to remove monuments
Chuck Moates, sit down and pay attention. By the way, it is better for any person elected to any municipal or municipal position to take notice. But we chose Moates because he is among the elected officials with the most active voice so far with regard to the monumental history of the state.
Moates, you see, is counted among those who think that perhaps it is the right time to put the story in perspective. Monuments to the Confederacy and its generals and soldiers do not change the course of our history, but when they are public property as symbols to honor and celebrate our unpleasant history, a time when blacks were treated as property and did not have the same rights and freedoms as their white counterparts, they send the wrong message today.
If state deputy Stewart Jones, a Republican whose district includes Greenwood and Laurens counties, gets his way, his fellow legislators will support his proposed legislation to make it a misdemeanor for a local official to vote to remove a monument. How are the commercials going, but wait! Have more. In addition to the misdemeanor charge, Jones would impose a $ 25 million fine. You read it correctly, millions. For a start, it’s a pretty heavy fine for misdemeanor, but while the charge itself is ridiculous, the fine is beyond ridiculous.
Jones is on a grand crusade to preserve monuments and names in public buildings with his list of pre-filed bills. Perhaps he has visions of himself forever stored in a statue, positioned on top of a large steed, drawn sword and pointing upwards as he leads the attack to save his heritage and promote symbols of racism and hatred. Laurens County, if you want to do that, go ahead. Just keep it on your side of the lake, right?
So, what else is Jones looking forward to doing?
Well, any college or university that removes names of historical figures from their buildings would be cut off from all general fund allocations.
As we reported, another bill he is proposing would require the state treasurer to withhold any disbursements from the local government fund for any county or municipality that removes a monument or memorial from a historic figure.
So at Stewart Jones in South Carolina, let’s say Chuck Moates proposes that his fellow Greenwood County Council members vote on a proposal to remove the Confederate statue outside the county court. Well, he will have eliminated $ 25 million from his retirement account, which is probably not going to be very good for Mrs.
And for the sake of argument, let’s say your fellow board members agree. It is another $ 150 million that these board members have to dump into the state coffers, which would not be a bad deal for the state.
To make matters worse, if they voted yes to remove the monument, they would really irritate county taxpayers and voters, because now the county would be cut from any dollars in local government funds.
This in itself is ironic, considering that the state government has not been so frank in funding local government for years.
Here’s an idea. Since Jones is eager to preserve heritage, put him on the committee to work on redesigning the state flag for a few years and let other lawmakers try to focus on more sensible and meaningful legislation.
Because after 2020, we will find ourselves looking forward to just that.