Sen. Gambrell: New Session Includes Education Bill

By Sen. Mike Gambrell

The General Assembly returned to Columbia on Tuesday to begin the second year of a two-year session. As it is the second year, all bills not passed last year remain active, including S.419, known as the education reform bill. This bill was set for special order on Tuesday, giving it priority for consideration by the Senate.

The Chairman of the Senate Education Committee spent several hours going over the different areas of this legislation, and we will most likely begin full debate on the bill and amendments next week.

One of the Committees on which I serve is the Family and Veterans Services Committee which met on Wednesday to hold a screening for the governor’s appointee to be director of the Office on Aging. This small, but very vital agency, has struggled over the past few years due to many changes in leadership. Now a Cabinet agency, it is hoped that there will be a renewed focus on the needs of our aging population.

The Office on Aging (https://aging.sc.gov/) provides advocacy, oversight and services, and contracts with the 10 Regional Councils of Governments, who in turn work with local service providers to provide the meals, transportation and other vital assistance needed by the aging population in each County. In Anderson County, we are served by the Appalachian Council of Governments. If you need these services, know someone who may, or may want to volunteer, please visit their website. https://www.scacog.org/aging-services.  In Greenwood and Abbeville Counties, senior services are available through the Upper Savannah Council of Governments. Their website is http://www.uppersavannah.com/area.asp.  

To contact me on any issue, I can be reached at my district address, Post Office Box 194, Honea Path, S. C.  29654, 864-844-3614; or at my legislative office in Columbia, Post Office Box 142, Columbia, S.C.  29202, 803-212-6040; or via email:  MikeGambrell@scsenate.gov.

South Carolina Senator Mike Gambrell, serves S.C. Dist. 4, which represents parts of Abbeville, Anderson & Greenwood Counties.

Christianity Today's Call to Remove Trump an Encouraging Word

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Yesterday, the retiring Christianity Today editor in chief, Mark Galli, wrote and opinion piece for the magazine calling for President Donald Trump’s removal from office. It’s the first time since the publication offered political comment since writing that  Bill Clinton was unfit morally to lead the nation in 1996.

The clarion call from one of the oldest evangelical publications (Billy Graham was one of the founders), dropped a biblical plumb line which divides supporters of the president from orthodox Christianity. 

Galli’s call is long overdue. Too many voices from the evangelical community have been co-opted by power, and as a result, have become sycophants for a president who had little use for people of faith or traditional moral values until they became game pieces in his successful election run of 2016.  

Galli has been editor in chief of the magazine since 2012. While leading the publication, he has not been accused of being reactionary or politically sectarian. Until he broached the subject of the golden calf that is Donald Trump.

In an interview with “The Atlantic,” Galli said:

“It isn’t the first time in Church history that the Church has been divided. It’s been divided over very important things. So I am a great believer in the providence of God, and that he will, in his grace, mercy, and mysterious judgment, help us through this period. It’s not my responsibility to heal the breach among evangelicals. It’s not my responsibility to bring peace to the world. My responsibility, given the position I have, whatever it might be, is to speak the truth. If it makes a difference, I am thankful to God. And if it doesn’t make a difference, that’s kind of up to him.”

This rare voice of faith and commitment to biblical standards is a breath of fresh air in a world polluted by those pastors and evangelical who have sold their birthright by becoming mouthpieces for Trump and apologists for his approach to life. 

Galli’s “Christianity Today” begins with  “The impeachment of Donald Trump is a significant event in the story of our republic. It requires comment.” 

While he “grants” the president the notion that Democrats have had it out for him from day one, “the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”

Morality is a word the current GOP, which has it’s roots in the “Moral Majority,” that has been left out of the of conversations of most Trump supporters. (The few who champion Trump’s morals are, at best, blind to his history and behavior.)

Galli correctly identifies “that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationships with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.”

Evangelical supporters hail, among other things, the president’s Supreme Court nominees and the economy to justify their support of a the president who is late to the positions which are key to his support base. 

Galli writes: “President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.”

He also points out the similar concerns in the magazine’s 1996 editorial on former President Bill Clinton’s failures which concluded:

“Unsavory dealings and immoral acts by the President and those close to him have rendered this administration morally unable to lead.”

Galli writes these words also apply to Trump, concluding:

“That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments. To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end?”

And

“…no matter how many hands we win in this political poker game, we are playing with a stacked deck of gross immorality and ethical incompetence. And just when we think it’s time to push all our chips to the center of the table, that’s when the whole game will come crashing down. It will crash down on the reputation of evangelical religion and on the world’s understanding of the gospel. And it will come crashing down on a nation of men and women whose welfare is also our concern.”

Why is this editorial getting so much attention? It’s because many of us who have held certain biblical understandings of Christianity have been gobsmacked by the refusal of so many good men and women to hold a politician who shares many of their political beliefs to the standard we would hold our local officials, our teachers and our friends. 

CT’s editorial is an encouraging light for many of us during this Advent season to feel the communion of the saints who recognize that the ends never justifies the means, and a reminder that relinquishing the mandates of the God of the Bible, in the name of any cause, is not the path of faith.

This does not mean we declare those who disagree with us enemies, or use this call as another argument to have with friends and family over the holidays and in the year ahead. But neither does it mean we remain silent, while watching those who see themselves as ministers of the good news of Jesus ignore the teachings of the messiah for political purposes.

Martin Luther wrote: “When we speak the truth, the dogs began to bark.”

There is a lot of barking going on, and it will continue in the days and months ahead.

I applaud Galli and others in speaking the truth with the shared understanding: “If it doesn’t make any difference, that’s kind of up to Him."

County Christmas Tree a Holiday Gift that Keeps on Giving

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer 

When Anderson County Council approved the purchase the 28-foot Majestic Mountain Pine artificial Christmas tree in 2015, there were more than a few wondering if the news was good tidings of great joy for taxpayers.  

But as we move into fifth season with the tree, the news is merry and bright.

Anderson County, in spite of continuing to add new lights, decorations and extending the height of the tree by four feet over the past two years, has already posted a savings to the county of more than $10,000 compared to the costs of bringing in a live, cut tree each of those years.

The total expenses of the now 41-foot tall artificial tree since 2015 come in at $39,913.70. The costs related to purchase, setup, removal and disposal of a live Christmas tree on the courthouse square over the same period would have topped $50,000.  The holiday savings will continue to grow in Anderson County’s Christmas fund for another decade, since the artificial tree is under warrantee until 2030.

In 2015, some argued in favor of planting another live tree to replace the non-traditional Magnolia tree used at Christmas which was dying on the town square after being damaged by an ice storm. Experts were united that the land in front of the new courthouse was not fertile soil for a live tree to flourish, and the decision to buy artificial was made by County Council. And a Magnolia tree, while noble in its own right, is not a good choice for a Christmas tree. 

So council weighed the costs of the purchase of the artificial tree on scale with returning to the old days of buying a similarly sized live tree each holiday season. Choosing the synthetic evergreen, will continue to save green in the county’s budget for years to come. 

According to one national tree growers group, the cost of buying, transporting and hauling away a comparably sized live tree would cost approximately $6,400 each year, delivered, with additional costs for setup (based on 2019 prices), plus the cost of lights and decorations (which though not reoccurring, require most costly replacements - especially lights - which take a beating when removed from a live tree).  

Added to the annual cost of a live tree is an additional two weeks of labor costs to the county, since traditionally it has taken a full week to set up and a another week to take down a live, cut tree on the square, including the time to decorate and undecorated the tree (and the substantial cleanup). The price tag based on needed personnel totals $7,000. There are also additional setup and disposal costs related to the removal of a live 30-foot tree, which can run $1,000.

Thus the annual costs of a 30-foot live, cut tree to the the county, (assuming costs remain constant, which is unlikely), would be roughly $14,400 per year. Over 15 years, live trees on the county square would have pulled $216,000 from the county budget. 

The artificial tree takes less than three days to setup and decorate, cutting labor costs by more than half. 

Instead, the county purchased a 28-foot Majestic Mountain Pine, fully decorated and lighted artificial tree for $25,000 in 2015. That tree, which has been wildly popular with citizens, is expected to deck the downtown halls for close to two decades. 

Based on current pricing and labor rates, the total cost of a cut, live tree, including purchase, transportation and all labor costs, would total roughly $216,000 over the years 2015-2030. This cost does not include replacement of lights and ornaments. Add this average cost of around $2,000 and the costs jumps to $240,000.

The cost, including labor and maintenance and updates for the current artificial tree (including planned upgrades), will total roughly $85,000 over those same two 15 years, including routine replacement of lights and ornaments.

Saving more than $155,000 over 15 holiday seasons with a tree that would be difficult to match in any form is something even old Scrooge himself would have trouble criticizing. And the tree, if other municipalities which have purchased the same item are any indication, will likely last another decade past the warranty, pushing the savings out for years.

The current tree, which is a sight to behold, has also captured the holiday imaginations of locals. 

The popularity and increased traffic downtown from the visitors coming to see the tree has been remarkable. Many of whom come to see the tree, stay to eat downtown or visit Carolina Wren Park’s Holiday Ice to skate. School groups, church groups, families are regularly seen gathering around the tree taking photographs. Some have been married there. The tree has also been a spot where visitors regularly leave warm clothing, scarves, hats and gloves for the less fortunate. 

The official annual ceremony officially kicking off the Christas season downtown is set for Friday, and this year there will quite a few extras at the event. (More to come). 

The big, beautiful, artificial Christmas tree downtown is a gift that keeps on giving, thanks to forward thinking by leadership in Anderson County. 

So if you see your county council representative this holiday season, thank them. And thank Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, who loves Christmas perhaps as much as I do (and that is a bit disturbing to some since I start listening to holiday tunes in August). It was his vision and research that led to the path to purchase the tree.

Thanksgiving Offers Chance to Experience a Grateful Heart

By Greg Wilson

Editor/Publisher, The Anderson Obsever

With less than five weeks remaining in 2019, we take time to celebrate Thanksgiving, that is uniquely American holiday. The holiday has been celebrarted, in various forms, on this continent since the late 1500s. 

Abraham Lincoln finally made Thanksgiving an official holiday, to be celebrated on the third Thursday of November, while in the middle of the Civil War in 1863. His proclamation both reflected the long-observed intent of those who had gone before him as he wrote the holiday would be a time to: "Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union." 

The noble purpose of Thanksgiving Day being set aside to praise God for his provision and express our gratefulness for his "deliverances and blessings" still hold a place for many of as we gather with family and friends, show what is best about us by serving those who lack even the most basic of needs. All across Anderson County today such groups as the Haven of Rest, Anderson Interfaith Ministries, the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Clean Start, the Good Neighbor Cupboard, plus churches too many to name here are turning away from the "national perverseness" of self interest, express their gratitude through kindness and generosity. 

Many families will gather around their tables today and ask each person to offer up a list of things for which they are grateful today. 

Meanwhile, so many in far-off lands will spend today day standing in long lines for rice or beans or a jug of clean water, as most of us here will eat from tables so full of food they can barely contain the weight.

The majority of us, though we may not have all the things we think we want, we have more than we need, and hopefully are sharing with those who do not. 

But even though in some ways Thanksgiving Day still holds true to the traditions, such as gratitude and demonstrations of such thankfulness through helping our neighbors, is it losing ground every year to a perverseness hardly imaginable when Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Day proclamation. It has become the time of year when America's lust for material goods expresses itself in ways far beyond simply people unleashing their minds to go on spending sprees. 

In the fever of holiday shopping and buying many gifts for those who often have little need, every year our culture chips away at and disrupts America's most traditional time for families to be together. The trend of opening stores on Thanksgiving Day for shoppers, with little regard to their employees who will miss their own family gatherings continues to grow. The irony is these workers are being asked to clock in so that others can also miss or leave their own family and friends to go shopping.

Black Friday starts a day early, Americans who work retail, and  already face growing pressure of long hours and generally below-average wages, are now being asked to forfeit one of their rare holidays, for "sales" that run counter the core idea on whicmyour prayers are with you.

For the rest of us, we can send a message to retailers who show such disregard to their workers by staying home today. We can shop tomorrow, but today we can send a message to those who think Thanksgiving is just another day to feed the cash register. 

Today, still full of turkey and gravy, we face the next holiday challenge of maintaining our grateful heart in a world so full of bright, shiny objects vying for our attention and our wallet.

The reward is a gift that needs no wrapping paper, ribbon or space under the Christmas tree. The research is conclusive that those who approach life with a sense of gratitude, have fewer mental and physical problems, live longer, exhibit less stress, have a stronger immune system, and even handle loss far better than those who do not live life with the recognition that they do indeed have a lot for which to be grateful.

How does a person get to that place, a place where gratitude is more than an occasional occurrence?  

The best place to start, according to one study, is to verbally acknowledge those things for which you are thankful every day. Not just today. Those in this study who wrote a daily gratitude list for one full year expressed the experience profoundly changed their lives. Stories of overcoming depression, lowered blood pressure, and even healing of relationships were common among those who finished the year-long gratitude list project.

So make your first holiday gift this year one for yourself. Commit to a daily practice of gratitude, verbal or written for the next 365 days. You won't be sorry.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote:  Thanks are the highest form of thought... gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

And that is my Thanksgiving wish to all this season as you give thanks today, that you will experience happiness doubled by wonder.

This column was originally published in the Observer in 2018.

Be Happy, Today is Thanksgiving Day

By GARRISON KEILLOR 

For evolution, the Constitution,
And the ATMs of banks,
The Times and Post and the whole West Coast,
I want to give sincerest thanks.

A Mozart sonata, my inamorata,
And a first-rate BLT.
For Silverman (Sarah) and the Obama era,
I give thanks most thankfully.

I’m a fraud, a fake, a big mistake, a creep.
I’m over a barrel but I care a lot for Meryl Streep.

And so, once again, the feast of gratitude for the gifts of Providence — profiteroles, procreation, Prokofiev, the profession of faith, the prospect of progress, procrastination, Proverbs, and Providence (Rhode Island ) itself, I was there last week, a very snazzy town — and also for tragic mistakes you might’ve made and did not and here you are, basically OK, with a slab of turkey and cranberry and a gravy lake in your mashed potato. It’s a good place to be.

I wasted hours of my youth playing golf, and what if I had gotten good at it? I’d be a loudmouth yahoo in yellow plaid pants with a double Scotch in hand watching “Hannity” and putting my faith in insanity. Thank you, Lord, for those shanked 3-iron shots.

Of course I am sorry about those millions of turkeys, the miserable lives they led, imprisoned, deprived of basic rights, and I am sorry about the undocumented workers who had to slaughter and clean them at minimum wages so that our young people would be free to post on Facebook their grievances against the world, but face it: Those turkeys had reached their intellectual peak and were not going to have great careers and it was merciful to kill them and not put them into nursing homes to wind up on life support. And for us Americans, something about turkey says, “Thank you, Lord, for your abundant mercy, undeserved though it be.” Kale does not say that. It just plain doesn’t.

 

It’s a great country. Take a train sometime and see for yourself. We are not at war. The economy is worrisome but it always has been: Worry is what economists do for a living. Longevity is getting longer. People read books, more than ever. They still know the words to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” even the verse about building Him an altar in the evening dews and damps and the flaring lamps. So let us come before His Presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise — in other words, tell jokes. The air is polluted because so much of it has passed through saxophones. A Northern zoo has descriptions of the animals and a Southern zoo has recipes. The mathematician brought a bomb on the airplane because that decreased the chances of there being another one. There are thousands of them!

It helps to get old so you gain some perspective on life. I was lucky to come along when open-heart surgery was available and there were blood thinners to reduce the risk of strokes. If I had been born in 1880, I’d be dead now. I did my best to die young like Keats and Scott Fitzgerald and Buddy Holly but common sense kicked in and, praise the Lord, I burned the smokes and poured the whiskey in the sink.

We Keillors are doing OK, thank you. We came down from Canada 137 years ago because a Keillor in Minnesota needed help, her husband had tuberculosis; it was simple loyalty on our part and had nothing to do with escaping oppression or seeking opportunity. And we have made the best of it. Many of us became schoolteachers, following in the footsteps of Grandma. We produced a CEO or two, a physician, a Ph.D. in psychology, an architect, a lawyer, engineers, an astrophysicist, some computer whizzes, and me, an excellent speller with very good handwriting. I married well. It took several tries but I made it. She is sharp and on top of things. She can be blunt. She is lively and witty, a runner, a musician, she looks terrific. And she is in love with me and has forgiven my excesses.

This is my message for today: If you find a good partner, you are pretty much set for life. And now here you are, looking at each other across the table. Be happy. The Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, and Trump’ll soon fade away, but thank God we’re living, cling to your sweetie, draw up a treaty, and happy Thanksgiving Day.

Garrison Keillor of St. Paul writes a column for the Washington Post.

A Season to Show Gratitude for Those Who Serve the Underserved

By Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

During this season of gratitude, and with only 39 days left in 2019, it's a good time to show our thankfulness for those serving our friends, family and neighbors who need assistance. 

The best way to say thank you to these organizations is to donate you money and time. For financial donations, the deadline is Jan. 31 to get a tax deduction for 2019, so if that is the sort of think that motivates you, follow the links below today and donate. These groups also need your time as well. Considering volunteering during this holiday season, when all of these groups need extra help

I know almost all of the leadership involved in these groups, and continue to be impressed with the collaborate effort and sharing spirit these organizations exhibit. Each serves the community in slightly different ways - which sometime overlap - but all are critical to making Anderson a better place to live and work. 

The list below, which includes a brief summary of their work and contact information, is alphabetical. 

AIM (http://Aimcharity,org)- Accept, Inspire, Minister - non-profit organization that meets the needs of struggling individuals and families in Anderson County. AIM was founded by churches to eliminate the duplication of assistance to those in need. For almost three decades, AIM has stabilized the community and continued to do so using its hand up, not hand out, philosophy. AIM is well known in the Upstate for giving hope and changing lives and continues to do so with unparalleled levels of energy, efficiency, and reliability. Kristi King-Brock and her staff are involved is so many short- and long-range programs to help those in need I can’t begin to list them here. But know that many of their programs, including their Women and Children Succeeding program (WACS), are national models for how to serve a community. AIM has been a victim of some large grants being cut, so they need your help now. 

The Cancer Association of Anderson (http://www.cancerassociationanderson.org/welcome0.aspx) was founded in March 2003 by a group of cancer survivors, health care professionals and community leaders to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors and their families living in Anderson County. CAA depends on donations and fund-raisers to help friends and neighbors. Started by Kathryn Smith and now led by Angie Stringer, both cancer survivors, almost anyone touched by cancer in our community has probably found help here. Donations go directly into helping those in Anderson.

Clean Start (https://cleanstartandersonsc.com) believes the spirit of God’s call to compassion, serving the homeless, poor, and marginalized by providing facilities for them to achieve basic hygiene, cleanliness, mail and phone access, and to help direct them toward the availability of other services they may need. Clean Start helps clients feel better physically, improve their self-worth treats clients with respect and provide a safe, welcoming environment to help them maintain a feeling of dignity through their daily contact with others. The only charity run entirely by volunteers, the work is amazing and deserves more community support. Tell your friends and neighbors about this often overlooked charity. 

Emergency Soup Kitchen (864-224-4763, 306 West Franklin Street), serves a hot lunch weekdays to anyone, no questions asked. Sponsored by Grace Episcopal Church, the food is as tasty as most of the meat-and-three plates you’ll find anywhere in Anderson. The Rev. Jack Hardaway can often be seen serving meals and pouring tea at the kitchen. Visit it one day and offer to help clean up (and make a donation). 

Foothills Alliance (http://foothillsalliance.org/) Foothills Alliance is a nonprofit agency that encompasses three programs: Sexual Trauma Center, Child Advocacy Center, and Prevent Child Abuse. The mission of Foothills Alliance is working in collaboration with community partners, the mission of Foothills Alliance is to prevent sexual assault trauma and child abuse and neglect by providing education, advocacy, and treatment services in Anderson and Oconee counties. Tracie Bowie and her small staff need your help, since it is often difficult to raise funds given the sensitive subject. This is an organization that is understaffed and the need is acute.

Good Neighbor Cupboard (http://thegoodneighborcupboard.org/) is a warehouse of edible, nutritious food, donated by individuals, churches, organizations and food companies. A seven day supply of food will be available to those in need when referred by churches, social workers or other referral agencies. You won’t hear anything but praises for the work Floyd & Rebecca Berry do leading this charity. Hunger is still a problem in our community, and it would be more of a problem without Good Neighbor Cupboard. 

Haven of Rest (http://havenofrest.cc) is a Bible-based discipleship program and ministry designed to rescue, restore, and release men and women facing life-dominating problems related to addiction and homelessness. Haven of Rest is a Bible-based discipleship program and ministry located in Anderson, South Carolina that is designed to rescue, restore, and release men and women facing life-dominating problems related to addiction and homelessness. The Haven provides immediate needs and biblical guidance while helping  those seeking to find a new life. Stu Butler, who leads the Haven and his staff there, has an incredible heart for those he serves. The Haven has been in Anderson for more than 50 years, and still has the most long-term beds for those with life challenges. 

Meals on Wheels (http://acmow.org/) prepares and delivers approximately 420 hot meals each weekday to citizens of Anderson County who are not capable of preparing meals for themselves. By providing this service, Meals on Wheels assists the homebound elderly and disabled in maintaining their health, independence, and quality of life. Many would not be able to stay in their own homes without the assistance provided by the agency and its many volunteers. Laurie Ashley has worked magic to keep serving meals despite relying entirely on donations and volunteers. You can thank her by making a donation or volunteering as a food packer or driver to deliver meals. Businesses can share a route. If you can’t do that, a financial contribution would be ok. 

Salvation Army of Anderson (https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/anderson/home/) Through programs that serve the body, mind, and soul, The Salvation Army works to alleviate the symptoms of poverty; then works to address the root issues that cause it. Many know them most from their Red Kettles each holiday season, but their work in a year-round effort to serve the homeless and needy. Capt. John Sikes and Rashad Poole are doing amazing work and Anderson is lucky to have them. They love those they serve, and they love Anderson. 

This is not an exaustive list of organizations doing good in Anderson County, so if you are already supporting another group, Merry Christmas to you. But if you are looking for a good way to make the holidays more meaningful for you, your family and your neighbors, donating time or money is a gift that will resonate far beyond Christmas morning.

Remember Our Friends, Neighbors Who Served

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The history of our nation can’t be measured by our wars, but it can be measured by those who fought them. Great conflicts during the first hundred years or left out soil drenched with the blood or our own soldiers, not to mention those who lost their lives in our wars at sea. 

And for the last hundred and forty years, we have sent our soldiers to foreign lands to fight. In World War ! it was to answer the call of our allies in Europe. We sent more than 16 million service men and women to defeat Hitler.

We attempted to stem the rising tide of Communism in Korea and later Vietnam. And in the years that have followed we still have boots on the ground in the Mideast, attempting to salvage some democracy in the region while helping the citizens of those lands fight extremism and terrorism.

Some of these wars were just. Others were not. Some we won. Some we lost. But today is not a day for political rhetoric. Today we stop and thank the men and women who answered the call of their county. Whether Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, many of these folks gave up a large part of their life in service to their country. 

I know directly that members of my own family have been fighting in America since at least the time of the revolution. Sometimes they even joined the armed forces. They were the Scottish immigrants here in the Upcountry who opposed the loyalists in the American Revolution and punished the British who threatened their way of live became soldiers. My grandmother’s grandfather, a Confederate soldier, rode home on a horse to his family homestead after more than four years at war. He had been gone so long, and presumed dead, that no one even recognized him. I had great uncles who fought in the Great War. My dad’s oldest brother fought in the European theater, and was captured by the Germans three times (but always escaped). My father just missed Korea during his service in the Army and might have been sent as an advisor to Vietnam if hearing problems from his infantry duty had not kept him home.

I just missed Vietnam myself, although many of my close friends did not. 

And in the almost interrupted cycle of wars in the Mideast, many of my friends’ sons have been sent into harm’s way over the past 25 years.  

Today I want to say thank you to them, those who went before them, and to those who served stateside who made the overseas campaigns possible.  

Those of us who never wore a uniform, salute you today for protecting our freedoms. 

So Happy Veterans Day, soldiers. I hope others thank you for your service as well, and that you have time to reflect on why what you did was important.  

And, while I know I am mixing in a bit of Memorial Day sentiment here, the following is a reminder of the 40 million Americans who served their country in uniform. 

American Revolution (1775-1783) 

U.S. servicemembers: 184,000-250,000 (estimated) 

Deaths: 4,435 

Wounded: 6,188 

Last veteran: Daniel F. Bakeman, died in 1869 at age 109 

War of 1812 (1812-1815) 

U.S. servicemembers: 286,730 

Deaths: 2,260 

Wounded: 4,505 

Last veteran: Hiram Cronk, died in 1905 at age 105 

Indian Wars (approximately 1817-1898) 

U.S. servicemembers: 106,000 (estimated) 

Deaths: 1,000 (estimated) 

Last veteran: Fredrak Fraske, died in 1973 at age 101 

Mexican War (1846-1848) 

U.S. servicemembers: 78,718 

Deaths: 13,283 

Wounded: 4,152 

Last veteran: Owen Thomas Edgar, died in 1929 at age 98 

Civil War (1861-1865) 

Union servicemembers: 2,213,363 

Confederate servicemembers: 600,000-1,500,000 (estimated) 

Union deaths: 364,511 

Confederate deaths: 133,821 (estimated) 

Union wounded: 281,881 

Confederate wounded: Unknown 

Last veteran: John Salling, died in 1958 at age 112

Spanish-American War (1898-1902) 

U.S. servicemembers: 306,760 

Deaths: 2,446 (385 in battle) 

Wounded: 1,662 

Last veteran: Nathan E. Cook, died in 1992 at age 106 

World War I (1917-1918) 

U.S. servicemembers: 4,734,991 

Deaths: 116,516 (53,402 in battle) 

Wounded: 204,002 

Last veteran: Frank Buckles, died in 2011 at age 110 

World War II (1941-1945) 

U.S. servicemembers: 16,112,566 

Deaths: 405,399 (291,557 in battle) 

Wounded: 670,846 

Estimated living veterans: 1,611,000 

Korean War (1950-1953) 

U.S. servicemembers: 5,720,000 

Deaths: 54,246 (36,574 in theater) 

Wounded: 103,284 

Estimated living veterans: 2,175,000 

Vietnam War (1964-1975) 

U.S. servicemembers: 8,744,000 (estimated 3,403,000 deployed) 

Deaths: 90,220 (58,220 in theater) 

Wounded: 153,303 

Estimated living veterans: 7,391,000

Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991) 

U.S. servicemembers: 2,322,000 (694,550 deployed) 

Deaths: 1,948 (383 in theater) 

Wounded: 467 

Estimated living veterans: 2,244,583 (2018 estimate, may include veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan)

Tuesday Elections Important to Area's Future

Anderson Observer

Even though it’s not a national election year, there is still democracy at work as most of Anderson County’s townships hold municipal elections on Tuesday.

These so-called off-year elections, generally post the lowest voter turnouts, with often less than 10 percent who a eligible to vote showing up at the polls. 

In fact, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which represents developed and democratic nations very similar to our own, the United States ranks 31st in terms of how many of our eligible voters show up to the polls.

These elections often have little advertising, and generally get very little coverage in the media. But local elections remain important for a number of reasons. 

First, local elections can effect policies that affect you on a daily basis. What projects get funded or given the go ahead in our small towns, can change day-to-day life for citizens in those areas. 

Next, it takes much less research to examine candidates, most of whom are well-known by the voters in each community. Most of these candidates are a phone call or a knock on the door away.

Finally, voting is a right that needs to be exercised, and with short lines and little wait time, local elections are the best place to start. To find out more, and to see a sample of your ballot, visit scvotes.org

9-11 Also a Day to Reflect on the Best America Offers

Caledonian Record

Today is the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on our country.

We remember the chaos and tragedy of the day. We also remember the heroism of ordinary citizens and first-responders; the indomitable spirit of unity; the singularity of purpose; and the outpouring of sympathy in the wake of the attacks.

These spontaneous, loving responses, in the face of overwhelming tragedy, represented the best of the United States of America.

Pockets of glory, dignity, unity, grace and hope sprung from the terror of Sept. 11.

We saw it in the faces of the firefighters rushing into a building past others as they fled.

We saw it in the tragic imagery of people jumping from the towers – defiantly taking their lives on their own terms.

We saw it in the countless thousands of volunteers who went to New York to support the cleanup and rescue effort.

We saw it in the waves of military volunteers following the attacks, men like Pat Tillman, who sacrificed everything to serve.

We heard it in the voices of the perished, as their final messages to families and loved ones are replayed.

We heard it in the comforting words of dispatchers that day as they attempted to maintain calm amidst the utter chaos.

We remember fondly, in a time when Americans seem so anxious to underscore divisions, the way that all Americans came together.

These memories resonate with us all because they portray Americans; people bound together by a deeply ingrained respect for the rights and lives of fellow humans. While we can’t possibly protect ourselves against all of life’s bizarre and sometimes cruel eventualities, we can protect our system of laws that make us uniquely free.

Unfortunately the tragic events of that day also led to institutional transformations that do not reflect America’s ideals.

Before the dust settled, our government set in motion an unprecedented broadening of federal power, and the marginalization of critical constitutional safeguards. Done under a cloak of secrecy labeled “national security,” this unchecked expansion of government agencies has resulted in the loss of money, lives, and key American principles.

Included in the long arm of President George Bush’s federal government were covert operations, secret prisons and the use of torture by the CIA; the National Security Agency’s “terrorist surveillance network,” which intruded on the rights of Americans by secretly spying on private citizens, making an end-run around the Fourth Amendment, and operating outside of the purview of the judiciary; and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, whose profligate spending is mostly secret but always rising.

At best, these agencies and their clandestine programs have been unnecessary and expensive. At worst, they’ve laid the groundwork for the disregard of the American system of checks and balances, and the protections of private citizens against the encroachment of the federal government.

In terms of human life and overall cost, the most dramatic result of the 9/11 attacks were wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars have born a terrible toll on area families whose beloved children have perished or been injured in service to country. The residual effects of the conflicts can be seen in the rise of new terror groups and the world’s current migrant crisis.

Despite President Barack Obama and Trump’s campaign promises to the contrary, both Presidents re-authorized or expanded every anti-terror program of their predecessor.

Revelations by Edward Snowden cast much-needed light on how Orwellian and expansive these illegal programs are. And though some small, token reforms were made in the immediate aftermath of Snowden’s efforts, the “War on Terror” remains open-ended. So too do the government’s ubiquitous, anti-terror surveillance programs.

While there have been few attacks on American soil since the 9/11 tragedy, that protection has come at an impossibly high cost. We have lost thousands more lives, trillions of dollars, and civil liberties to avert another attack. We have sacrificed much of what makes us uniquely American.

Like everyone, we were deeply affected by the events of Sept. 11 and are eternally thankful for the relative safety we’ve since enjoyed on American soil. Still we mourn the monumental sacrifices we’ve made on the false altar of security. We’re reminded of the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin – “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.”

Time for County to Fill Funding Pot Hole to Maintain Roads

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer Commentary

Tonight Anderson County Council will discuss filling a big economic pothole, one which is getting deeper every year. 

When county council meets tonight, it will consider a road maintence fee to take care of the more than 1,500 miles of county roads. The fee would be used 100 percent to repair roads, and could never be allocated for other uses. It past time to consider a vehicle fee in Anderson County and help pave the way for our future. The exact amount is still in question, but the most commonly floated fee would be $25 per vehicle, with exemptions for senior citizens, and modifications for businesses.

Currently 27 counties in South Carolina have vehicle fees. Horry County has the highest fees at $50 per year, while Abbeville County boasts the lowest - and oddest - at $13.99. The statewide average is roughly $24 per year per vehicle. Those counties have a steady source of revenue to maintain and repair roads. Anderson County does not.

To maintain all roads/bridges infrastructure in Anderson County would require more than $8 million per year. Sadly, a sustainable funding source for our roads and bridges is not in sight. County council has pieced together a variety of temporary funding sources, but years of neglect requires more than some paving and putting band aids on many of our our pocked, crumbling roads.

Meanwhile, Anderson County’s population is booming. The population has nearly doubled since 1970, and has grown by nearly 35,000 since 2000. The 2020 Census preliminary numbers suggest the population now tops 200,000. 

This growth has created an accelerated demand for services, but an increase in taxes and fees have not kept pace with the population growth to provide for the growing population. The county’s base millage rate remains among the lowest in the state, and council has been prudent in leading the county out of the 2008 economic downturn by keeping property taxes down. 

 I have talked to leadership in almost all of Anderson’s charitable organizations, and most agreed that even the working poor and those on fixed incomes could absorb such modest fees if it meant better roads. 

A number of national studies also suggest that well-maintained roads more than offset the cost of vehicle fees in savings on tires and other mechanical repairs. 

So there is little reason not to act now, and council is to be commended for taking this big step to improve the county's infrastructure.

If Anderson County approved the $25 annual vehicle fee, with a provision that the money can never be used for any purpose other than road and bridge maintenance and repair, it would generate more than $5.3 million annually. The math works out to just over $2 per month for the owner of a vehicle.

Essentially, the fee means that every owner of a vehicle - those who use the roads - would be providing a sustainable source of funding Anderson County roads and bridges at a cost of pennies per day both for today and for the future. 

Any Anderson County citizen who can afford to maintain a vehicle should recognize fuding county roads is likely to save them more than the annual fee in tires and alignement costs. 

Anderson County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. Wages are up, new jobs are everywhere and more on the way. The county has more international investment than any other in South Carolina, with more than 51 companies representing 23 nations calling Anderson home. 

The new Arthrex facility in Sandy Springs and continued growth of TTI and Michelin, have kept Anderson at the forefront in economic development, in spite of our roads. But quality of life and other issues, which are crucial to economic development, include such things as maintence of our transportation pathways. Anderson cannot afford to forever allow our roads funding to lag and struggle and play catch up just to patch and repair and expect outside investment to continue to grow.

But that is exactly what could happen if a sustainable funding source is not found soon. 

Council has shown great wisdom in moving forward on paving the way to a bright future by making the vehicle fee a part of the FY budget now being hammered out. The public is always invlted to council meetings, but you can contact your council representative anytime here.

It's important to note that the statewide increase in gas taxes does not pay for any roads owned and maintained by the county. The paving of state roads here is welcome, but is only a small help if our 

Funding roads is another big step toward progress in Anderson County. Let's hope the new road maintenance fee does not face any more roadblocks.