Democratic governments deserve the hard work required to maintain them, reader urges

Worth the hard work

Your coverage of South Carolina redistricting plans are appreciated. Redistricting results will have profound consequences for the two major political parties in the state and for public policy prospects for at least a decade.

If voting districts result in noncompetitive general elections between two established political parties, then the primary election of the larger of the two parties often determines the general election result.

Primaries becoming determinative for public office have a long term impact on the internal dynamics of political parties.

Democracies are harmed by noncompetitive elections. Political parties are also harmed internally when primaries, historically shaped by low voter turnout, reward extreme candidates. Party nominations can skew toward divisive office seekers.

When parties distance themselves from moderate and independent voters, they foster dysfunctional governments. Civil society roots are damaged when factions within any political party become imbalanced.

Short-term results for one dominant political party might look attractive, but in the long run, the dominant party and the democracy it functions within become unhealthy.

Democracies are worth the hard work required to maintain them. A democracy is a priceless treasure more precious than any political party.

Laura R. Woliver, Columbia

A green option

The news is full of supply chain shortages of products with the latest being beverages such as waters, teas, soft drinks, seltzer and beer. Why now?

Since restaurants and entertainment events were closed or limited during the pandemic, retailers, such as grocery stores, were able to stock their shelves.

Now that restaurants and other entertainment events are reopening, there is a squeeze on available products. This is coupled with shipping snarls and labor woes, but the real culprit is the shortage of product containers that are principally made from plastics and aluminum.

Let’s kill two birds with one stone. Go back to reusable glass. This substitute enhances the available container requirements and enhances the environment by reducing the plastic and aluminum clogging sewers and waterways, filling landfills and sabotaging our most precious oceans.

And most importantly, let’s go back to the refundable deposit on the reusable glass bottle so as to encourage the customer to be mindful and frugal enough to return the bottles for reuse. The higher the deposit, the more “green” people will tend to become.

John F Hamilton, Columbia

Improve leadership

The last search for a president at USC had the governor sticking his nose into the selection process and messing it all up.

This time the “Good Ole Boys” messed it up by not being transparent and not properly vetting their preferred candidate who hung them out to dry.

The world has changed, but South Carolina and USC are still operating as if it hasn’t.

USC is a very fine and under-appreciated public university. Our daughter was among the first McNair Scholars and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

John Palms began righting the ship and his successors continued to make great progress continuing that work, but the last two “selection processes” have shown that the board and governor are stuck in the past.

If USC wants to find the best candidate for president, leadership needs to change. It is nearly 2022, and the leadership still acts and operates like it is the 1950s.

As for the governor -- keep your nose out of the search! You have proven only to make the process worse.

Paul McLaughlin, Seabrook Island

Death Row option?

I recently saw an article on line about a pod for assisted suicide in countries that allow it. It mentioned Sweden, Belgium and Canada.

The pod basically floods the interior with nitrogen and only 1 percent oxygen.You go to sleep, and are dead in 30 seconds.

These were designed for those who have terminal illnesses and are suffering.

My question is why can’t we use these for Death Row inmates? It seems more humane than lethal injection (which we can’t get anyway), a firing squad, or the electric chair.

Richard B. Hare, Columbia