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Opinion
New
U. S. attorney opens a wider door for changes
March
3, 2006
Reginald
Lloyd, 39, has been sworn in as the U. S. attorney for South
Carolina. It took a long time coming, in that he is the first
black to serve permanently in that position since the
reconstruction era following the War Between the
States.
Lloyd, who had been a South Carolina circuit judge,
has received high marks for his work, work ethic, and
character. Democrats and Republicans alike have sung his
praises. South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal,
for example, left the door open should Lloyd ever want to
return to the state bench. She called him her “go -to” judge,
saying, “If it ever gets too hot out in the field, remember,
there’s always a place for you back in the home
office.”
Nothing is as gratifying, for anyone, than to be
told you are wanted. When it comes from a Supreme Court Chief
Justice, it’s testimony worth noting.
THERE IS
ANOTHER PART OF this story that’s also worth noting.
Judge Lloyd was recommended by U. S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and
nominated by President George Bush. Both, of course, are
Republicans.
Upon Lloyd’s swearing in, Graham put it all in
perspective the way it should be remembered. “There was a time
in South Carolina,” Graham said, “where, no matter what your
qualifications were, a person of color would not have been
considered. Those days are over.”
By and large, that’s
true. There are still vestiges of racism in South Carolina and
indeed most states, no question, but it appears to be between
and among individuals, not institutional. Some will disagree,
no doubt. Still, people of color do have opportunities they
once were denied. Many, like Lloyd, take advantage of what’s
available. They don’t let themselves be held back by what
others do, and we’re all the better for
it.
THERE ARE OTHER POSITIVE changes,
too. Blacks have always been taken for granted by the
Democratic Party. Yet it was Republicans who were responsible
for Lloyd’s appointment. Republicans, of course, have started
recruiting blacks. Therefore, the Lloyd case should help in
that. It also shows Democrats they can no longer take anyone
for granted.
The more the lines are erased, the more
Republicans and Democrats will have to compete for black
members. More diverse membership would help everybody,
especially in bringing more blacks into the GOP. In the
longrun, that will help strengthen both parties, too.
When
we reach the point where politicians, no matter who they are,
cannot take any voter or bloc of voters for granted, the
system will be stronger all around. We have seen people get
more cruel and antagonistic. Hatred has become a defining
factor. Unless we change, not only will we not bridge the
divides, we’ll threaten the viability of the whole system that
has served us well for more than two centuries.
Editorial expression in this feature represents
our own views.
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