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Fair’s values shape his legislative initiatives
Plan to alter how biology is taught is in step with state senator’s beliefs
By AARON GOULD SHEININ
Staff Writer
Mike Fair says he always wants to have the courage to take a stand for what’s important.
The Republican state senator from Greenville has found that courage often during a 20-year career in the General Assembly.
“If I think I have a possible solution to a problem, as you know, I will offer my view,” says the 59-year-old former USC quarterback.
Fair’s latest volley deals with how South Carolina’s public schools teach biology. Specifically, Fair wants students to be taught to analyze and question the theory of evolution.
That has led critics to say Fair wants to open the door to religious-based theories on the history of the earth and human beings, such as intelligent design or creationism.
Few are surprised Fair would focus his attentions on evolution, a subject that has dominated recent arguments over the separation of church and state. Fair’s career has been peppered with similar initiatives — almost always dealing with values.
Since being elected to the S.C. House in 1984, Fair has proposed:
• Tightening the state’s “happy hour” liquor laws to ban discounted drink specials
• A ban on coed dorms at state universities
• Requiring sex education classes to present homosexuality as “unnatural, unhealthy and immoral”
• Parental consent for teenagers who seek an abortion
• “Choose Life” license plates that later were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court as unconstitutional
• A ban on gay adoptions and on gay and lesbian foster parents
• Allowing school boards to authorize teachers to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Sen. Wes Hayes, R-York, who has served in the General Assembly for 22 years with Fair, says there is nothing disingenuous about his friend.
“What probably sets Mike apart is, he has a higher calling to try to be a good servant, as a Christian — in the best sense of the word,” Hayes says. “Obviously, some may disagree with him on how he tries to do that, but I think everyone would have to respect his desire is sincere to be a Christian servant.”
While lauding Fair’s faith, others say Christian beliefs should not be written into law.
“Mike is sincerely a very good, church-going person, and his beliefs are genuine and real,” says Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg. “There are a lot of us who are religious and church-going. But when we get to the General Assembly, as a policy matter, we deal with other things.”
Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, who was on a panel with Fair recently, discussing evolution, said, “Science has its place and religion has its place. Mike has to understand you can’t force those kinds of beliefs on people.”
Fair believes church and state cannot be separated on some level.
“The Bible talks in many places about rendering unto Caesar, not to worship government, but to worship God,” Fair says. “The Bible teaches that government is put in place by God.”
Fair’s unshakable faith has helped him through a two-decade-long career as a lightning rod for criticism from those who see in his actions an agenda to create a society based on religion.
Being a former USC quarterback has helped, too. Fair was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks in the 1960s, the 13th best quarterback in the school’s history, according to a 2004 article in The State.
As an athlete, Fair was best known, perhaps, for his “Hail Mary” pass to J.R. Wilburn that helped USC beat Clemson in 1965.
“Former athletes are probably more inclined to take risks that may be associated with criticism,” Fair says. “All those fumbles and interceptions.”
Fair makes no apologies. But, over the past 22 years, he says he’s mellowed, becoming less likely to seek out controversy.
The height of the controversies came in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Fair tried to eliminate coed dorms at USC and limit access to dorms, above the ground floor, to students of the same sex. In 1988, Fair said USC’s coed dorms and visitation policies undermined efforts to teach students moral behavior.
USC students picketed his office. Around the same time, Fair’s daughter, Meredith, was preparing to go to college. Fair said he heard a USC fraternity had a pool going. “The first one that bagged her got the money.”
Fair was angered. Then, his daughter told him she did not want to go to USC anyway.
“That showed a lot of maturity on her part,” Fair says. “That helped me grow up and get over my angst and my anger and move on with the program.”
Fair says he works hard to keep his policy positions from coming from — or leading to — anger. However, he often engenders strong feelings.
Critics have called Fair a “zealot” and “right-wing nut.” That, in turn, brings out the Fair defenders, who thank him for fighting against the “moral relativists.”
For his part, Fair hardly ever raises his voice or shows he’s taking any of it personally. That’s intentional, he says.
“When the criticism is intense, it’s kind of a mixture of fear and anger moving along down the road at the same time,” Fair says. “Age helps a little bit with the anger thing.”
Reach Gould Sheinin at (803) 771-8658 or asheinin@thestate.com.
