Tradition: Who Has Standing?

I read the story entitled, “DNR denies permit for Jocassee Gorges event”. DNR said, after hearing the public comments the decision was made to deny the permit for the cycling event.

I attended the meeting and agree with DNR’s decision, though my reasoning was a bit broader. For those who didn’t attend the meeting or missed the article, the overall question was should DNR approve an event that could lead to the commercialization of the Jocassee Gorges?

Decisions that touch on or deal with local tradition center on the question of who has the standing to make such a decision? Often times, that is different than who has the authority to make the decision.

Whether it was the closing of Holly Springs Elementary, painting the Pickens High School wall traditional white versus gray or the attempt to commercialize the Hagood Mill last year, you have to ask who has the standing to make such a change?

Was it the school board or those whose families have been up there generations and first started Holly Springs school in 1881? Was it the city councilmen or the alumni who went to Pickens High in the 1960's and 70's and created and built the tradition of the Blue Flame wall? Was it the county administrators and council leaders or the volunteers who restored the Hagood Mill in the 1970's and built it up over the years?

Just because the volunteers, families or alumni do not have formal authority to make such a decision, it doesn’t mean they don’t have standing to make the decision. In fact they did, and earned that standing because they put in the blood, sweat and tears, built the tradition or are part of the bloodline of the community. As a result, they have veto power over decisions like that.

That is why I vocally supported the Hagood Mill volunteers, the Pickens High alumni who wanted the wall painted traditional Blue Flame white and blue, and I voted "No" to closing Holly Springs Elementary. In all those cases, those with the standing wanted it that way.

At the DNR/ Jocassee public hearing I listened to the man who talked about how he hunted in the Horse Pasture when he was 7 years old, another who helped write the Jocassee Gorges’ wilderness plan 25 years ago, and another who said his family lived up there for over 100 years. Next I looked at the DNR officials, from Columbia. Then I weighed the two and asked, who has the standing here to make such a decision?

I supported the objections of the life-long residents. Simply put their innate standing on the issue gave them veto power over the decision. I am glad DNR listened to them and denied the permit.

As our area continues to grow and more move in, we have to keep this guiding principle in mind — who has the standing when it comes to protecting this or that tradition? The bottom line is this, we will not have any traditions left if we don't respect the wishes of those who created these traditions and are now the keepers of them.