Accept and move forward

guest commentary by Jack Moseley, former award-winning editor of the Times Record

Much has been said — and written of late — in this forum and around town about Fort Smith’s often confused and convoluted lack of political and economic clout with state and federal elected officials, legislative bodies and appointed commissions. I think I know the reason for this unhappy situation. (Link here for the story about the Fort Smith region and its poor connections to Little Rock and D.C.; and link here to read commentary from Emon Mahony Jr. about the poor connections.)

I truly believe it is our local inability to accept seemingly final decisions at state and federal levels. This has led to a couple of crippling consequences.

First, political office seekers and holders from this area play the easy game of going along and pandering to the regional refusal of voters to accept state and federal decisions on assorted hot-button issues, resulting in a negative attitude toward our part of western Arkansas, the people who live there and their often less-than-effective elected representatives. As a consequence of this sorry state of affairs, the people here often feel they have been pooped on by the rest of the state and nation. And indeed that seems to be a fair and accurate assessment of something that really should never have happened at all.

Secondly, the constant, bone-gnawing criticism and knit-picking, plus Rush Limbaugh-style degradation and demonization of those whose views of human and political events statewide and nationally did not go as they would have had them go just add to the diminishing clout of Fort Smith and environs.

I am not suggesting that anyone give up his or her strongly held political, moral or religious beliefs. For example, you can still oppose abortion personally, in your church, in your family, although the decision to legally permit it has constitutionally been made by the court with ultimate authority to do so. Refusal to accept the reality of the situation, however, accomplishes little other than bitter division and name calling on both sides.

History is a wonderful teacher. For about 100 years after the Civil War determined that the Union would not be divided, the southern states voted overwhelmingly Democratic. The people of the South were not about to send a blue-bellied, Yankee-loving Republican to the governor’s mansion, to Congress or the White House. And during all those years, the rest of the country did next to nothing to raise living standards and pull the rural South up economically. The national Democrats had the Solid South right where they wanted them – in their pocket. Let the Southerners kept re-fighting the Civil War; but it didn’t change the final decision of 1865.

It took Richard Nixon and his Southern Strategy to get the South to slowly swing into the Republican column once more. Also, the Civil Rights Act and other legislation forced the South to finally face reality. Meanwhile, Southern voters now appear to be looking out for their best interests by not allowing either major political party to take them for granted. The South today is a two-party player in both state and national arenas.

But not Fort Smith! Oh no, we still argue about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. And then we can get all worked up over whether those angels should dance in the first place.

Congress voted to give federal money to help the country’s cities “renew” themselves. Little Rock and North Little Rock accepted millions. Fort Smith proudly refused the federal funds again and again, although they were going to be spent whether Fort Smith accepted its share or not. When Arkansas’ second largest city finally asked for Urban Renewal money, the pot was almost empty. All we got was a sliver of land downtown that we call Triangle Park. We could have had so much more if someone had bucked the stubborn conservatism and persuaded a little harder.

The issue of Pine Mountain as a regional water source was decided decades ago, but folks in these parts just won’t accept that decision. The chances they will ultimately change the decision not to build Pine Mountain Reservoir are slim to none. Why can’t we accept reality and agree to work together for another location for future water to help fuel prosperity for our children and grandchildren? We would rather poop on each other, I guess.

Perhaps the most significant and costly failure to work with others at state and federal levels has been our lack of clout in securing the support of the Arkansas Highway Commission and the U.S. Department of Transportation, along with commitments from elected representatives in Arkansas and other states, to budget, fund and contract  construction of Interstate 49.

The construction of I-49 would make the Fort Smith region a national crossroads that could trigger prosperity, opportunity and better lives like we have never known. I-49 is generally “good to go” with the route established, environmental studies complete, engineering generally accomplished. So where’s the road? It will remain only a dream until we stop allowing others to take us for granted the same way the national Democratic Party did the Deep South for four or more generations.

Decisions need to be made. And decisions must be accepted. Let us change the things we can and accept the things we cannot – and have the good sense to know the difference. That really works, you know.

Life, luck and -30-