Monthly Columnists

In July, the Lowcountry rolls out the red carpet for the thousands of visitors who flock here — mostly for a week at a time. Many Beaufort County residents work hard to make sure these visitors have a wonderful time — about 30 percent of Beaufort County jobs are directly related to tourism. Despite some traffic headaches, we’re grateful that so many families want to spend their free time and vacation dollars here.

Not a week goes by that I’m not asked the question, “How can we lead these millennials?”

I am to the point now that I generally just laugh at first and then quickly answer, “You lead them like you lead others.”

That usually gets me a blank stare and then some form of a follow-up question that usually starts with, “But…”

A FORCE FOR CHANGE

As drivers buzzed by her group of cyclists making their way from Charleston to Savannah, Betsy La Force realized just how important her job was.

The gang of environmentalists and city planners— participating in a New Urbanism professional seminar in Charleston — experienced firsthand during the grueling 130-mile ride how ill-equipped the Lowcountry is to handle traffic of all varieties.

If you believe the hype of commercials, movies, songs, TV shows, and traditional and social media, you could easily be fooled into believing that we are generally a happy and connected society.

That is, until you look at the facts and realize that chronic loneliness is a widespread epidemic with many negative ramifications.

WHAT YOUR DAD REALLY WANTS IS TO SPEND THE DAY WITH HIS CHILDREN

In June, Lowcountry residents realize just how good we’ve got it as visitors from all over the country and many corners of the world arrive to revel in what we sometimes take for granted: wide, clean beaches; rolling waves; and days filled with golden sunshine.

Father’s Day is June 17, and it’s a great day to get outside and “play tourist.” Whether your dad prefers golfing, fishing or fine dining, studies show that people treasure gifts of experiences. In addition to something from our Father’s Day Gift Guide, we bet that what your dad really wants is to spend the day with his children, doing something the whole family will enjoy.

May in the Lowcountry is heaven — warm and green, with nature in full bloom. It brings out the best in us on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton as we head outside to enjoy this beautiful time of year through festivals, bike rides and walks on the beach.

A NEW PARADIGM SHIFT IS ABOUT TO ERODE THE LAST BASTIONS OF PRIVACY AND FUNDAMENTALLY RE-MAP OUR IDEA OF WHO WE ARE AS HUMANS.

George Orwell’s novel “1984” envisioned a totalitarian system that controlled people’s minds—a terrifying proposition when I read the book as a high school graduate, but it pales compared to what might be possible in the near future.

Editor’s note: This column is excerpted and reprinted with permission from Aeon.co. Aeon is a registered charity committed to the spread of knowledge and a cosmopolitan world view. Read the full article  HERE.

A paradox plays a pivotal role in our advanced hyper-connected democracies: The greater the amount of information that circulates, the more we rely on so-called reputational devices to evaluate it. Increased access to information and knowledge does not empower us or make us more cognitively autonomous. Rather, we become dependent on other people’s judgments and evaluations.

Dear Reader,

Everywhere you look, the Lowcountry is celebrating the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. “Cheers for 50 years!” is the toast of the town. The Heritage is one of the oldest PGA Tour tournaments to be played continuously on the same course, and top golfers say Hilton Head Island is the most fun and fan-friendly stop on the schedule.

It stands to reason that if a nation spends twice as much on health care as a percentage of GDP compared with other developed nations, that care would be twice as good. But that is simply not the case. Despite our health care spending, we Americans are not rewarded by higher life expectancy, which might be the most meaningful way to measure health-related costs versus rewards.

Dear Reader,

Ah, spring! Arguably the most beautiful month in the Lowcountry, spring has come just in time to rescue us from the coldest winter many of us have ever seen on Hilton Head Island. Azaleas and daffodils are blooming and the days are getting longer. The warm sunshine makes us hopeful — and why shouldn’t we be? We live in a beautiful place where the most popular local hobby is helping others. In this issue, we celebrate some of the powerful, kind and diverse women who make Hilton Head and Bluffton great places to live. In the pages of our People section, we focus on leaders from the nonprofit sector and public education. Business leaders and others answer questions about their lives and careers in our Leading Ladies special section.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

– The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

Once an easily dismissed phrase, fake news is now embedded in our public discourse. It is a political weapon whose repetitive use chips away at a foundation stone of our democracy – a free and independent press.