Fantasy, Reality, and Politics in 2022

Legislative News by Nelda Holder –

One of the most sane things I think I have done during these pandemic times is read.

And among the most worthwhile things I’ve read have been three separate book series in the realm of fantasy/science fiction. They have been worthwhile for several reasons, but the primary reason is that they were book series that my granddaughters, ages 12 and 9, were reading and then sharing with me.

With the 12-year-old, I read the entire inimitable Harry Potter series (by J.K. Rowling) in 2020, and this year delved into The Land of Stories (five fantasy books by Chris Colfer), followed by the Hunger Games series (Suzanne Collins) in 2021. With the 9-year-old, I began books about The Kingdom of Wrenly (Jordan Quinn), early fantasy books with familiar dragons and witches and wizards.

I bring these adventures up because the last two years have caused me to think hard about the future of the society I live in, not to mention the environment that has sustained our lives to this point. Fantasy and science fiction are one way I find to help my sensibilities adjust to other possibilities … to loosen the bonds of rigidity about life and contemplate alternative planets, life forms, social interactions, and yes—political organization.

My own reading of the three series I mention here caused my mind to push several normal thinking limits. In the kingdom of Wrenly, for example, it takes an inventive pair of youngsters to unravel problems the king and queen find plaguing the kingdom, offering a good dose of empowerment to young readers and a good reminder of the value of fresh thinking to this particular adult.

Harry Potter, of course—now such a ubiquitous icon on bookshelves, in movie theaters, and in frequent replay realms on television and beyond—takes a much more serious look at the power of evil and the possibilities of invention. It throws in a hearty mixture of idealism and failure, then helps sort them out according to a compelling narrative. Choices. Faith. Determination. All are examined in the fantastic microcosm of Hogwarts and its students and teachers.

I could not help but wish this series had been around when I was growing up, although my own repeated reading of The Young Trailers series by historian Henry Altsheler when I was a young reader (the bookmobile ladies knew my passion and always had the next in the series for me when I stopped on board) grounded me in a different but nevertheless exciting kind of life-or-death adventure. It left an impression that lionized several values in life: knowledge of my surroundings (whether the forested American frontier of the books or the compromised climate of today’s urbanity); allegiance to honor and bravery (these were, albeit fictional, frontier scouts whose knowledge of and relationships with the native tribes and individuals they encountered still influence my values and my approach to “other”); the sustenance of self-sufficiency (which I honor deeply but still fail at miserably).

Ah, but then comes Katniss, the protagonist of The Hunger Games. A female warrior, albeit somewhat unintentionally. Skilled in survival because of the necessities of providing for her family in a cruel society and inhospitable climate. And suddenly I am watching my 12-year-old practicing with a bow and arrow, and asking me questions about the motivation of the power-hungry leaders of warring societies. I see her picking apart politics-as-power. I hear her endlessly discuss the choices around which the book’s plot turns. What are the values she finds important? That is the ongoing question for her generation. And I have limited time to try to effect any influence on her answers—other than to listen now and discuss because she invited me into her world through sharing those books.

And I know it is, or will be, her world. Just look around. A raging pandemic has decimated the norms of our society. Raging wildfires decimate our wilderness. Raging effects of global warming begin to eat away our normalizing ice shelves and send a higher and higher ocean to snap up our heavily populated shores.

And so a 12-year-old grapples with the hierarchy and ego-enhanced choices of societal leaders in a futuristic society. What I see is preparation for life on Earth. It scares my soul. And yet the perpetual newness with which young minds see old evils are the hope of the world.

So if you want to be involved in the future of this society and the longevity of this planet that hosts us for the time being, my New Year’s advice is this: READ. Then inculcate the best information you find and build it into the way you live your life.

What does this have to do with the normal topic of my column in this blessedly independent news publication? Next month’s column will discuss a smattering of books and resources for anyone struggling with political values and their relevance, but especially aimed at guiding principles for personal involvement—particularly on a local and state level. I hope you’ll be back to join us!

Meanwhile, in Raleigh …

Three court cases regarding the state’s newly drawn political district maps are moving through the system on an accelerated schedule which is being achieved by lumping all three together. Primary elections in the state were moved from March to May to accommodate the hearings, in the event that another go at drawing districts is commanded. And the NC Supreme Court expects the trial to begin the first week of January. If you would like to study the specific cases, here are your references: NC NAACP v. Berger, Harper v. Hall (continuation of 2019 lawsuit); NC League of Conservation Voters v. Hall.

In the Statehouse, Senate and House sessions were scheduled for the first Monday of the new year, January 3, 2022. At this point in the House, the only bills eligible to be filed are redistricting bills for the NC House and Senate, the US Congress, or local entities; ratification of amendments to the Constitution of the United States; resolutions pertaining to the internal affairs of the House or adjournment resolutions, and bills introduced on the report of the House Committees on Appropriations, Finance, or Rules. Over in the Senate, Monday’s session included ratification of bills ordered enrolled, veto messages from the governor, and various committee reports.

And if your New Year’s Resolutions happened to include keeping better tabs on the NC General Assembly, do get to know its website and technology. Go to ncleg.gov and browse around a bit. You can read and track bills, study legislative history, sit in on sessions and committee meetings electronically, get research help through the Legislative Library, and find contacts for all members of the Legislature.

And we wish you a happy and involved 2022!

Nelda Holder is the author of The Thirteenth Juror – Ferguson: A Personal Look at the Grand Jury Transcripts.