“At its core, the nobility and the majesty of Memorial Day can be found in the story of ordinary Americans who become extraordinary for the most simple of reasons: They loved their country so deeply, so profoundly, that they were willing to give their lives to keep it safe and free.”
– Barack Obama, 2010
In this Newsletter:
- Letter from the Chair
- Fish & Dogs FUNdraiser
- Upcoming Events
- Local Democrats in the news
Letter from the Chair
Hello Democrats,
The 2018 Primaries are almost upon us. I am pleased that many of you have signed up to work the polls this year. Please everyone, remember that the Mid-Terms, consisting of Primary and General Election 2018, are just as important as the Presidential election in 2020. This is what happened to President Obama: Voters did not go out as we should have in 2010 and as a result, he had an uphill climb to get the progress we need to move the country forward.
I have asked Dr. Bob and his committee to make available for you the list of Democratic candidates and the offices they are seeking. They have been included in this newsletter. Hopefully, this will make your choices much easier.
If you have not made up your minds, then consider the following: U.S. Congressman James Clyburn, SC’s only Democratic Representative in Washington DC, has endorsed James Smith for SC Governor. Former VP Joe Biden also endorsed James Smith. SC Planned Parenthood, the former Governor and US Secretary of Education, Dick Riley, and many more organizations and leaders have also endorsed Jame Smith. So take the time to do your homework. Check out their sites and choose wisely on June12th.
Charles Lewis,
GWCDP Chair
Fish & Dogs Fundraiser
Our local Democratic Party holds only two major fundraisers a year: The Fish & Dogs picnic (formerly Dogs & Burgers) and the Carnell-Drummond Dinner. These events help us offset the expenses of printing and distributing voter education materials, hosting information meetings, acquiring basic audio-visual equipment and eventually renting space for a Greenwood County Democratic Headquarters.
How can you help? In addition to purchasing tickets and bringing friends and family, we’re always accepting help for
- Food donations (or cash to offset food purchases)
- Loan of equipment (tables, chairs, tents, cooking, etc)
- Publicity: Pass this info on! Let us know of advertising opportunities
- Staff to assist with setup, takedown & cleanup, food serving and other tasks
- Items we could give away as door prizes. We’ve got some interesting items lined up already, but the more we could give away, the better!
Please e-mail or call us using the contact information above to get involved. Tickets will be available for purchase or distribution at the next Breakfast meeting (see below) as well as volunteer signups.
Upcoming Events
Thu, May 31, 6:30 pm
Please join Pat Lutz and supporters here in Greenwood for a Meet and Greet for Mary Geren for Congress. Mary will discuss her campaign and speak with attendees. For more information or to RSVP, please contact: Jillian Hollingsworth | rsvp@marygeren.com | 843-822-5455
Sat, June 2, 9 am
The Guest Speaker for the June Breakfast Meeting will be SC-3 Congressional Candidate, Hosea Cleveland. With the Primaries Election coming up on June 12, here’s a chance to hear one of the Democratic Party candidates speak in person!
Please RSVP by e-mailing us (info@gwdcountydems.org) so we can give the fine people at Montague’s a rough headcount. Thanks, and we hope to see you there!
Sat, June 9
Fish & Dogs Fundraiser
(see above for details)
Tue, June 12
South Carolina Candidate Primaries.
For Greenwood, the available Democratic candidates to choose from are:
- Governor (click on the image to be taken to the candidate’s website)
- US Congress, SC District 3
Wed, June 13
michaelgaskinscrep13.com
Local Democrats in the News
Mayor Welborn Adams was finally able to see an administration goal come to fruition this past month. The racially segregated War Memorial in Uptown Greenwood has made national news (see the NYT article) because the South Carolina Heritage Act prevented any action from being taken to rectify the division.
As reported in the Index-Journal recently: “Circuit Court Judge Frank Addy ruled Friday that the Uptown Greenwood markers can be modified, erasing the ‘colored’ and ‘white’ categories that for decades was the identifier used to classify Greenwood soldiers killed in the world wars.”
We congratulate the Mayor on this accomplishment as well as for the fundraising he has spearheaded to correct this long overdue item.
The public spat between the Greenwood County Council and CPW seems to have calmed and productive talks are now happening. Did our own George Swindell help contribute to the mediation efforts with his letter to the editor recently? We’d like to think so!
