Greenwood County Democratic Party

Newsletter for July 1, 2021

Posted on July 1, 2021 by gwd_admin

In this Newsletter:

Message from the Chair	Taxation without representation – a 4th of July message
GWCDP News	Precinct Recruitment Info Session this Saturday In-person Breakfast Meetings resume Democratic gathering at the Taylors Interact with us on Facebook!
Upcoming Elections & Voting Rights	Ninety Six elections in November SCDP’s Register 46 Project
Our Community	Adopt-a-Highway cleanup event a success! Ware Shoals Children Enrichment Fundraiser United Way offering Rental Assistance Program
News & Noteworthy	Real ID still really happening
Upcoming Events

Message from the Chair

Happy 4th of July!

Almost 250 years ago, our founding fathers declared this nation’s independence from the oppressive rule of England. The Second Continental Congress of the 13 Colonies publicly stated NO MORE taxation without representation.

Today, that battle cry still rings true. 700,000 residents of Washington, DC pay federal tax and yet have no voting representation in Congress. Same holds true for numerous US territories whose sons and daughters have sacrificed their lives defending our country.

Even in the 50 recognized States, the march towards a representative body that accurately represents the population has been slow. Too slow!

In South Carolina, only a little over half the votes cast were for Donald Trump for President in 2020. The numbers were even tighter for US Senate. Yet thanks to gerrymandering, over 65% of the SC Senate and House are held by Republican legislators. Representation indeed!

While we still struggle to have our voices heard, we will continue to fight for our freedoms and the freedoms of others to pursue our dreams and practice our beliefs, doing so without needing to discriminate or oppress others in the process. And like the founding fathers, we will, through hard work and dedication, succeed!

GWCDP News

Precinct Recruitment Info Session this Saturday
If you’re looking to get involved with the Greenwood Democrats, raising your hand to be a Precinct Leader is a perfect way to do so!

This Saturday (Jul 3) at 9 am, meet virtually with the GWCDP Chair to learn what it means to be a “Precinct Leader”. See our CRAWL-WALK-RUN method that will gradually make your precinct a powerfully active part of the Greenwood County Democratic Party.

Why is it important?
What does it involve?
How much experience is needed?
How much time commitment will it require?

Click on the image below to sign up and join this 30 minute info session!

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Newsletter for Jun 22, 2021

Posted on June 22, 2021 by gwd_admin

In this Newsletter:

Message from the Chair	An “off season” is when we need to be ON!
GWCDP News	In-person Breakfast Meetings to resume in July Volunteer of the Month Precinct Leader recruitment continues
Upcoming Elections & Voting Rights	US Senate Candidate Krystle Matthews visits US Senate Candidate Angela Geter to speak Senate voting on S1 “For the People Act”
Our Community	Adopt-a-Highway activity this Saturday Ware Shoals Children’s Enrichment fundraiser
News & Noteworthy	Former 1st Vice Chair Michael Gaskin honored Puppet Parade for America
Legislative Updates	SC Budget and restrictions on educational freedom Denying reality & Obstructing the Truth
Upcoming Events

Message from the Chair

They say the year after a Presidential Election is the toughest for engaging people in political discussions and community activism. That certainly was NOT the case in 2017 after Trump was elected! But I fear there may be some truth to that here in 2021.

However, I personally cannot seem to get away from it. Even while on a recent vacation at the beach, an anti-Asian hate crime took place just yards from where I sat! Every day, I feel a tremendous sense of urgency to get working towards the 2022 elections. This is the time where we need to be building up strength, getting our organization skills honed, and recruiting strong candidates to run.

I’ve reached the limit of what I can do as an individual. But with YOUR support, as a volunteer or as a financial donor, there’s no limit to the amount of positive change we can enact. Just read below for a number of ways in which you can get involved!

I can assure you of this: The other side is NOT standing still! They are active right now on a number of fronts: From restricting the discussion of race in the classroom to preventing voting rights legislation from getting through with constant filibustering. You have the choice and the ability to fight back. Don’t wait for someone else – it’s got to be you! And you! And you! Together we can!

GWCDP News

In-person Breakfast Meetings to resume in July
We are excited to resume holding in-person Breakfast Meetings! The last 14 months of Virtual Breakfasts were fun, but thanks to the vaccination efforts this year it has been deemed appropriate to hold live gatherings again.

We are thankful to Robert and Ken Headley Downs for offering their spacious lawn for our meeting on July 10 at 9 am. We have an incredible lineup of speakers with US Senate Candidate Angela Geter headlining!

Please RSVP online or call/text (864) 715-2341 as soon as possible so that we can have an accurate headcount. We are also sending out a massive postcard blitz this week, so you are getting the inside scoop today. Reserve your spot now! We can’t wait to see you there!

click the image below to see a larger version of the poster

Volunteer of the Month
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Democratic Party. It’s due to their hard work and dedication that we’re able to speak our message and support our candidates and elected officials.

Dr. Bob Phillips has been a cornerstone member, helping at every event and creating opportunities for the Greenwood Democrats to make a difference. We are thrilled to recognize him as our Volunteer of the Month for June!

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Why are conservatives terrified of Critical Race Theory? Monday Musings 2021-06-21

Posted on June 21, 2021 by gwd_admin

It can be exhausting at times to keep track of what cultural issue of the week is being completely misunderstood, misconstrued, and irrationally outraged against.

The latest cultural boogeyman? Something called “Critical Race Theory”.

What is it? To be honest – I’m not qualified to explain it to you completely and accurately. All I know is that it’s an academic concept that’s more than 40 years old. It’s something that PhD candidates research and write about – studying the intersection of law, economic, sociology, literature, etc to find connections between all of them that lead to built-in disadvantages for parts of our society that may not be as in-your-face obvious as segregated water fountains or discriminatory lending practices.

Opponents of Critical Race Theory don’t even know what they are opposing! Let’s take Senator Tim Scott for example. Recently he stated “America is not a racist country”.

He, and many others, would like everyone to think that there are no limitations in this county. That any obstacles to success are solely due to one’s lack of work ethic and determination. Senator Tim Scott points to his own success as an example.

Why then why would there need to be “Opportunity Zones” – a program he LOVES to tout? By definition, Opportunity Zones are a program “to spur economic growth and job creation in low-income communities.”

Senator Scott also touted the Trump Administration’s prison and sentencing reform with the “First Step Act”. And guess which group of American citizens are most caught up with incarceration?

In 2018, black Americans represented 33% of the sentenced prison population, nearly triple their 12% share of the U.S. adult population. Whites accounted for 30% of prisoners, about half their 63% share of the adult population.
Pew Research Center

Don’t we think it’s worth studying and teaching about how minority communities become economically distressed? Can’t we research and converse about how black Americans come to be so disproportionately put behind bars?

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Filibustering is for the birds: Monday Musings 2021-06-07

Posted on June 7, 2021 by gwd_admin

There’s been considerable chatter these past few months about a tool called the “filibuster” in the US Senate.

It’s basically a way for the minority Party of the Senate to prevent legislation from moving forward to a vote. It used to be that a filibuster was when one or more Senators could talk for as long as they wished on any subject they chose during debate – a process that could only be stopped if 60 Senators agree to close debate – but now it merely requires a threat to filibuster to hold up a vote.

So when you have a 50-50 split of the Senate, you can understand why not much gets done. We saw very recently how Republicans filibustered a bill to establish a Jan 6 commission – to fully fund an investigation into every aspect that led to one of the most appalling moments in our country’s history. Even with several Republicans on board, they couldn’t get to a 60-vote threshold needed to overcome the filibuster.

Interestingly, and not surprisingly, the three conservative judges recently appointed to the Supreme Court were able to do so, because the then Republican Senate Majority changed the rules to say that the filibuster rule no longer needed to be in effect. A simple 1-vote majority would be enough to confirm one of their judges. But now that they’re no longer the majority party, the filibuster is suddenly important!

Now I can appreciate the desire to give the minority party some tools to prevent them from being railroaded. Recently, “Democrat” Senator Kyrsten Sinema stated that the filibuster was “…a tool that protects the democracy of our nation.”

But is it truly a democracy that’s being saved here?

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Breakfast Meeting June 2022: US Senate Candidate Krystle Matthews

Posted on June 5, 2021 by gwd_admin

Representative Krystle Matthews joins us to talk about her candidacy for US Senate!

◾ MatthewsForSenate.com
◾ Greenwood fundraiser
◾ Greenwood meet & greet