Opinion: NOW is the Time for Action

Posted on June 17, 2020 by gwd_admin

by Denise Waldrep
candidate for SC House Representative, District 13

How many nights have you waited up for your children, not able to sleep until you know that they’re safely home? We hope that they won’t be in an accident. We hope that they won’t do something foolish that results in harm. Not only do families of color worry about this, but they also experience the fear of their children experiencing overly-aggressive treatment from law enforcement while being stopped for driving while black, running while black, or walking home from school while black. Occupation and wealth are no deterrent. U. S. Senator Tim Scott (SC), was pulled over seven times in one year by police. Senator Scott has urged his colleagues “not to deny the existence of the pain and anguish of problematic police/community relations.” No one has all the answers about how to fix our long standing racial divide. But we can begin by acknowledging the problem and standing with those who have experienced, and are experiencing, systemic racism. Now is the time for action. And sometimes the most appropriate action is to take no action other than to be still and listen.

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Posted in 2020 Election, Opinion, Policy | Comments Off on Opinion: NOW is the Time for Action

Mother to Son 2020

Posted on June 14, 2020 by gwd_admin

by: Ebony Key
Inspired by Langston Hughes

Come here my son
Let me share a few secrets
Life for you won’t be no crystal stair
The way I see you
And how THEY see you is painfully different
Your gentle spirit
Your intelligent mind
Your melaninated skin and
Your promising smile
Ignites cruelty and injustice
Makes you a target
Wrong place, wrong time
DONE!

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair
But life for you young King
Will be all but fair
We are in a world where
Foot on your neck
Takes on a whole new meaning
This conversation is hard to give
I want to prepare you for life
And equip you to live
With no regrets
Cautiously haunted by
The question of
Am I next?

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COVID-19 Flare-up in SC

Posted on June 11, 2020 by gwd_admin

The following message was shared with us by fellow GWCDP member, Dylan Fender:

When it comes to matters of public health, access to timely, accurate and trusted information is important. That’s why we’re reaching out to community leaders like you. With your help, we’re going to get the word out about COVID-19 here in South Carolina. 

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is developing communications toolkits to help support response efforts at the state and community level. 

Our first toolkit provides messaging on the importance of wearing masks to protect yourself and those around you. Our mask toolkit, provides messages, graphics and videos to help: 

  • Ensure current, correct messaging from a trusted source. 
  • Create collateral materials. 
  • Share resources. 

All graphics and suggested messages are available for use on social media, emails, web pages and other platforms. 
 
Help us stop the spread in the Palmetto State by spreading accurate information, like how to wear a mask. Visit scdhec.gov/stayscstrong to learn more.   
 
For more additional outreach and educational materials, click here. 
 
Together, we are South Carolina strong.

Dylan Fender
Health Educator
Community Systems Team – Upstate
S.C. Dept. of Health & Environmental Control
Cell: (864)-315-7953
Office: (864) 942-3600
Connect: www.scdhec.gov  Facebook  Twitter

Posted in In the news | Comments Off on COVID-19 Flare-up in SC

Opinion: Unable to Sleep

Posted on June 3, 2020 by gwd_admin

by Aza Games

I find myself unable to sleep on the nights when the energy in the country is so volatile. When I do, I dream of unrest and injustice, among other things.

I have been limiting my consumption, setting aside time to both witness and do what I can.

And setting aside time to step away, because I have that luxury.

My heart hurts for George Floyd, his family, for every single (black) American who has been subject to this treatment because for some reason in 2020 we still have to fight systemic racism.

A few thoughts I had, a few things I’ve learned:

Paid protesters are a thing, used to incite violence so that people who don’t look any deeper than a few heavily right wing articles believe that the sole purpose of the protests is looting and burning. A much smaller portion of people are doing that, and many are actively trying to stop it.

But just like ‘good cops’ don’t make the news, peaceful protest doesn’t either.
And on that note, you can have 10 bad cops and 1,000 good ones, but if those 1,000 stand by ‘just following orders’ (or whatever other excuse while their compatriots kill innocent people) you now have 1,010 bad cops. A civilian interfering in an arrest is not going to end well or be effective. Another officer saying “That’s too far” should be what is expected.

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Posted in Law Enforcement, Opinion, Racial equality | Comments Off on Opinion: Unable to Sleep

The Best Possible Tomorrow

Posted on May 24, 2020 by gwd_admin

by Denise Waldrep
candidate for SC House Representative, District 13

This week we celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2020 and the promise of their tomorrows. We also honor the lives of the fallen heroes who gave up their tomorrows for our today. Let’s honor these heroes by working together to paint the best possible tomorrow for the Class of 2020. We must walk the walk, not just talk the talk, of working for the common good.

If we’re in quarantine during this unsettling time of dealing with a virus that we cannot see, we might be “walking the walk” in our PJ’s with bad home haircuts and a few extra corona quarantine pounds! Nevertheless, we will persist through Zoom and Webex meetings to work toward getting equal and affordable telehealth care access for all. We can see the early fruits of this endeavor at DHEC’s web site.

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Posted in 2020 Election, Legislators, Opinion | Comments Off on The Best Possible Tomorrow

E is for Education

Posted on May 19, 2020 by gwd_admin

When I settled on the decision to run for Chair of the GWCDP (and after receiving buy-in from Michael, Mei, and Matthew to join with me) I sat down to do some serious thinking as to what our platform should be.

What should be the overall themes be for our Party leadership over the next two years?

After doing some freestyle brainstorming and organizing of thoughts, the pattern became clear. There were 4 pillars of activities that will drive our activities going forward:

  • Education
  • Unification
  • Participation
  • Communication

In this post, I’d like to share some ideas around Education: How can we help our members become more informed about the political issues of the day, the candidates we support, and the processes around voting and running for office?

This website and the associated social media platforms (e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) will continue to grow with useful up-to-date information as well as provide a wealth of resources you can visit over and over. Find links to various Resources around Greenwood, SC political groups, elected official and candidate. Learn about registering to vote and how to apply for absentee ballots. Read up on the Democratic candidates that we support in November.

See our write-up in the May 5, 2020 newsletter for the links to these outlets and follow or share!

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Posted in From the Chair | Comments Off on E is for Education

I just requested an Absentee Ballot and you should too!

Posted on May 15, 2020 by gwd_admin

This past week resulted in the fantastic news out of Columbia that for the June 9, 2020 primaries, everybody is entitled to an Absentee, mail-in ballot without needing to provide one of the normal excuses that are part of South Carolina voting laws.

I just submitted my Absentee Ballot request today. Read below to see how straightforward it is.

This article assumes a couple of things:

  • You have a Printer that you can print to
  • You are able to open a PDF file

If either of those are not possible, you can e-mail us (info@gwdcountydems.org) or call us (864-715-2341) and we’ll do our best to assist you. You always can reach out to the Greenwood County Voter Registration office directly at (864) 942-8521

Step 1: Go to SCVotes.org

SCVotes.org is run by the South Carolina Election Commission. They’ve done a fantastic job creating a clear & complete reference for all things related to elections in SC.

Navigate to that site and click “Get My Absentee Application”.

Step 2: Request an Application

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Posted in 2020 Election, Voting | Comments Off on I just requested an Absentee Ballot and you should too!

Why Does the Census Matter?

Posted on May 14, 2020 by gwd_admin

borrowed from the City Government of Greenwood, South Carolina

  • The census is about representation in the US House of Representatives and where district lines are drawn for state and municipal representation. SC is not projected to gain or lose a seat in the 2020 census.
  • The census is about money. SC receives trillions of dollars through federal programs that are funded based on formulas using census data.
  • The census is about economic development and disaster recovery. Census data is used to determine where employers decide to locate, where broadband internet is installed, and what resources are needed in areas for economic stimulus.

HOW DO PEOPLE COMPLETE THE CENSUS?

  • All households who have not already completed the census should receive a paper form by May 15.
  • Anyone can go online to www.my2020census.gov and complete the census, even if they don’t have their 12 digit identification.
  • To complete the 2020 Census over the phone with a Census Questionnaire Assistance representative, call 1-844-330-2020.
Posted in 2020 Census, Participate | Comments Off on Why Does the Census Matter?

Opinion: Incompetence & dishonesty

Posted on May 13, 2020 by gwd_admin

On Monday, May 11, the Index-Journal ran the following headline story:

Garrett campaign runs into legal roadblock on campaign masks

It reports how SC Senate Candidate and McCormick lawyer, Billy Garrett, ran afoul of election laws by distributing campaign material to county employees while on county property. This activity violated the Hatch Act – the law designed to enforce fairness in political campaigns and one which is routinely ignored by the Trump Administration.

All of the masks had to be returned.

Later, when questioned by the Post & Courier, Garrett stated that “the protective gear wasn’t meant to rustle up votes”. This claim was made despite the masks having the phrase “Garrett for SC Senate” splashed across the front.

Two troubling aspects have come to light from this incident:

  1. A candidate who has previously touted his expertise in the law blatantly runs afoul of it. That indicates either a feeling that he is above the law or just not as well-versed as he ought to be.
  2. Instead of owning up to the mistake and vowing to do better, Garrett offers an outright falsehood. “…wasn’t meant to rustle up votes”? Where have we seen this deny-deny-deny playbook before?

Incompetence & dishonesty: Is that a winning combination?

We hope that the citizens of Greenwood County take this incident for the warning sign that it is. We understand people make mistakes and they should certainly be assessed based on them. But more importantly, it’s how the person follows-up on that mistake that most reveals his or her character. And we now have some insight into Billy Garrett’s character.

Posted in 2020 Election, Opinion | Comments Off on Opinion: Incompetence & dishonesty

Looking up your voter registration status

Posted on May 9, 2020 by gwd_admin

Has it been a while since you voted?
Are you unsure about your Voter Registration Status?

Finding out is easy as 1-2-3! Watch the video below.

Posted in Participate, Tutorial, Voting | Comments Off on Looking up your voter registration status