February Monthly Breakfast Meeting Notes

Posted on February 6, 2018 by gwd_admin

First off, we want to express our GRATITUDE for the tremendous turnout at last Saturday’s monthly breakfast meeting. We are all very concerned citizens who want to make a positive difference in our community and in our nation. We would appreciate any feedback you can offer to help us improve upon future meetings. What did you like? What can be done better? Let us know at info@gwdcountydems.org.

Scheduling Notes

Precinct Reorganization Meeting
Sat, Feb 10   10 am – 12 pm
Greenwood County Library, Veteran’s Room

Open to all Democrats in Greenwood County

At least one Representative from each Precinct should attend and stand by their Precinct Sign to speak to those who may be coming in that are in their Precinct. The Precinct Rep will need to stay for the full time period.

For all others, if you have not partaken in a previously scheduled Reorganization Meeting for your precinct, this would be the place & time to show up to get acquainted with your Precinct Leader and learn more about this effort. You can show up at any time between 10 am – 12 pm and leave once you’ve spoken with your Precinct Leader. Opportunities may still exist for Officers, Delegates and Alternates positions within your Precinct.
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First Time Running: Senator Floyd Nicholson

Posted on January 27, 2018 by gwd_admin

This is the second in a series of posts that highlight our elected officials and candidates, focusing on what drove them to public service. Hopefully, their stories will help inspire YOU to make a difference and help turn South Carolina Blue!

We recently spoke with State Senator Floyd Nicholson about his career as a public servant, a legacy that spans over 35 years! Since his first campaign for Greenwood City Council in 1982, he has never lost an election. We wanted to understand his motivation to run for public office and what’s driven him towards a life of civil service for these many decades.

You are a lifelong resident of Greenwood, correct?

Yes. I was born, raised, and aside from time in college, I’ve lived in Greenwood, SC. I was the youngest of ten children in an impoverished neighborhood. My father passed away when I was only five years old and my mother did everything she could to raise us. Some of my siblings had to dropout of school to support the family.

After I graduated from South Carolina State, I returned to Greenwood and started a career in education and coaching right here at Greenwood High School.

Was there a tipping point that drove you run for City Council in 1982?

When I was a student at South Carolina State University, I was there at the Orangeburg Massacre. In 1968, a “No Blacks Allowed” policy at a local bowling alley led to a protest on campus against racial segregation.  Three young men were killed by SC Highway Patrol officers that night.

Anger from that event stayed with with me throughout the 70’s during my years as a Biology and Science teacher at Greenwood High School. But then, with the support of my wife, Mamie, I decided to turn that negative energy into something positive and ran for Greenwood City Council. I had to get involved in something to try to make a difference.

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Key Minutes from the Monthly Breakfast Meeting, Sat Jan 6

Posted on January 12, 2018 by gwd_admin

The Greenwood County Democrats meet on the first Saturday of every month at 9 am at the Inn on the Square. Below are the minutes compiled by the Party Secretary, Cathie Swindell.

Meeting Called to Order

@ 9:20 am- Chair, Charles Lewis

Opening Prayer & Minute of Silence 

Chair, Charles Lewis

Guest Speaker  – Compassionate Care Alliance, Greenwood

Jodi Shenal gave a very inspirational testimony of how cannabis, applied medically, has helped her daughter. Also, Tony Sleister gave his own account of years with chronic back and leg pain and how medically-applied cannabis helps him control his pain.

For more information about the SC Compassionate Care Act or its current status, visit their web site. An abbreviated version of the Compassionate Care Act is attached.

To contact Jodi Shenal: (864) 941-6763 – Jodi.shenal@yahoo.com
To contact Tony Sleister: (864) 993-2483 – tonysleister@gmail.com

Report of the Christmas Party Drop-In

Suzy Holloway said that the Christmas Drop-In went well and that she hopes to host next year’s Christmas party too!

Social Media Update

Twitter followers: up 47%

Instagram followers: up 53%

Facebook “likes”: up 1%

Bill Kimler gave a rousing Pep Talk about our need to keep focused on three items in 2018:

  • Voter Education
  • Voter Registration
  • Voter Participation

Precinct Organization

Elaine Gentry shared that we need to give all of our Precincts the opportunity to organize, elect officers and also elect Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the County Convention.

Cathie Swindell provided a status update of the need for Volunteer Precinct Leaders. Attached is a list of Precincts that still need leaders. Please e-mail us at info@gwdcountydems.org if you are interested.

Forms for use at Precinct Meetings were distributed. Contact us if you were not able to attend the Precinct Organization Meeting.

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A Response to Jeff Duncan

Posted on January 8, 2018 by gwd_admin

This morning, our Congressman, Jeff Duncan, “graced” the editorial page of Greenwood’s newspaper, the Index-Journal, with a Guest Column full of untruths and half-truths in an effort to encourage loyalty and obedience to President Donald Trump. As Trump continues to self-inflict damage through his own tweets, statements and actions, he relies on loyalists like Rep. Duncan to spin stories, ignore facts, and distract us with irrelevancies in order to do damage control.

Let us take a moment to respond directly to some of the passages in Rep. Duncan’s column:

Liberals simply cannot
get over the fact that the nation rejected
their lying and deceitful candidate.

Fact: In his first 10 months, Trump told nearly six times as many falsehoods as Obama did during his entire presidency. Every one of Trump’s false statements are meticulously documented with supporting references. The current president will go down in history as the MOST deceitful government official ever elected. With this single statement, Rep Duncan’s reputation should be completely shot as one completely separated from reality.

Sure, he isn’t a polished politician. But what if that’s why the American people appreciate him so much? He is not a perfect human, but who is?

Rep Duncan has also thrown his support behind disgraced Alabama Senatorial candidate Roy Moore and never withdrew or clarified it after many credible stories of Moore’s predatory nature came to light. Not once has Rep Duncan spoken out when President Trump attacked women’s physical characteristics, denigrated entire nationalities as “rapists”, bragged about his own personal sexual assaults on tape, and thought that there were “very fine people” among Neo-Nazi protesters. Yet, he called out on Democrat Congressman John Conyers to resign. Are Republicans not required to be held to ANY moral standard?

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From the Chair: County-level elections coming up!

Posted on January 3, 2018 by gwd_admin

Hello Democrats!

It is again approaching time for County-level Democratic Party Elections. We desperately need Party leaders who are willing to work because there is much work to be done.

We need to engage our young people and show them the way of a two party system so that we will not have a situation like what we had in 2016 in which too many stayed home. We have to help them to understand that sometimes we have to pick a side even if it is not the ideal path they would prefer. They must be educated to weigh the issues at hand and make a choice that will provide the best outcome.

In Greenwood, we as a community are faring pretty well but there is always room for improvement. We the people need to get back in the habit of paying attention to what is going on in our local, state, and federal governing agencies. We need more to attend the meetings, subscribe to the local newspaper, tune in to the local news channels, and be engaged in social media. Leaders have obviously taken advantage of our inattentiveness and enriched themselves at the taxpayers’ expense.

I have taken the advice of President Obama and gotten involved. I want to take this opportunity to announce that I will be running for a second term as Chair of the Greenwood County Democratic Party. I humbly request your support on March 3rd 2018 to continue the work we’ve begun to better the lives of Greenwood County Citizens: On the local level (where we live) as well as at State and Federal levels.

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Merry Christmas / Goodbye 2017

Posted on December 26, 2017 by gwd_admin

Hello Fellow Democrats!

Merry Christmas to all of you and your families. I hope Santa was good to you! He was great to me!

My Baby Girl gave me a book of memories of the Obama years chronicled by his personal photographer. It is called “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” by Pete Souza. I know you would come to love it as I have. She said it was sold out for now but maybe you can find it on line. It has lots of photos and great memories of a GREAT PRESIDENT!!! It brought back so many memories of when we had a REAL leader. I have never been so happy to see the coming end of a year as I am 2017!!!!!

With your help we will have a great 2018, so spend time with family and friends and I will see you on the other side. Have a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Charles Lewis
– Chair, Greenwood County Democratic Party

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First time running: Mal Hyman

Posted on December 18, 2017 by gwd_admin

This is the first in a series of posts that will highlight our elected officials and candidates, focusing on what it takes to run for office. Hopefully, their stories will help inspire YOU to make a difference and help turn South Carolina Blue!

Mal Hyman is a Congressional Candidate in SC District 7, which includes Myrtle Beach. Below are some excerpts from a Q&A that he conducted on Reddit a few weeks back.

My name is Mal Hyman. I am a civil rights advocate, environmental activist, and a professor at Coker College. I am running to unseat hardline tea party Republican Tom Rice in South Carolina’s 7th District. I live in a historically red district, but I am an unabashed progressive. The only way we can beat the GOP is to offer people solutions that materially improve their lives, instead of empty platitudes.

Did you have a single tipping point that led to your decision to run?

As a professor of Sociology and political science, I have identified various issues plaguing our system. But four years ago, I figured I needed to be reaching a broader audience than in the classroom. The country and the world was in crisis and for me, the silence was a betrayal.

The Republican congressional stance on climate change is a crime against humanity. They are threatening the planet and our national security and the security of generations to come. That is why it is more important than ever for all of us to fight harder than ever.

Were you well-versed in the process of running for office – especially such a high profile one like US Congress?

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Legislator Spotlight: Your Name Here

Posted on December 16, 2017 by gwd_admin

There are 124 House Districts in South Carolina. Democrats control 46 of those, Republicans 78. We’ve got a lot of ground to make up.
For this week’s Legislator Spotlight, we’re turning the Spotlight on you. The members of our caucus are wonderful, diligent legislators. You might not hear from them every day, but they’re doing everything they can to make the state of South Carolina a better place. But, they need more Democratic colleagues. Our platform only matters if we can turn it into actions and legislation. We need your help to do it.

We saw on Tuesday in Alabama that Democrats can win in the South. We saw what a wave looks like in Virginia last month, too. Democrats are right on the issues that matter to the people of South Carolina and it’s time we field a slate of candidates that act like it.

That’s where you come in. We know you’re rabble-rousers and activists, always getting in good trouble. You’re the leaders in your communities and your churches. You’re the ones grinding every day to bring change. It’s also time you run for office. 

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Thoughts on the Alabama Senate election

Posted on December 14, 2017 by gwd_admin

Hello fellow Democrats and congratulations!

I know you were, as was I, very invested in the Alabama race between Roy Moore (R) and Doug Jones (D). This is another example that when all of America’s citizens participate in the voting system, WE CAN WIN!

Take note that of all political elections in our country, the only position elected via Electoral College is the President. All others elections are one person – one vote. YOUR VOTE DOES MATTER!!

Black residents of Alabama showed once again, just like in 2008 and 2012, that their candidates can win when we pull together. This is the reason the Republican Party is making such a concerted effort to suppress your vote. Just like the story of the Tower of Babel, they know what we are capable of when we work together as united Americans.

In 2018 – 2020 we will have to do it again. We will have to show the world that the Democratic Party is the party of the people, for the people.

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A Few Words about Dr. Larry A. Jackson

Posted on November 15, 2017 by gwd_admin

A special message from Charles Lewis, Chair:

It is with a heavy heart that I reach out to you.  I know most of you have heard of the passing of Dr. Larry A. Jackson, past president of Lander University.  A giant in our community, it was certainly great to see that Dr. Jackson knew another giant from this area, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.  Dr. Jackson has made an impact through his service that began many years before coming to Greenwood, as he traveled and lived in many countries.

What was clear to me as I read his Bio in the paper, his entire life centered around helping others (service).  It was especially gratifying to learn that Dr. Jackson was also a pastor.  Something today’s pastors can take away from this: Those that want to be the greatest among us must serve the less fortunate among us.

I have learned during my time as Chair of the Democratic Party here in Greenwood, SC that those who have gone before, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Sen. John Drummond, and Rep. Marion P. Carnell,  just to name a few, were committed to serving all.

Dr. Larry A. Jackson and his wife, Barbara, are loyal supporters of our local Democratic Party and both have received our most prestigious honor, “The Yellow Dog Democrat Award”, for their many years of service and support to our County Party.  He will be missed, but we will march on knowing our Creed is “Democrats Care” and that the issues that confront us today demand we stand.

Charles Lewis, Chair

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