The Eight Hundred Pound Gorilla In The Room With The "R" On His Chest

Sometimes I have things within me that is so burdensome that I have to get it out.  It is never that I am afraid to say what I feel, it is just that, I guess, I am hoping someone else will see what I see and say it before I feel I must say it.  The seed for this e-mail was born out of a conversation that I had with two members of Marion County Democratic Party at our monthly meeting and came to maturity after reading Mr Painters recent e-mail expressing his disappointment of the President and the Democratic Congress.  I have a problem when my colleagues and the media are appearing to be on the same page in their analysis of what is happening in politics and the community.  It is no secret that the media makes its living off sensationalism and half truths based on the direction that their owners and/or managing editors dictate.  But back to the purpose of this e-mail.

 On Monday I was telling two Party members about a conversation that I had with a friend of mine who use to live in England and still has strong ties in the European Community.  I told them that my friend stated that almost every country except America believes that President Obama is one of the most, if not the most respected and effective leaders in the world and that the foreign community does not blame him for what is happening in the American Legislature but they are blaming our Congressional leaders for his ineffectiveness.  This brought on a spirited conversation between myself and both the African-American and European-American gentlemen.  They both believed that President Obama should be more forceful and spirited in taking on the Republicans and should use the bully pit to force his issues through.  I of course disagreed with them.  I told them that I felt that he was doing exactly what he should be doing under the circumstances.  The fact that he is the first African-American President dictates that he cannot over play his hand, because this is what his adversaries are waiting for.  I also reminded them that I am a Hilary Clinton Democrat and that as a rule I don't use the race card, but in this particular instance we have to face the facts that it is Racism that keeps him from being effective.  Of course they both disagreed with that.  Now these are supposedly two staunch Obama followers and has always been Obama followers.  The European American stated that when Mr Obama ran the first time he housed some of his volunteers, worked as a volunteer and gave money, but this time he don't think he will do any of this.  So I said if you are not going to support him, then who are you going to support.  I stated that it is my belief that the Democratic Party is constantly shooting themselves in the foot by making rash and selfish decisions without associating the consequences with their actions and I re-emphasized the efforts that the Gay Rights wing of the Party made during 2010 that offset the other efforts within the Party which I believe caused a dismal showing at the ballot box by the entire grassroots community.  The African-American then began citing instances where other Presidents rose to the occasion under similar  circumstances.  I then told him that he was making my case for me and proceeded to ask him what color were they.  To which he made no statement.  I told them that Racism is not just a Republican and a Tea Party thing it is also a Democratic Party thing, because if you will remember that it was not the Republicans that held up and stripped the Health Care Legislation it was our own Democratic Congress Leaders that did this.  After this the European-American said I see what you are saying, but why is it that no one else is saying anything about it.  I said because if you say something about it you give it a name, then it is defined and finally it has a platform.  By not saying anything its power over the decision making process continues to grow and prevents us from doing what is naturally right.

Racism is an excessive and irrational belief in or advocacy of the superiority of a given group, people, or nation, on racial grounds alone; race hatred.  If you would examine the actions of our Political Leaders in all our Parties since President Obama has been elected, what you will see is a consistent record of excessive and irrational behavior aimed at discrediting, disrespecting, embarrassing and causing him to fail at the expense of the success of our country and the care of our citizens.  When Health Care is the number one drain on our economy and the people who need medical treatment, it is irrational to not want to pass a proper Health Care bill.  When you have proven over and over again that President Obama is a citizen of the USA and there is still solid resistance by a group of people, some of them Congressional Leaders, then this is both excessive and irrational.  When the Tea Party runs on a campaign of "Taking back our Country", this is advocating the superiority of a given group.  When most of your citizens are suffering financially and you would rather take more money and resources from those who do not have it to give, rather than take from those who have a surplus to give and then you call it balancing the budget, this is excessive, irrational and advocating for the superiority of a given group.  When you are constantly complaining about people on welfare or unemployed being a burden and drain to the tax payers in our country and you religiously give billions of dollars to Big Oil and other welfare recipient Big Businesses without a mention let alone a complaint, that appears to be irrational, excessive and the advocacy for superiority of a given group.  When the advocates for the Republican and Tea Party beliefs and their Candidates can get on television and radio and lie about our President and they or proven to be lying and people still find what they are saying to be creditable, this is an excessive and irrational belief in or advocacy of the superiority of a given group on racial grounds alone.  The problem with Racism in America is that everyone knows it is here, but no one wants to talk about it.  And it is because we do not talk about it, which allows it to continue to determine the decisions that we make and/or are made for us.  Racism has always lurked in the backrooms, alley ways and ivory towers of our society, because it has always been used to keep people of different races apart so that they can not recognize how much they have in common.  Our country is being destroyed by racist factions in our political leadership, financial leadership and our communities and they are using fear and distrust to make this happen.  All of us commit racist acts every day, but that does not make us proponents of racism and we are not.  Our acts are done out of ignorance of what constitute racism and because we lack intent of our actions we are not racist by its purist sense.  We must understand this because if we do not then we will allow others to characterize us and we may characterize ourselves as something that we are not.

When President Obama was elected, he stated that together we can bring change to America and that he could not do it alone.  He needed each and everyone of us to get involved and together we can make it happen.  The time is now!  Well this is that time when each one of us need to stand up and say to those that are using racist tactics that we know what you are doing and we will not continue to allow you to destroy our country for your racist agenda.  Call them what they are and demand that they put our country and citizens ahead of partisanship and racist ideology.

Oh by the way, the letter "R" on the Eight Hundred Pound Gorilla's chest stands for "Racism".  

As always this is just my opinion and that does not make it right.

Lee Walter Jenkins

As I See It

There are two types of eligible voters: the informed and the uninformed.  All Party’s have both, but the Democratic Party has the distinction of having the most uninformed voters and the Republican Party has the most informed voters.  This distinction has a lot to do with each Party’s Platform and priorities.

While informed voter’s make-up the minority of voters in both Parties, their concerns consistently make-up over seventy-five percent of each Parties Platform.  The thing about informed voters is that they are issue driven campaigners and they need an issue or issues that they believe in and/or are concerned about to motivate them enough to be a force in the campaigning arena.  Informed voters are very adept at seeking out and receiving information about their issues from multiple mediums.  What we have learned over the last five years is that whether the issue is true or not does not determine the effort an informed voter put into campaigning on that issue.  In fact in most cases they campaign harder for untrue issues than they do for true issues.  That is because the stimuli that motivates an informed voter to the issues they support could be driven by personal experience, political affiliation, religion, race, family loyalty and/or financial consideration.  Take for instance, the Tea Party Movement or as I call them, “The best Movement that money can buy”.  Most of the issues that they campaigned under were untrue and were investigated and documented to be untrue, but yet they grew and became successful enough to have a significant number of candidates elected to State and Federal offices.  This of course was because the uniformed voters were not inspired to come out and vote.  Some of the reasons why the Tea Party was successful included the following: being well funded by Big Oil, The Weapons Industry and their affiliates; most of the Media Industry bought in or sold out to them and; most of our Democratic leadership refused to fight for the peoples agenda.  Does this mean that I have a problem with informed voters?  I have no problem with Republican informed voters making their decisions based on lies, innuendoes, racism and money, but I do have a problem when Democratic informed voters emulates them.

Uninformed voters make up the majority in both Parties and have the least influence and input into their Political Platforms.  The irony of all this is that it is the uninformed voters who have the numbers to determine the success or failure of all elections.  By far the Democratic Party has the largest number of uninformed voters.  And unfortunately over the years since Franklin Delano Roosevelt they have not been able to consistently capitalize on their advantage.  One of the main reasons for this is that even though the Democratic Party promotes themselves as an open Party where everyone ideas are welcome and everyone’s needs are met, it has never quite got pass the Political Boss Stage where all decisions are made by a select few away from the body.  In South Carolina, Political decisions are still being made in the backrooms among tight knit Political Cronies, family members, friends and the big money backers who are the real decision makers in our State today.  It is amazing how stupid and powerless that they think the uninformed voters are.  They call them apathetic and believe that if they raise enough money to give out to these so called ignorant people, then they will get enough votes to win.  My Grandmother told me once that arrogance makes a rich man foolish and a poor man careless, which are two things neither man can survive with.  The truth is in every Democratic failed election; the uninformed has shown the Democratic Party how much smarter they are than them.  They understand that no matter who wins they lose.  So whether it is death by hanging or death my lynching, you are still dead with a rope around your neck.  There philosophy is why build the gallows that you will be hung on (vote for an uncaring Democrat candidate that you do not know and does not try to know you are your plight) when you can just not vote at all and get the same treatment by default by a Republican Administration.

As always these are my opinions and of course that does not make them right.

Lee Walter Jenkins

I wonder

Yesterday, the Republicans blasted the President for the market falling.
I wonder if those same Republicans praise the President for the market rising?

convention

I think that if someone wanted to be a delegate to the 2012 Democratic Convention, a posting should be made available delineating the necessary steps in order to become a delegate. Who's gonna write the steps?

More Americans killed

The other day I went to a restaurant and ordered a pizza. I said to the waitress that business seems slow; she blamed it on Obama. I asked myself what does Obama have to do with her restaurant. On the other hand, recently, many Americans were killed from the war zone. I do blame that on Obama. When is Obama going to pull his head out of his ass and do what he was elected to do? He should have taken out the troops long ago. I know that this is fodder for the damn Republicans, but it's time Obama pulled his head out.
With Obama, it's like watching a football game. When are we as Democrats going to get the ball?

More

it's bad

Things have gotten so bad that it takes an act of Congress to pay a bill.

Obama will raise the debt ceiling without Congress

Here's what will happen:
If the debt ceiling is not raised, Obama will raise it himself without Congress.
Isn't it something to be like me and know everything?

good work

Nice work, Lee.

I hope this site works out for all of us.

Preparing for 2012

Today is July 5, 2011 and we have received no definitive information from our State Chair or his inner circle about strategically preparing the grassroots community and/or the Democratic Party as a collective for the upcoming 2012 elections.  I am not trying to be antagonistic or disrespectful in this assertion, but as they say in the streets, “It is what it is”.  By my calculations we have about four months in this year to get the grassroots interested in voting.  I say four months because November is the beginning of the holiday season and it is highly unlikely that anyone will be interested in politics during that time.  My suggestion is that we must formulate a plan of action soon to take advantage of this window of opportunity. 

The things I have done up to this point have been to try and encourage individuals to run for office at all levels and collect platform issues that can be used by all the candidates.  I am encouraging individuals to run for office, because I believe that my responsibility is to the citizens in my county and not to just the business owners and the politicians. 

I believe that it is healthy to have competition in the Primary’s whether you are doing a good job or not.  If our elected officials are challenged by those with new ideas and willing to serve, it will make for a more dedicated politician who will understand that he/she is a servant of the entire community and not just the business community and it will also keep our base energized and focused on what is needed to make all of the community better.   

I believe that we are losing our votes at the local level.  It is the needs that are not being met at the local level that reflects the poor turnout for statewide elections of our Democratic Candidates.  If we do not identify and then address those issues that are important to our voters at the local level how do you expect for them to have confidence in you correcting issues at the state level and beyond.  And if our state elected candidates don’t take an interest in the injustice that is being done to their constituents at the local level how do you expect them to be excited about voting for you during election time.  I don’t know about your county, but in my county apathy is not a voters issue but a politician issue and it does not appear that they want to take responsibility for their insensitivity.

As always, this is just my opinion and that doesn’t make it right.

Lee Walter Jenkins

Answer to Mr Bursey

Mr Bursey,

I am sorry for the delay in answering your e-mail and I also would like to apologize for not attending your Town Hall meeting in Sumter which I was looking forward to attending.  My grandmother use to say that excuses are only good for the one who makes them and based upon that I yield my attempt at an excuse for my failures on both issues.

Just for the record, I respect your organization, it's record of achievements and what it is doing and hope to do.  My critique (not criticism) was in reference to the content and clarity of your strategy, from a grassroots perspective.  It is my belief that we should always be as clear and open with the grassroots as possible, so that they can clearly be aware of the pitfalls as well as the benefits of our strategy.   By doing this you create partners in your endeavor instead of unsatisfied customers, who were sold something that turned out to be not what they ordered.  Trust and respect don't come quickly and/or easily at the grassroots level, if you lose either you will lose both and without them you cannot do business in the grassroots community.  

I was also addressing the lack of an alternate strategy and/or strategies that could be and/or is being deployed individually and/or simultaneously.  My e-mail was not meant to make you responsible for an alternate plan nor was I attempting to demean your efforts in the plan that you have constructed.  I must say again or, if I have not said it, for the first time your strategy is sound and it is something that has been very successfully worked in the past but the Republicans strategy is also good and it is based on what has worked for you in the past. So based upon this, I feel they have a better than average chance of winning if we limit ourselves to only use your strategy.  One thing that I have notice since becoming a part of the Democratic Party here in South Carolina, is that we tend to have a tunnel vision mentality which limits the number of ideas that can or will be used at the same time and thus makes it easier for our opponents to defend against us.  We must learn to actively seek and support others with valid ideas and strategies.  In doing so this makes it harder for our opponents to successfully defend against us.  In war, sports and in life, it is that who is the most diverse in ability is the one who has the overwhelming chance at success.  As an individual, intuitively we understand this but as an organization, we have forgot it or was never taught it.

My alternate strategy was and is based on what Governor Perdue touched on in vetoing the Voter ID Bill in North Carolina.  Governor Perdue eluded to the fact that she did not feel that the purpose of the Constitution was never intended to prohibit the vote of our citizens.  When Michael Bailey in his interview on television, told the interviewer that more whites under the Voter ID Law will be prohibited to vote than minorities, the interviewer was totally surprised.  In that moment of surprise lies our future talking points to the white community.  There is very few if any whites who would set still for having less rights than minorities and that includes Tea Party, Republican Party and/or Democratic Party.  Their are five Amendments dealing with Voting Rights in our Constitution: Amendment XIV, Sections 1 and 2; Amendment XV, Section 1 and 2; Amendment XIX; Amendment XXIV, Sections 1 and 2; and Amendment XXVI.  I believe that it is in the first Amendment on our Voting Rights; that is Amendment XIV, Section 1 and 2; that our best defense lies.  Amendment XIV, Section 1 states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.  No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.  Based upon the underlined sentence above, whether you consider your right to vote to be a privilege or not, I certainly do.  And because this law infringes on both whites and minorities it impacts on the purpose of this Amendment.  Amendment XIV, Section 2 states: Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.  But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.  What this is saying is that if the right to vote is denied or prevented in anyway to a significant portion of the populace then the Representation in this state will also be reduced.  This mean that based on your percentages that have been calculated 8% for non-whites and 6% for whites, we will lose around 14% of our voting population because of this law.  This also would mean that we would also lose a noticeable amount of our Statewide elected officials, who happen to be mostly Republicans.

Now these are my views, it does not make them right and it does not make them wrong, just my point of view.

Lee Walter Jenkins

The Progressive Network's Short Term Strategy

Lee,

The Progressive Network's short term strategy is to try and derail the photo ID law at the pre-clearance phase. This not only keeps the law from going into effect, but saves an expensive and lengthy court battle which we may lose.

While you are correct that a majority of those identified as registered voters who do not have a DMV ID are white, the percentage of nonwhite (SCEC term) voters without ID is higher (6% of white 8% of nonwhite). However, I don't think should matter if the law applies to whites, if nonwhites have a provably harder time complying with the law.

While we are reaching out to voters of all races who will be impacted by the law, the only consideration for pre-clearance is that the new law not "have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color."

The argument that the law will abridge (lessen) everyone's voting rights is sound, but making it would take an even bigger and more costly law suit that doesn't have the advantages of being covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

There is a distinct possibility that  SC will use a rare clause in the Section 5 statute and go directly to US District Court in Washington for a "declaratory judgment" that the new law meets the requirements.

To prepare for ending up in federal court, we are having all the statements from impacted voters notarized as affidavits.

What we need are more first person stories. You can get a Photo ID Toolkit at the Progressive Network's web site (www.scpronet.com) to help find and interview potential victims of the law.

Your observation that the Progressive Network "lack(s) a connection to the Grassroots that will give significance and a base to their efforts," is correct. The organization was founded in 1995 on the need and purpose of helping build a broad-based, statewide movement for social justice. Until the time we have the political power to implement our good ideas, we have to continue to do the long, hard work of movement building.

Besides grassroots organizing around policy issues like money in politics, racial profiling, workers rights and voting issues, our PAC has organized the largest caucus in the SC Democratic Party. The Progressive Caucus has won every motion it proposed at the last 10 Democratic Sate Conventions.

The Network's multi-issue focus on connecting with the grassroots over the past 16 years is arguably the most considered and sustained organizing effort in SC.  And just as arguably, not enough.

It's your movement and it belongs to everyone who shares our vision and struggle for a more just and democratic society. We welcome your participation and leadership in the effort.

Brett Bursey
Director, SC Progressive Network   

While I was gone Part 1

Below is a series of information that was sent in to me in my absence, on the  18th and 20th of June.  All the information that we publish is important, but for those who are interested in the New voter ID Law take the time to watch and listen to the interview with Michael Bailey by Newswatch.  I included the link last.  Please continue to send me your thoughts and information and I will continue to post those that meet the purpose of this Blog.

Lee Walter Jenkins

The South Carolina Voters Association's Position on the New Voter ID Law

 

"An unjust law is no law at all."  - Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

On May 18, 2011, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed into law this nation's most disenfranchising voting law since the Jim Crow era Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests.  This law was specifically designed to circumvent the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by establishing road blocks and adding additional layers of bureaucratic red tape to the voting process. Its sole intent is to disenfranchise specific demographics that historically vote Democratic.

 

The SC Election Commission found that 178,175 South Carolinians have voter registration cards but no state issued ID's. If this were the sole problem, it could be addressed through a variety of measures. But, instead of ensuring the integrity of the voting process, this law unfortunately is meant to add stringent qualifications and unnecessary burdens that persons wanting to vote must first maneuver around. This law will potentially create a number of minuscule reasons why one could be denied the issuance of a state ID; thereby making them ineligible to qualify for a voter registration card.

 

The South Carolina Voters Association sees this law as regressive and unconstitutional. Furthermore, research has shown no documented case of voter fraud in the state of South Carolina. Therefore, this law seeks to solve a problem that does not exist. 

 

We want every citizen to know, whether they stand with us in solidarity or against us in opposition, that we shall oppose this law at every level of government, by any means available, through any course of action; bare any cross, suffer any adversity, accept any consequence, confront any opposition, aide any ally or join any battle to protect the voting rights of all South Carolinians.

Michael Bailey

State Director

South Carolina Voters Association

"I think a woman's place is in the House, the Senate and the Oval Office." - Unknown

South Carolina Voters Association asks that you help support Ms. Kenisha Williams

  

(Ms. Kenisha Williams speaking at a rally in Fayetteville, NC prior to President Obama's introduction)

The South Carolina Voters Association wants to congratulate one of its very own; Ms. Kenisha Williams, who has been accepted into the Women's Campaign School at Yale University.

Of the 124 members serving in the SC House of Representatives, only 16 are women. Currently, there are no women serving in the State Senate.  And, there are no women representing South Carolina in the US Congress or US Senate.  

Ms. Williams' journey to success has just begun! She is going to need our genuine thoughts, prayers and an ultimate display of our support. Join me in seeing her dream become reality. Below, please find a direct link to her 'go fund me' account. Any amount is welcomed. Your contribution is a gift and your efforts will help shape not only her future but the future of our state! Together we will make this happen. For more information or to make a secure donation, please go to: http://www.gofundme.com/wwwgofundmecomKenisha

Michael Bailey

State Director

South Carolina Voters Association

To the Honorable Senator Graham, I hope this writing finds you in good health and great spirits. Although we have often disagreed on political matters I have always respected and admired you! I am proud to say you are our most reasonable voice in the best interest of the citizens of our great state in the US Senate. I am writing regarding the upcoming troop withdrawal decision from Afghanistan. I usually support our Honorable and duly elected President on matters, having helped nominate him in Denver, Co. immediately following my dear wife's unexpected death in the summer of 2008. After hearing both you and Sen. McCain on Fox News and MSNBC this morning, June 20 I wish to express my opinion on the plan to withdraw our troops. My only son, Spec. Andrew M. Evatt, US Army received his deployment papers this weekend to report to Afghanistan the second week of July 2011. Andrew will receive the rank of Sargeant upon arriving in Afganistan having already passed all tests and requirements with excellent efforts according to his commanders. It's my understanding his promotion is taking place once on the ground due to his boss wanting to make sure he stays with his guys from Ft. Lewis WA. His deployment papers are for one year and he is a newlywed, but his wife, Abby, is a military BRAT that understands his commitment to our great nation. Sen. Graham, I understand you are in position to know much more than I on the subject.  Andrew has no idea I am writing this letter to my friend, Sen. Graham. I am so proud of him having joined the Army only 30 days following his mom's death and about three months after graduating Walhalla High School. It is my hope we can finally pullout after almost a decade of being there. Not only for the sake of my family but for all military families, I hope you will influence Sec. Robert Gates and President Obama in withdrawing our troops in the most timely and safest manner.

It is time to stop the needless waste in the death and wounding of our military personnel and the Billions of our tax dollars being spent on this ongoing effort.  Afghanistan does not have a strong central government.  War lords control geographic and cultural segments of the country.  Other able countries have been drawn into senseless wars in Afghanistan to no avail.  It is time to withdraw not in defeat but in acknowledgement that Obama got Osama - Mission Accomplished!

Respectfully yours, Mike Evatt/ Keowee precinct State Exec. member SCDP (Oconee) Michael Bailey posted in South Carolina Voters Association. Michael Bailey 9:41pm Jun 19 Michael Bailey, the State Director of the South Carolina Voters Association talks with Ben Hoover of WIS TV’s Newswatch about South Carolina’s Voter ID Law and it’s potentially harmful impact on our constitutional right to vote. Video Landing Page - WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | www.wistv.com

While I was gone Part 2

Below are a series of information that was sent in to me in my absence, on the 14th and 15th of June.  I don't usually post County Party information, but the fact that Spartanburg is actively soliciting young people to be involved is very note worthy.  We all can benefit from their example.  Please continue to send me your thoughts and information and I will continue to post those that meet the purpose of this Blog.

Lee Walter Jenkins

Did you get this info..look under The State,Columbia..House OK'S redistricting plans... Dems to sue

We need to be organizing our young voters, it will take their help to lead us to victory...This is some serious Business...As our state officers fighting in Columbia.. We the counties need to be organizing our young people in the communities..I know there is WINNING in UNITY!! 

Retha Ross

Ford's message to Zais: We must go after cash Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, said he will urge his fellow lawmakers to formally call on Superintendent of Education Mick Zais to compete for as much as $50 million in "Race to the Top" cash. Ford said he will file a resolution today. The legislation wouldn't force Zais to act. Covering the politics of the Lowcountry, South Carolina and the nation. The Republican superintendent said in late May that the money from the U.S. Department of Education, designed to be an incentive to improve schools, comes with strings attached. South Carolina is one of nine states eligible to participate. Zais maintains that more federal money for education won't solve weaknesses in the public schools. Ford said South Carolina can't afford to walk away from the money. "That's unheard of," Ford said. "We are a suffering state." Copyright © 1995 - 2011 Evening Post Publishing Co..

¡No se pierda nuestros próximos eventos! Interested in becoming more involved with the Spartanburg Young Democrats? On Thursday, July 7th at 6 pm, Young Democrats (18-36) will come together to elect leaders for this newly energized group.   There are several ways to get involved: 1.  Leadership - If you are interested in putting your name on the ballot for the executive team (president, vice president, secretary/treasurer), please notify Jeff Ramsey atJRa5582388@aol.com or call him at 864-576-6870. 2.  Vote - You must be a registered (all we need is your name, mailing address, and email address) Young Democrat to vote on Thursday, July 7th. You must also be present on July 7th to vote. 3.  Donate - Young Democrats need your help. Most recently Spartanburg Young Democrats participated in the Upstate Pride March & Festival. Please consider making a donation to the local party directed to: Young Democrats. Poll Workers Needed The Spartanburg County Election Commission is in need of poll workers all over Spartanburg County for the election on Tuesday, November 8th, 2011.  Available training dates are September 13, 14, & 15. If you are interested, please call Becky at 864-596-2549. If not, please forward this to someone you know who might be interested in being a poll worker. Thank you.

Forward email

View From Inside

On Thursday June 9^th I along with over 40 members of the SCDP Executive Committee attended our first meeting under our new leadership.  My initial purpose for attending this meeting was to address some recent issues that have caused unity problems within our Party.  But, instead of pursuing this option and maybe causing more of a further rift in an already unstable Party, I decided to be quiet, listen and be watchful.

The look on the faces of most, who attended, was hopeful, while others appeared to share my wait and see attitude during this momentous occasion.  Mr Harpootlian was at his best talking about his fundraising efforts and plans, which I expected.  Everything else, for me, was déjà vu.  From, Mr Fred Sheheen’s nominations, of the Secretary and Treasurer without any opposition, to the make-up our leadership, there was nothing new.  There was mention of improving and providing better access to vote builders, and upgrading the Party Web Page and informational system.  But there was no mention of a Rural or Minority Caucus, even though Mr Harpootlian has been heard promoting it to Minority Ministers.  There was no mention of infrastructural development, which we need as soon as possible.  There was talk about how effective their ad campaign was and how they were sticking it to Nikki Haley, but no conversation about how we are going to win an election, even with the help of President Obama’s money and workers. 

At this point our Democratic Party is beginning to look like the beautiful neighborhood on the set of a Movie Studio.  It looks great on the outside but when you look behind it there is nothing there but boards propping it up.  The problem with most administrators, wealthy people and those who believe they have arrived is that, they love to be seen as the reason for the season but they seldom have the appropriate ideas and/or the work habits and/or ethics to get the job done.  That is why, if they are smart and/or humble enough, they will always choose and/or hire a team of people qualified to do the job to make sure that they are successful.  Since being active in the South Carolina Democratic Party, I have found that this is a concept that has not been embraced by most of our leadership.  Initially I thought that Mr Harpootlian understood this concept when he spoke to me after his election, but apparently I was mistaken. 

Just for the record.  I love and support the Democratic Party based upon its written and stated philosophy and I will always support candidates and leadership that reflects these things, but I reserve the God given right to refuse to be led into the desert to die of thirst by a mirage.  My quote, my stance and my belief!

And as always, this is just my opinion and that does not make it right.  What is yours?

THE COST OF PARTY CONFLICT

Lines are being drawn and alliances are being made and it will be done at the expense of those who have the most to lose, our ordinary citizens.  You no, the ones who cannot afford not to be Patriots.  Our most powerful and respected leaders in our Party have declared war against each other and we are all at fault for what is happening.  Why have we allowed this to continue without someone or someones seeking to mediate a truce between these waring camps.  Lets face it our Party is screwed up.  There is not and probably have never been an infrastructure in place to deal with situations like this and we are all sitting back twiddling our thumbs hoping things will get better.  Well, it will not get better and we as a Party are beginning to look like the joke that we are around the country.  But that's okay for those of us who are able to relocate to another state and pretend that it never happened.  But, what about those who are unable to do that and are stuck in this mess that we have allowed to happen?  The people that trust us to lookout for their welfare and create a better world for them?  What about our obligation to them or did we or do we have an obligation to them?  It is becoming very painfully clear that to many of us are here for our own self interest, our families and our business associates and to hell with everybody else.  You know who you are and so do most of us.  Those who are supporting individuals based on what you can get out of it or just to bring our Party down as we know it because you cannot control it.  As County Chairs we are volunteers chosen by other volunteers to promote the interest and concerns of our Party members by choosing qualified candidates or as I like to call them mediators to negotiate for the fulfillment of these interests and concern on a state or federal level.  The power rest in our hands because we get it directly from our constituents and we lend it out to our elected officials and yet we sit here on our hands and allow this madness to continue.  We need to either get a back bone or get out of the business because all we are doing is abusing the power that was given us by the people who need us the most.  On our next meeting I will be there and I will be vocal about what is going on and I really don't care who feelings I hurt, because contrary to some of you I am going to represent my people and I will not be intimidated.        

As always, these are just my feelings and they don't have to be right.  But, they are right for me.

Lee Walter Jenkins

MCDP Chair

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM AND ITS AFFECT ON STATE AND NATIONAL VOTING

During the middle of April, while I was campaigning for State Chair, I received a flood of calls from parents and concerned citizens about a couple of situations that occurred at Mullins High School in Marion County.  It seems that a District School Board Member had been accused of texting threatening messages to a sixteen year old young man who was allegedly dating his daughter.  Based on reports from more than one source, it was the School Principal who not only informed him but other parents about who their children were keeping time with while in school.  From all the reports that I was receiving the youth in question was very nice and respectable, with no history of problems in school or in the community.  His mother worked at the Elementary School here in Mullins and his father is considered a very hard working, law abiding, very mild mannered and respected person in the community.  Initially, I put those who called me in contact with a young man that recently took over one of the organizations that would handle a situation like this.  I then informed those who called that I would be working with him on it. 

The Monday after the Convention I was contacted by the mother of the child in question and she updated me on what had happened to that point.  She said that an article about what had happened was in the newspapers along with a copy of the text messages and it could also be found at SC now, if I would like to read it.  She also stated that she and the young man I referred to her met with the Board member in question, the Principal and the Superintendant of Schools.  She stated that the Board member apologized for his actions but there was no mention of what the consequences for his action s would be.  I asked her, what did she want to happen, based on this ordeal her son and her family have been put through?  She said that the Board member should be removed from the Board, because any grownup who would attempt to traumatize any child for any reason does not belong on any School Board.  And anyone who had anything to do with this happening should not be a Principal in charge of children.  She went on to say it is not just about her child but other parent’s children who could be subjected to people like this.  We cannot continue to allow people like this to have influence over our children and not do anything about it.  We just can’t.  She asked me if I thought it was racially motivated since her son is Black and the School Board member and his daughter are White.  I said looking at it from the outside that is what it appears, but in reality it is just wrong.  If the School Board member was Black instead of White, it would still be wrong.  So often, Bad People do bad things, in hopes that it will be labeled racial.   They understand that by doing so they have a better chance of either getting off or getting a lighter sentence because of the racial outcry.  I told her there is a war going on between Right and Wrong, and until we start looking at things as whether it is Right or Wrong Bad People will continue to get away with Bad Things.  She stated that she understood and that she never looked at it that way.  She also stated that she and her husband had made attempts to take this to the School Board, but that she was getting conflicting information from the District and the County School Boards.  The District was saying that she had to meet with the County first and the County was saying she had to meet with the District first.  I told her that I would be out of town for a couple of weeks because of family emergencies and we will see where I can best help her when I got back.

I guess you are wondering why I am sharing this with you.  Well because, first of all, these are the situations that are happening in our Community’s that lose us elections and/or voters on the State and National level.  If people feel that the system does not address their needs then they will not come out to vote.  This is fine for the local Politician because their support generally is not from those who are being wronged; In fact they are generally in office to keep things just as they are.  Secondly, because sometimes as Democratic Chairs we forget that our responsibilities go far beyond just, what we perceive as Party business, and must be able to identify those issue in our community’s that will either benefit or hurt our Party’s standing and be aggressive in seeking solutions for them in a timely fashion.  Thirdly, we must learn how to frame the argument so that it does the greater good not only for the person or persons’ who have been wronged but also for the mission and vision of the Party.  And fourthly, we must stop allowing the Community to continue to label things based on color, race, ethnicity, sex, gender and religion.  If we do we will continue to lose that battle because these are the terms that the Republicans and like minded Democrats contrived to keep the Community separated.  Our emphasis should be on, what is Right and what is Wrong.  As Democrats we say that we believe all people should have the same rights, so if one person or group of people are receiving treatment that another person or group of people are not privy to that is wrong and should be addressed as such.  If we champion this on the local level it will reap huge voting benefits at the State and National level.

As always this is just my opinion and that does not make it right.

Lee  Walter Jenkins

Sarah Palin's One Nation

Are we as a party going to address Sarah Palin having the gall to ride around from

state to state with her bus displaying One Nation when it's clear that she is a white

extremist which is displayed at all of her gatherings.  There are never any minorities

in the crowds.  Come on everyone.  How long are we going to sit passive and accept

these public insults.  Integrity matters.   

 

Ann Stevens

More Observations

I respect Stuart a great deal. I think that Stuart is a gentleman and very articulate. I'm attacking the Democratic Party in Anderson, unfortunately Stuart is the leader.   The bottom line is that we must make changes. More people must get involved. This is where I'm attacking Stuart. Stuart agrees with me when I say we must make changes, but, it pains me to say this, he has not made any changes.

This leaves us to what kind of changes we must make.
In politics you must have hard skin. I believe if a person spit in my face, I would ask him why he did it. The point: Stuart must take everything I say negative about him with a grain of salt. It's not him, rather the policies.
Now, let's talk about changes: What I see is that a person runs for some kind of elected position in the Democratic party, and the Democrats send him or her out there like a lone wolf somewhere in Alaska looking for food. This is totally wrong. The next election we must gather around the candidate and coach. We must funnel our creative resources to make that person a winner in the election. It's not about that candidate, it's about us. That candidate is representing us.  In closing, I see very clearly that Stuart loves the Democratic party. He has a passion for it. I don't want to see Stuart leave, I'm just asking that we change direction. Keep the same leaders, let's just change the direction of the leaders.

This goes for Dave the Democrat. Clearly one can see that the Democratic party is his life. Let's just try to make his life more fuller by adding more elected officials to the Democratic party in SC. 








A change that I propose is that we make a commercial. I will produce it, and edit it. This means that we will not have to lay out any money. i will do it for free. This is my profession, a filmmaker. From then on, I will use the word "WE." I need help to get our message out. We must get it out to the swing voters.
In order to get it out and have it watched, we need to make the video short and interesting. It must hit the gut.
I see the commercials that have been done for the SC Democratic party. They're terrible; they lack substance. 
Let's take the ex-governor-al candidate, Sheehen:
As soon as I saw his commercial, I knew it was doomed.
Why?
His commercial was clique. He showed a happy man with a family. What about sad people? What about the people without a family?
His commercial didn't relate to those people. As a consequence, those people probably didn't get his vote. And there's probably plenty of them.
On the other hand, look at ex-governor Bob Graham from Florida. His commercial showed a man down in the trenches with the common man. His video-commercial hit the gut. As a consequence, he won.
Let's look at Dick Harpootlian's commercial. He went about it totally wrong. He cuts down the governor and then uses hearsay to get his point across. If you want to get your point across, use the first person, not what others say about the first person. You can always get anyone to say anything about another. it's a lawyer's skill. Each side has an expert witness. The problem lies on which side has the more persuasive expert witness. 
I'm going to leave this as it is. I have my ideas, but I want input from others. 
Remember, the subject is to get swing voters, the theme is how we do it.
We will make this video short. Then, if we click, we will make another, then another. 



Posted by Max to GRASSROOTS CONVERSATIONS at May 28, 2011 7:30 PM