Category Archives: Network News/Events

Joe Erwin, DeMinted Democrat

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Joe Erwin, former chair of the SC Democratic Party, is testing the waters for a run against Sen. Lindsey Graham. The waters Joe is testing are of the conservative Republicans who are mad at Lindsey for his earlier thoughtful position on immigration reform. You may already be over Joe for his failure to take a stand against the Republican 2006 GOTV ploy of using homophobia to motivate its base. I told Joe a year before the vote to include discrimination against gays in our state constitution that if he didn’t come out against the amendment, Democratic candidates would be afraid to, and that Dems were going to again let fear trump hope, and lose. He didn’t, and they did.

Or maybe you thought it was a bit off putting that the biggest client of Joe’s ad agency was the predatory lender Advance America at a time when the party platform called for closing them down. If you retained a shred of respect for Joe’s democratic principles, I’m afraid his posturing for a Senate race is going to disappoint you.

In an Oct. 3 interview with right-wing talk show host Michael Gallagher, Joe parroted the xenophobic refrain that Lindsey’s position amounted to “amnesty” for undocumented workers.

Joe led the state Democratic Party during the 2006 elections where Democrats picked up seats nearly everywhere but in SC. Joe’s failed “Republican Lite” strategy didn’t work then (or for the previous 20 years), so he is racheting up the conservative rhetoric to the point where he sounds like Jim DeMint.

Wrong way, Joe. You may lose as a genuine Democrat, but you sure as hell aren’t going to win as a jackass in an elephant suit.

Go to Mike Gallagher Talk Radio to hear Joe’s demented version of Harry Dent’s Southern Strategy.

Brett Bursey

Activist loses battle with AIDS

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The Network has lost one of its own. Stephanie Williams was co-chairwoman of the South Carolina Campaign to End AIDS. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Gethsemane Baptist Church, 117 Clear Pond Rd., in Bamberg.

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Stephanie Williams

Here is a story that ran in today’s paper.

Crusading S.C. AIDS activist dies
By CZERNE REID

Stephanie Williams has lost her long, brave struggle with AIDS, but she lives in the memories of many around the state and nation whose lives she touched.

Williams died Sunday at her mother’s home in Bamberg, with relatives at her bedside. She leaves a son, Brandon, and other family members.

She fought AIDS not just for her own life, but also for the lives of others. She fought the stigma that leaves many people to die alone rather than seek the help they need. She educated herself about HIV/AIDS, took on lawmakers about money for HIV prevention and care, and held hands with the dying.

“Loving thy neighbor as thyself is one of my greatest principles,” the 45-year-old Williams told The State in January.

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Save Darfur Rally

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This afternoon the State House grounds were crowded with South Carolinians who turned out for a three-hour rally in an effort to end the ethnic cleansing in Darfur.

Speakers included politicians – Mayor Bob Coble, US Rep Jim Clyburn, former Gov. Jim Hodges, Sens. Joel Lurie and David Thomas and Rep. Joe Neal – USC President Dr. Andrew Sorensen, Darfuri refugees Mohamed Yahya and Mary Komy, and activists Coby Rudolph, Brad Phillips and Sam Bell.

The crowd was entertained by hometown favorite Danielle Howle, USC’s marching band, Brian Conner, Big Kenny, Djole African Dance and Drum Company, and a drumming team led by Mohammed DeCosta. The music was inspired, at one point prompting an impromptu line dance.

All of them turned out in an effort to prevent further carnage in Darfur, where an estimated 400,000 people have died in the genocide. More than 3 million more have fled to refugee camps, where thousands die each month of deprivation and disease.

Last month, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1769, which authorizes a multinational force to provide security for the refugees and protection for truck convoys trying to deliver humanitarian aid. Previous such resoutions ahve been ignored by the government of Sudan.

While the SC Darfur Action Group had invited presidential candidates to speak, none accepted the offer, nor did they send surrogates. That snub no doubt affected the turnout, which was lower than anyone expected. Even with massive exposure in the local media, including several days of promotion by The State newspaper (usually unmoved to support community action), the event attracted only hundreds rather than the hoped for thousands.

Still, congratulations are in order for the organizers of the rally. For those of us who were there, it was a fine afternoon spent in great company and a rare spirit of solidarity. Thanks to them, and to all the good people who took the time to show their support.

For more information on Darfur and how you can help, visit the SC Darfur Action Group’s web site.

Becci Robbins

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For more photos of the rally, click here.

Darfuri refugee Mohamed Yahya, Executive Director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom, urges the crowd to work to end the genocide in his native Sudan.

Save Darfur

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South Carolinians will rally at the State House on Oct. 6 at 2pm to bring attention to the genocide in Darfur. The event is organized by the SC Darfur Action Group, which hopes that a rally will raise the issue of US funding for an African peace keeping force in Darfur in the presidential debates. They are taking advantage of the spotlight on South Carolina because of the early primaries here.

The US supported a UN Security Council resolution to urgently mobilize the force, but has not come through with anticipated funding.

Watch this powerful TV ad on YouTube. May it move you to join us on Saturday!

Rolling revolution

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At the Pride march on Saturday, a woman stepped out of the parade to offer me a handout, which I stuffed into my back pocket without reading. Doing laundry yesterday, I found the handout and took a better look. It read:

What is Fagbug?

On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), Erin Davies was faced with an unfortunate tragedy. She was victim to a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, her car was vandalized in red spray paint with the words “fAg” and “u r gay” placed all over the hood and driver side of her car. Despite immediate shock and embarassment, she decided to embrace what happened and keep driving her car as it is in order to increase public awareness about the blatant homophobia that exists in our society.

Mission:

Erin’s mission is to drive her fagbug on a cross country trip and take it to as many diverse communities as possible. She will be gathering feedback for her fagbug documentary, which will shed light on the intolerance that exists in our society. Erin’s goal is to get at least one million people to add fagbug rainbow stickers to their cars so that no one else is targeted like she was. Until that happens, her car will stay as it is!

Check out her web site, get a free sticker for your car, make a donation and read her blog (including a blurb about her time in Columbia).

UAW strike at GM

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Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney

Sept. 24, 2007

The ten million members of the AFL-CIO stand one hundred percent in solidarity with the 73,000 men and women of the UAW who went on strike at General Motors today.

GM workers and the UAW are on the front lines of working people’s efforts to make corporations accountable, demanding that one of the world’s largest corporations honor its workers’ contributions and listen to their reasonable concerns.

Its workers are among GM’s greatest assets – they have improved product quality and productivity, boosting strong gains in critical areas. The UAW membership has approached corporate restructuring and other top issues in a spirit of partnership and flexibility.  

We stand ready to assist the members of the UAW in any way necessary in order to hold GM accountable for reasonably addressing the key issues that are so important to these working families’ futures.

Birds of prey

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Wade Fulmer, a veteran and anti-war activist who lives in Columbia, forwarded these thoughts about a group calling itself Gathering of Eagles:

I think this group might also be called Gathering of (swiftboat) Eagles. We will not be intimidated but WILL continue to voice our message to take care of the troops, to end the war of lies. In that Charlotte peaceful people vigils have also have been swooped down upon by these creatures, I expect we’ll see them here too soon. Be Safe, Be True, coordinate as needed and call law enforcement when their threatening “gatherings” occur. I found it not unexpected to find them in DC doing their dirty work, but a new low in their attacks on soldier care advocates at Walter Reed during a vigil on Friday night, Sept., 14. And, along the march route to the Capitol on Saturday. We shall continue our Peace and Care good works for our soldiers and families.

“The work of righteousness is peace… ”Isaiah 32:16. 

Take Care out there people.
– Wade 

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Anti-Anti-War Protesters: Gathering of Eagles Feather Their Nest With Padded Numbers at Anti-War March

Despite the massive crowd of as many as 100,000 protesters from as far away as Peru and the 175 arrests for civil disobedience, the mainstream media, including CBS TV news and Yahoo Internet news, reports of the on the Sept. 15 Anti-war march focused strangely on the anti-anti-war protest group, A Gathering of Eagles. Both Yahoo and CBS‚ on-site reporters (though we have no confirmation that the version of the story that ran was the one being taped, or on which station the report was to be broadcast) cast the flock of rabid pro-war hecklers as a group of over a 1000 dedicated vets and other concerned “patriots” who showed up to out-shout the rally of anti-war rally of thousands of concerned individuals attracted to Washington by dozens of organizations and disorganizations, such as A.N.S.W.E.R., Code Pink, the World Can’t Wait and Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Rumored to be funded by wealthy GOP donors and right-wingers, The Gathering of Eagles did indeed field a healthy contingent of veterans in various semblances of patriotic/militarist garb and biker outfits. At one point the Eagles gathered along the sidewalk areas of three very long blocks behind barricades and heavy police security, though at no point did they appear to be more than one deep along the fence. At another highly visible area nearer the Capitol, they stood stretched turkey-neck thin tormenting the crowd gathered near the Code Pink bus on the final approach to the Capitol building.

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SC Pride 2007

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Columbia College students get proud.

This year’s Pride march stepped off at noon from Finlay Park in Columbia, and wound up Main, down Gervais in front of the State House and up Gadsden back to the park – a fair jaunt. Folks on foot and on floats did their best to keep up with the motorcycles setting the pace, a feat made even more challenging by the blistering heat. Sweaty but spirited, the marchers finally emptied into the park, where the stage was set, music was thumping and vendors readied their wares.

Our crew turned out in a big way. Besides GLPM, which organized the event, other Network members staffing tables were the SC Equality Coalition, Alliance for Full Acceptance, Carolina Peace Resource Center, Garden of Grace United Church of Christ, SC NOW, PALSS and P-FLAG. Network Co-chair Rev. Bennie Colclough was invited to speak. He was among the few in the African American church to support the gay community in fighting the marriage amendment last year, and has continued to work on their behalf. He fired up the crowd using skills honed as a preacher and a union organizer.

GLPM began the program by recognizing Mayor Bob Coble, calling him one of the city’s longest serving and most popular mayors. Under his leadership, Columbia was the first city in the state of South Carolina to include sexual orientation in the city’s non-discrimination policy for municipal employees. In 2006, when Charlotte NC Mayor Patrick McCrory refused to offer a welcome at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner in Charlotte, Mayor Bob showed up to offer a welcome instead. Classy guy.

The headline speaker was Jonathan Jackson, a USC graduate and five-year Army veteran who was deployed to Baghdad for a year. During the campaign against the amendment, he interned for SCEC and the Fairness for All Families campaign. You can see the full line-up here.

The party lasted until five, just in time to pack it in before the skies opened up and let loose some blessedly needed rain on the Midlands.

It was a great turn-out, great vibe, great time. Congratulations to our friends Bruce Converse and Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge, who deftly emceed, and to all the organizers at GLPM for a job well done.

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AFFA marches past the State House.

For more Pride 2007 photos, click here.

Send in the clowns

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Columbia Christians for Life sent this email today with a link to a story in USC’s campus newspaper. Pride Week is shaping up to be crazy. Literally.

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Columbia Christians for Life: The Students at Sodomy and Fornication-infested, taxpayer-subsidized, South Carolina state government-controlled, university in Columbia, SC react to strong Biblical preaching on sin and hell. See front page story and photo at: The Gamecock.

They also sent this.

Mayor Coble officially welcomes Sodomite Parade to City of Columbia, SC in Letter of Support on behalf of the Mayor and the Columbia City Council

Bible-believing Christians:   

Please come to the Columbia City Council meeting on Wednesday, September 19, to sign up on the public speaking list to register your opposition to the Mayor of Columbia, Bob Coble’s endorsement of sin, and criminal behavior (SC Code of Laws 16-15-120, “Buggery” / Sodomy); and thereby undermining the morals, safety, security, and health of the greater Columbia area, and the State of South Carolina.

Title 16 – Crimes and Offenses

Chapter 15.
Offenses Against Morality and Decency
www.scstatehouse.net/code/t16c015.htm

SECTION 16-15-120. Buggery.
Whoever shall commit the abominable crime of buggery, whether with mankind or with beast, shall, on conviction, be guilty of felony and shall be imprisoned in the Penitentiary for five years or shall pay a fine of not less than five hundred dollars, or both, at the discretion of the court.

The founding fathers of America knew that only a moral and virtuous people were capable of liberty, and worthy of economic and political prosperity.

Sodomy is a Crime:
Against the Laws of God
Against the Laws of Nature
Against the Laws of South Carolina

Bob Coble’s endorsement of those who commit the abominable crime, and immoral acts, of buggery/sodomy, is a threat to the security, safety, health, and prosperity of Columbia and the State of South Carolina.

Genesis 19:24,25 – “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.”