Category: Voting Rights

Message from the Chair, Kathryn Charles: Wilkes County Democratic Party Statement on Racism and Unity after the Killing of George Floyd

7/4/2020

Along with the rest of the country, we have watched in dismay as events continue to unfold following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death was the most recent reminder of the epidemic of systemic racism that continues to plague our society. Before that it was Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald and many others. We now stand face to face with the ugly truth that Black lives continue to be taken with little or no consequence. We now know that we will never heal our nation’s deep wounds by remaining silent.

Responses and recent actions by the President of the United States have only exacerbated the intensity of this situation, have threatened the liberties of all Americans, and have attempted to divide us, rather than unite us.

We of the Wilkes County Democratic Party wish to make our position clear:

Racism and violence toward others on the basis of race or color is never acceptable.
We recognize the centuries-old pandemic of systemic racism and are committed to rectifying it through education, sustained activism, constructive action, and continued progress toward liberty, justice and equality for all people.

We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to correct the wrongs of institutional racism, state-sanctioned violence against blacks, and fight for racial justice and equality for all.
We fully support ”the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” as defined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
We reject the use of violence against persons or property, either as a means of protest or as a weapon against peaceful demonstrators.

We stand in disbelief and anger at the President’s deployment of our military and the unjustified forceful clearing of lawfully assembled citizens from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. We denounce the President’s use of a church and a Bible as a backdrop and prop for a self-aggrandizing photo opportunity.
We stand in support of General Mattis, General Allen, General Colin Powell and other military leaders in their condemnation of use of force by the U.S. military on its own citizens.

We find the characterization of assembly and protest areas as “battle spaces to be dominated” extremely alarming. This is the language of dictatorship, fascism and authoritarianism.

We stand opposed to the practices of racial gerrymandering, racially motivated voter suppression and voter intimidation.

We endorse the statements of former Vice President Joe Biden that we are currently in “a battle for the soul of America”, and that we are facing formidable enemies which include not only the coronavirus and the terrible impacts on Americans’ lives and livelihoods, but also the hatred and fear that have loomed over our national life for the last three years.

Each of us must search our hearts and minds for our own responses. Will we give in to the forces of anger, hatred, fear and division? Or will we reject those forces, reach out to those who are different from us, and make a commitment to move forward together as a nation?

Those of us in the Wilkes County Democratic Party have made our decision. We will continue to embrace inclusion and diversity, address the wrongs of the past, seek to understand one another, support constructive change, and do our part to form a more harmonious union in these United States.
If you feel the same way, we invite you to join us.

The Wilkes County Democratic Party

Kathryn Charles, Chair

VOTER ID REQUIREMENT BLOCKED - AT LEAST FOR PRIMARY

1/5/2020

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Voters will not be required to show photo ID for the March 3, 2020, primary election.

In a December 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court.
This page will be updated when new information is available.

No se le exigirá a los votantes que muestren una identificación con foto durante las elecciones primarias del 3 de marzo de 2020.

En una orden del 31 de diciembre, un tribunal federal de distrito bloqueó el requisito de identificación con foto para votación en Carolina del Norte. El requerimiento permanecerá en vigencia hasta nueva orden de la corte.
Esta página se actualizará cuando haya nueva información disponible.

In 2013, North Carolina’s Republican-led legislature passed a photo identification voting requirement that a federal appeals court struck down in 2016. Republicans then put a question on the November 2018 ballot to enshrine voter ID in the state constitution, which passed with 55% of the vote.
Lawmakers approved a separate law in December 2018 detailing how to implement that amendment.

The 2016 ruling said photo ID and other voter restrictions were approved with intentional racial discrimination in mind, and Biggs wrote in her ruling that the newest version of the law was no different in that respect.

Legislators received a breakdown of voter behavior by race before passing the first voter identification law and used that data to target African American voters, the court wrote in striking down that law.
The same key lawmakers championed both bills, Biggs wrote. “They need not have had racial data in hand to still have it in mind,” the ruling said.

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A Message From our New Chair - Kathryn Charles

4/9/2019

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Greetings to my friends and fellow citizens of Wilkes County!

To introduce myself, let me share that I spent my early years here in Wilkes County, attending Wilkesboro and C.C. Wright Elementary Schools, then attending Wilkes Central High School. After graduation, I was off to study Art, Psychology and later Accounting at the Universities of North Carolina at Greensboro and Chapel Hill, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude in Accounting from the University of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va.

My 40 year career included Office Management, Public Accounting, Finance and Information Systems (primarily in Surgery) at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, S.C. I am an enthusiastic supporter of education, social justice, a healthy environment, nature, art and animal welfare. I have recently returned to Wilkes County, where I have realized that “retirement” for me must include making a positive contribution to my community and this world we all share.

I would like to express my gratitude to fellow Wilkes Democrats who have placed their confidence in me to chair the Wilkes County Democratic Party for the 2019-2021 term.

Over the next two years, one of my goals is to continue the work of growing our Democratic base in Wilkes, increasing and developing our Democratic precincts, which represent the bedrock of our party. We know we cannot win elections without strong, organized Precincts!

We must increase our outreach efforts to all of our Democrats and unaffiliated citizens who may feel forgotten or unrepresented in our county, including but not limited to, our Hispanic, African American and LGBTQ citizens.

We must bring attention to the need for increased support for our public education system and our teachers, especially in light of the current administration’s attempt to divert funding to private and charter schools.

We must shed light on the serious issues of poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness in our county.

We must continue to seek opportunities for the economic development of our municipalities and county.

We must continue to find, support and elect qualified individuals who will represent us all, including women and minorities, at every level of elected office in this county.

We must preserve and protect our air, land and water, so that future Wilkes citizens will be able to thrive here.

We must do all that we can to protect the voting rights of all individuals and to advocate for fair and non-partisan redistricting.

We must support comprehensive healthcare for all, for seniors, women and persons with disabilities, as well as those who have fallen into the Medicaid Gap and cannot get affordable insurance coverage.

We must demonstrate our support for the rights of all working men and women to be compensated equally for the same work.

It is critical that we hold our elected officials accountable for their actions, and make sure ALL of the people of Wilkes County are represented.

Under the current administration, we have seen an alarming rise in hate and division that tears at the fabric of our society. We must continue to stand in unity against these destructive forces. I will continue to remind myself and others of the pledge we have repeated throughout our lives, “allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Voting is critical, but “just voting” is no longer enough! Like anything worth having, a strong democracy requires work, rolling up our sleeves, going to meetings, making phone calls, knocking on doors, writing letters, working for good candidates, putting up signs, planning, collaborating, and earning some sweat equity! Participation in whatever way we can is absolutely necessary! I am looking forward to participating with and working with my fellow concerned citizens on these and other important issues that touch our lives!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” - Barack Obama

So now, my friends, let’s Get to Work!

Best regards to all,
Kathryn D. Charles
Chair, Wilkes County Democratic Party

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Sample Ballots for Each Wilkes PRECINCT: Midterms 2018 edition

10/27/2018

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Regardless of which of the 28 Wilkes County precincts in which you reside, we have a sample ballot to help you know how to mark YOUR ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. Be it early voting on on the day, you can print off this sample ballot and take it INTO the voting booth with you so you know how to vote. It's a great way to be sure you don't forget any of the races,...like that lil ol' Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor,...and insure that your voice is heard loud and clear.

WILKES PRECINCTS: Boomer, brushy Mountain, cricket, fairplains, millers creek, moravian falls, mulberry, new castle, north wilkesboro, rock creek 1, somers, traphill 2 and wilkesboro 1, wilkesboro 2, and wilkesboro 3.

This is the sample ballot for "D94" for precincts in the eastern and southern precincts of the county...

Wilkes Precincts: Antioch, Edwards 1, Edwards 2, Ferguson, Jobs Cabin, Mount Pleasant, Mulberry 1, Reddies River, Rock Creek 2, Traphill1, Union & Walnut Grove

District 90 with basically the northern and western Wilkes precincts...

EDWARDS 3 and TOWN of ELKIN

Last, but not least, this is the sample ballot for "Elkin" which includes the Wilkes Precinct of Edwards 3, as well as Town of Elkin. Yeah, we know it makes no sense, but here we are.

If you don't know what precinct you're in, you can type your address into the NC State Board of Elections Voter Lookup Tool and it'll tell you all your districts as well as your voting precinct. You can also use this tool to look up the precincts and registration status of your family and friends to make sure they're registered and know where to vote.

For more information on where to vote on Election Day, and a general map of the precincts, you can visit the Wilkes County Democrats' Voter Tools page on our website.

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Local early voting sites cut to two

8/6/2018

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Reprinted from Wilkes Journal Patriot - story by Jule Hubbard - Aug 3rd, 2018

The Wilkes County Board of Elections has decided to provide two satellite one-stop, early voting sites in the county this fall after opting for four satellite sites for the general elections in 2016 and 2014 and three in 2010.

The four-member board on Tuesday morning approved a one-stop, early voting plan with satellite sites at the Pleasant Hill and Millers Creek fire stations for this year’s non-presidential general election. The plan now goes to the N.C. Board of Elections for approval.

The Millers Creek Fire Station by far has had the largest one-stop, early voting turnout in the past, while the Pleasant Hill and Mulberry-Fairplains fire stations have ranked second with similar turnouts. Wilkes Board of Elections Director Kim Caudill said the Millers Creek and Pleasant Hill fire stations were also chosen because Millers Creek is in the western end of Wilkes and Pleasant Hill is in the eastern end.
The Mountain View Ruritan Club building was also a satellite site in 2016 and 2014.

The two satellite sites are in addition to a required site at a central location, which for Wilkes is the county commissioners’ meeting room on the first floor of the Wilkes County Office Building in Wilkesboro.

Voter turnout in 2014 (the last non-presidential general election) included Millers Creek Fire Station, 745; Mulberry-Fairplains Fire Station, 377; Pleasant Hill Fire Station, 334; and Mountain View Ruritan Club building, 198. The total at the Wilkes County Office Building in 2014 was 3,582.

Under a state law enacted earlier this year, each county must provide one-stop, early voting at a central location for 13 weekdays from Oct. 17 through Nov. 2, plus Saturday, Nov. 3. Weekdays hours at this one mandatory site per county must be either 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Wilkes Board of Elections opted to have weekday hours in the county commissioners’ meeting room on the first floor of the Wilkes County Office Building be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 17 to Nov. 2.

Counties have the option of providing as many one-stop, early voting satellite sites as they wish—or none. If they do provide satellite sites, they must open all 13 weekdays (Oct. 17 through Nov. 2), with weekday hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The law requires being open at least from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, with an option to extend hours until 5 p.m. Hours for the four Wilkes sites on Nov. 3 will be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Having to be open all 13 weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. greatly increased the cost of satellite sites for counties that opt to provide them. In the last three general elections, Wilkes County’s three or four satellite sites were only open four or five days and had considerably shorter hours each day.

Wilkes Board of Elections Chairman Tim Joines asked Caudill about her level of comfort with the plan approved at the meeting.

“I feel pretty good about it. I believe we can handle it, particularly since it isn’t a presidential year,” she responded.

Board member Garland Hill asked Caudill if she believed enough backup workers had been secured for one-stop, early voting and Caudill answered affirmatively. Hill then made a motion to approve the plan and his motion was unanimously approved.

Caudill said the board considered the increased cost of satellite sites and past voter turnout in deciding how many satellite sites to provide. She said it had been hard for Wilkes Board of Election staff to find enough people to man satellite sites due to the additional days and longer hours.

Caudill said the county’s costs for one-stop, early voting costs this year would include a little over $6,000 per satellite site, compared to about $1,300 per satellite site last year due to the additional and longer days. She said the Wilkes Board of Elections should still have enough money in its budget to cover this.

She said 15-16 people have been signed up to work at satellite sites this year, which she said is enough for three to four people per site at any given time under the approved plan.

Fulltime Wilkes Board of Elections staff and regular poll workers would man the site in the county commissioners’ meeting room, with two to three workers there most of the time and more in busier periods, Caudill added.

The plan calls for poll workers secured for the satellite site in Millers Creek to work in two shifts, with one group working on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday and another group working on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

At the satellite site in Pleasant Hill, the plan calls for some people to work only half days and others to work full days.

Caudill said there may be “floaters” available to work on an as-needed basis at both sites.
Wilkes Board of Elections member Lynn Day asked Caudill if the same one-stop, early voting plan would be used for the presidential election in 2020.

Caudill said that depended on whether the legislature made more changes in state election laws. “It’s always subject to change,” she added.

Some critics of the new law requiring that all satellite sites be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. all 13 weekdays Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 if a county opted to provide satellite sites have said this was done to reduce voter turnout.
Legislators who supported the new law said the goal was ensuring uniformity to avoid confusion they said has occurred when satellite sites within a single county had differing hours. Satellite sites in Wilkes have all had the same hours in the past.

In addition to the one-stop, early voting dates in the plan approved Tuesday, key voter dates for this year’s election include:

Sept. 7, first day voters can be mailed an absentee ballot. These are available from the Wilkes Board of Elections;
Oct. 12, voter registration forms for voting on Nov. 6 (election day) due by 5 p.m. at Wilkes Board of Elections;
Oct. 30, last day to request an absentee ballot by mail;
Nov. 5, last day for a military/overseas absentee ballot request;
Nov. 6, Election Day;
Nov. 9, last day to turn in absentee ballots by mail (must be postmarked by Election Day);
Nov. 15, last day to receive military/overseas absentee ballots (mailed).

Caudill said new vote tabulators, which the county commissioners agreed to fund in the 2018-19 budget, won’t be purchased in time for voting this October and November.

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REGISTERING, EARLY VOTING, AND WHY THE PRIMARY MATTERS

4/10/2018

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REGISTERING TO VOTE:
Friday, Apr. 13th is the deadline for all Voter Registration forms must be turned in to the Board of Elections by 5pm OR postmarked with that date to allow you to be able to vote in primary or change party affiliation if you wish to vote on the May 8th Election Day.

Voter registration applicants who have met the voter registration deadline should expect to receive their voter card within 1 to 2 weeks. Applicants should contact their county board of elections if they do not receive their voter card within two weeks.

WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU TO REGISTER:
First-time voters, who at the time of their initial voter registration did not provide their North Carolina driver license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number, or who provided a number that could not be validated, are required to show identification when they vote.

This identification does not have to be a photo ID. The requirement for first-time voters to show identification is a requirement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, a federal law not unique to North Carolina. Acceptable forms of HAVA ID include:

A current and valid photo identification; or
A copy of one of the following documents that show the name and address of the voter: a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document.
First-time voters who are required to show HAVA ID will have been notified of this requirement by their county board of elections

The requirement to show a photo ID for voting and other associated laws has been struck down by a Federal court. Photo ID is not required to vote if you've already registered and voted prior. If any election official asks for a Photo ID and you've voted previously call the state board of elections immediately at (866) 522-4723 while at the polls.

ONE-STOP: REGISTERING AND VOTING ALL AT THE SAME TIME
OR, if you miss that deadline you can then wait until "One-Stop" voting period when you can register and vote early in-person all at the same time at County Commissioners room on the bottom floor of the county office bldg in Wilkesboro. Those dates are shown here:

EARLY VOTING:
If you're already registered, you can vote early during the above one-stop voting times as well. It is called "One-Stop" because if does offer the option to register and vote all at the same time if necessary. This year, we have more Democrats on the Board of Elections, and a Democrat Chairman,...so we were able to have more Saturday dates for one-stop early voting AND extended hours in the final days closer to the election. This is hugely convenient to those of us who work.

ABSENTEE VOTING:
If you can't make it to the polls or early voting site, an absentee ballot that you mail in is an option as well. But ANYONE can request and get an absentee ballot for any reason. Absentee voting is available before every election in the form of mail out ballots. You must fill out the NC Absentee Ballot request form to have a ballot mailed to you. The request form can be found HERE.

The last day to request an absentee ballot for the May 8th election is Tuesday, May 1st. The deadline for the Boad of Election to receive your absentee ballot back (MUST be postmarked by election day) is Friday, May 11th at 5:00 pm.

WANT TO CHECK VOTER REGISTRATION:
Don't know if you're registered? Unsure if the correct address is on your voter registration? Confused as to your precinct? Need to know which NC House district you're in? All of that can be easily found at the NC State Board of Elections Voter Look Up Tool. It really is a convenient tool, and you can look up other folks too, since it's all public record. So you can check up on the status of your family and friends to make sure they're registered.

WHAT IS ON THE MAY 8th BALLOT?
It's the FINAL ELECTION for Wilkes Board of Election. Vote Brandon Whitaker as he is the only Democrat on the ballot. And you need to vote only for 1, even though you ma vote for two. But with so many Republicans against him, he doesn't have a chance if you share that second vote with any other candidate.

Also on the ballot is the primary for the Democrats vying for Virginia Foxx's seat in November, either DD Adams or Jenny Marshall. Both are strong candidates that know the way to Wilkes County and have made themselves available for forums, meetings, and visits.

All the sample ballots for Wilkes are posted here: https://wilkescounty.net/563/Sample-Ballots

Got a question that we didn't answer here? Just drop us an email: [email protected] and we will find that answer. Or, call the Wilkes Board of Elections at (336) 651-7339 Monday through Friday 8:30am - 5pm.

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NC - The Poster Child For Political Shenanigans

1/12/2018

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Every North Carolina district just happens to look like a monster.

The Raleigh News and Observer broke the news and stated that "a panel of federal judges struck down North Carolina’s election districts for U.S. Congress on Tuesday as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders and gave lawmakers until January 29 to bring them new maps to correct the problem." Here we go again with appeals, court documents, time and money.

"The judges were unanimous that North Carolina lawmakers under Republican leadership violated the U.S. Constitution’s equal-protection clause when they drew maps explicitly to favor their party."

Rep. David Lewis, a Harnett County Republican who has shepherded the state’s recent redistricting efforts, stated “I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to ten Republicans and three Democrats because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with eleven Republicans and two Democrats.”

Just before Christmas, the NC General Assembly was again required to pay $1.4 million dollars to the attorneys that filed the original law suit for their successful challenge of unfair racial gerrymandering actions taken by our Republican controlled General Assembly.

This action brings the cost to around $7 million dollars not counting the wasted time and efforts for this detrimental act of governance.

Can our elected Representatives not find more productive and better use of their time than trying to "stack the deck" so they can remain in control of North Carolina State government?

However, our General Assembly has brought recognition to North Carolina. When ranked for electoral fairness by the Electoral Integrity Project which evaluated districts in all 50 states, North Carolina is absolutely last! NC scored 7 out of a possible 100 points! Somehow, I am not proud of North Carolina being the "poster child" for unfair political shenanigans.

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Furio: Zach's Democracy Lesson in Wilkes

3/28/2017

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Excitement pervaded Wednesday night's screening of "Democracy for Sale," the documentary starring Wilkes native Zach Galifianakis which aired at the Stone Center for Performing Arts in North Wilkesboro. The excitement was from the fact that Zach himself was going to talk about the film afterwards.

The Working Films organizers of the event were very nervous. This was the first panel, of the 75 events they'd put on, that Zach was going to participate in. It was also the largest viewing they'd had to date. 400+ people. They were nervous that he needed an easy way to get in and out of the venue without being mobbed like a Hollywood star. They were also a little nervous that he might not show up at all.

We reassured them. Yes, he would get in and out easily. No one would bother him. Yes, he would show.

Zach didn't disappoint.

I'd seen the Epix series "America Divided" several months ago. It was edited unusually, with a couple of unrelated stories about immigration and unemployment with other stars interweaved throughout. You were constantly being yanked back and forth into the story. One moment, you'd be watchin America Ferrera focusing on immigration issues, the next, Zach would be talking about coal ash in NC. It was a little disorienting. But on Wednesday, they showed just Zach's story, in its entirety as "Democracy for Sale" and it was a more easily understood piece that way.

First, it showed Zach starting with HB2, the "bathroom bill,"...raising NC's visibility on the national stage. And he starts an investigation of why NC, this state that he loves so much that he still maintains a home there, is so focused on bathrooms and where people go to the bathroom?

It's not long before he senses that it's a diversion. And Ari Berman, journalist for The Nation, directs his attention to the NC issues that weren't being addressed. Corporate greed, power and coverups. Zach speaks to Tracey Edwards, a woman in Stokes County who grew up around coal plants of Duke Energy. Everyone in her community is sick with various - and unusual - ailments. She finally figured out that it was due to the coal ash in their water supply. She never wanted to become an activist, she had to for her family.

The ties between then governor Pat McCrory and Duke Energy were strong. He worked for them for 24 years, they donated $30million to a PAC that gets republican governors elected. When they spilled their coal ash into the Dan River, they got a fine that amounted to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Basically equal to if a person making $60,000 a year got a fine of 30-cents. Nothing.

Zach goes and talks to UNC professor Gene Nichol, who is a researcher on poverty in NC and has written several books and studies on the topic. He enlightens Zach on the world of big money in politics. Citizens United, the law that allows corporations to give money as individuals and removes strict caps, has run amok. Long time political animals like Art Pope, who is a billionaire with his own conservative agenda, can give to candidates that he can control.

Through all this, Zach is able to use his humor, and Wilkes County self-deprecation to show the absurdity of it all. Why should someone's voice be heard over someone else's simply because they have money and the other doesn't? The right to free speech should apply to all, shouldn't it?

Zach speaks with Margaret Dickson, NC representative in Fayetteville. She spoke about the gerrymandered maps of NC, and how private contractors for the GOP went to the maps with surgical precision and cut around neighborhoods and houses to "pack" the African American and liberal households into as few districts as possible. Sure, they'd lose a few seats, but they could win a majority of the seats easily with their majority voters. This was not just sour grapes on her behalf. She showed that they went after her and were dead set that she was not going to win another seat in office ever again.

Appalachia is deeply conservative. The bible belt is strong in the hills and valleys. But more and more are finding the Republican agenda is leaving their needs behind in a blind grab for more money and power,...two things that area are without. Zach speaks with Tracy Deyton, a long-time NC Republican whose family is changing their mind about their party after she has an autistic son. Their healthcare needs were being broken by policies made by the very party they were raised to believe in. They changed their thinking, and she shares her story to allow others to see the folly of their ways before it's too late.

Finally, Zach gets an audience with Carter Wrenn, the campaign manager who not only defeated his uncle, Nick Galifianakis, with Jesse Helms, but continued to have a lock on the office until Helms' retirement. He validates Zach's suspicions about Art Pope. He is a billionaire, who doesn't have an elected office, but can win elections by the power of his money. As his friend, Ari Berman, tells Zach later, "Why should his voice matter more than yours?"

"It's not a Republican/Democrat issue. It's a human issue," Zach Galifianakis at his film's screening this week, echoing Neil Gorsuch's "Long before we are Republicans or Democrats, we are Americans," line from his Congressional hearing.

I beg to differ on that. It IS a Democrat issue. The Democrat party collapsed in 2010. In part due to Gerrymandering. In part due to apathy. In part due to the explosion of "unaffiliated" voters. Until you have people willing to stand up proudly that they are Democrats in towns like ours,...and challenge the threats to their jobs, to their voices,...they will continue to win.

In the end, there is hope that NC can come back from this gerrymandered, pro-corporation, polluter-friendly political climate. But it is going to take some time, and a lot of effort from people like Dr. Reverend Barber, and NAACP chapters all across our state (and yes, Wilkes does have one). And it's going to take you and me talking to people and sharing your story and explaining over and over and over again the facts and the ways the GOP big money agenda is hurting real families and small towns like ours.

The questions at the end of the panel mostly seemed to revolve around HOW do you talk to people that don't want to hear you? And there's no easy solution to that. But Zach did offer that humor helps,...and that finding those areas where you DO intersect in interests helps....and that not giving up and losing hope. That we need to start talking to one another because we have to ask ourselves what happen when we don't. "When we're too polite, then it's too late," said Zach.

Perhaps Professor Nichol said it best, "We must organize, energize and outnumber them." We can't depend on the courts to do it all for us. That will take too long. And if we don't convince enough long-time Republicans to vote more Democrats in office, we won't have the votes. So those dialogues MUST happen.

The Wilkes NAACP needs members of all colors to succeed in Wilkes County. The Indivisible Group of Wilkes is making waves. But the Wilkes County Democrats need you, too. Our old-time establishment is not participating like they used to, and the younger generation is struggling to survive, but we need both of them to energize our local party, to find qualified candidates for local and state offices that will fight for us, to do the things that will make our communities a better place.

If you came out to Wednesday night's event, we hope you'll come out to the next Wilkes Democrats' event. And if you missed the event, and want to watch "America Divided" which features Zach Galifianakis' film interspersed through Episode 4 and 5, you can watch if for free on EPIX or HULU (with existing subscription).

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Our Mr. Brooks: The Gump/Sessions

3/17/2017

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The following was first posted HERE on March 8th, 2017:

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, a name that sounds like a plausible Civil War Era villain in any work from Ernest Hemmingway to Mel Blanc, is having a bad couple of weeks. And by “couple of weeks” I mean “tenure as Attorney General of the United States”. Despite the quickly developing narrative that he met with the Russian Spybassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, while a technically a senator but really as a Drumpf campaign surrogate, Sessions cannot seem to shake the racist overtones that shadow his past and darken his Southern accent.

In a recent article by “The Blaze” they assert SNL (Saturday Night Live) mocked him in their March 4, 2017 cold open in a way they would never have mocked previous Attorneys General Eric Holder or Loretta Lynch. They are totally 100% correct. Because Holder and Lynch probably didn’t get turned down by the Senate for a federal judgeship due in part to a letter from Loretta Scott King outlining their inability to be anti-racist. The sketch, which is obviously a parody of “Forrest Gump”, puts talented comedic actor and chameleon lady Kate McKinnon as Sessions on a park bench. As a dim imitation of Gump, earnest and overly polite, Session recalls some of the finer points of current events. The impression holds true as Session blatantly over-communicated and tells too much truth, which sparked the scrutiny he’s been facing recently concerning Kislyak when Sessions over-answered a question Sen. Al Franken (D-MI) asked him during confirmation. (The sketch did have a sense of coming full circle as Sen. Franken is an SNL alumnus. At best, Sen. Franken probably crossed his arms, tilted his head to the side, and said, “Well, imagine that.”)

Sessions is going to be a target for all kinds of ridicule the longer he’s out front of the Drumpf administration. He’s not a sympathetic character, whatsoever. In fact, his name alone is a hyperbole of the societal norms that sired his worldview. In the first sketch McKinnon’s AG Sessions was unveiled in a cold open press conference, with Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer, the character started by saying something that you could imagine the real Sessions saying, “There are two kinds of crime: Regular and black.” After a history of being repeatedly accused of saying racist things (including the KKK was okay until “I found out they smoked pot” and calling black men “boy” and not really wanting any part of civil rights cases IN ALABAMA) the words sound lifted from his journal.

As an Attorney General of the United States his entire job is twofold: Defend the people of the United States by challenging the Presidency as necessary, and ensure there is no obstruction to any citizen availing themselves of protections of federal law. Voters especially need this protection as unnecessary and even racist laws have been enacted since the rollback of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with Shelby County v. Holder in 2012. There is literally nothing in Sessions career that has suggested or intimated that he has those abilities or proclivities. Even as recent as the past weeks as Attorney General he hasn’t even addressed the desecration and destruction of Jewish gravesites or commented on the threats against Jewish Community Centers. The fact he hasn’t said anything about it proves he either doesn’t understand what his job covers or he doesn’t realize the optics and his position to get out in front of the story.

Sessions was offered Attorney General because of his fealty to Drumpf. He doesn’t have the savvy or steel to perform the ultimate tasks of the office. He only wants to be rewarded for his loyalty and ultimately execute some form of revenge against the system that shunned him in the 1980s. Thankfully he has recused himself from any investigation on the Drumpf administration’s ties and communications to Russia, but he needs to take a page out of Forrest Gump and just stop running.

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