By Lenny Guckenheimer, Charlotte Dems writer In this era of COVID-19 pandemic social-distant restrictions, it’s hard to party. But that is exactly what Charlotte County (CC) Dems did in our last well attended monthly online Zoom meeting. We were dancing and cheering (and imbibing our favorite beverages) in our homes. The November 9th meeting was…
by Kathleen Davey, Charlotte County Dems writer New COVID-19 cases and deaths increase at ever-growing rates. Protests following the killing of George Floyd went on for months. We are witnessing the pandemic colliding with racial inequity and economic inequality. The impact of COVID-19 on minority and lower-income communities has been more devastating than on white…
caption: Black Lives Matter marchers silently kneel for 9 minutes at Punta Gorda City Hall. Editor’s note: This article was published in the June 13, 2020 edition of the Charlotte Sun. ‘NO MORE’ Black Lives Matter protesters call for change in peaceful march Friday By LIZ HARDAWAY STAFF WRITER Among hundreds of kneeling protesters for…
Image provide by Carson McNamara Editor’s note: This article is published in the June 12, 2020 edition of the Charlotte Sun. Second Black Lives Matter protest scheduled for Friday evening By LIZ HARDAWAY, STAFF WRITER PUNTA GORDA — If you missed last week’s Black Lives Matter protest, don’t worry, you have another opportunity. March for…
Black Lives Matter marchers peacefully protest the murder of George Floyd and racial injustice in a march held on June 5 in Punta Gorda. Image provided by Carson McNamara. Last Friday, about 1000 people peacefully marched in Punta Gorda to demand justice for victims of racial injustice and police brutality. The marchers were diverse…
A march to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer is planned to take place in Punta Gorda. The highlight of the march will be marchers kneeling silently for 9 minutes in front of the Punta Gorda City Hall. Nine minutes is the same length of time that…
By David Jones, Democratic Candidate for Florida House of Representatives, District 75. Like most of us, I woke up on the Wednesday after the 2016 federal election depressed. After a few days, partially recovered, I knew I needed to do something besides waiting around for 2020. As I have learned after raising five children and…
Witness: 1) to see or know by personal presence and perception; 2) to be present at; 3) to bear witness, testify to, give or afford evidence of. Random House College Dictionary Watching someone and that person knows he/she is being watched will change how that person behaves. Sometimes that change can be for the better.…
by Phyllis Wojcik, President, Charlotte County Democratic Environmental Council Over thirty individuals attended 24 Hours of Reality: Truth in Action on, a global conversation on the truth of the climate crisis and how we solve it. Alessia Leathers, a leader from The Climate Reality Project, joined volunteers around the world holding public presentations and conversations…
Between March 2018 and August 2019, more than 14,300 unaccompanied immigrant children were sheltered at a facility just outside of Miami. The Office of Refugee Resettlement calls this the Homestead Temporary Influx Facility, but Port Charlotte resident Vielka Wambold calls it a prison. Editors note: See the documentary film, “Witness at Tornillo”, featuring activist Josh…
by Penelope Mayer, Precinct Coordinating Committee “Every election is determined by people who show up.” Larry J. Sabato Pendulum Swing Immediately after the 2018 midterms, our Precinct Coordinating Committee began work on a winning strategy to get out the vote (GOTV) in 2020. We are concentrating our efforts on enrolling Charlotte County Democrats and left-leaning…
By Penelope Mayer, Precinct Coordinating Committee “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” –Helen Keller The Charlotte County Blue Wave Coalition is a growing collaboration of grassroots organizations who share our democratic values and ideals. Together, the CCDEC and our Blue Wave Coalition partners are working together to bring as many…
Image from WashingtonPost.com Ten candidates look likely to take the stage this month for the fifth Democratic presidential debate. The details The fifth Democratic debate is scheduled for Nov. 20 and will be co-hosted by The Washington Post and MSNBC. Here’s what you need to know. When: Coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time on…
EDC members and others ready to march with their “Living the Dream on a Planet That’s Green” float in Pioneer Days Parade. Photo by David Williams. by Karn Cunningham, EDC Board Member and Pioneer Days Float Coordinator Hurricane Dorian tried, but failed, to stop the 63rd Englewood Pioneers Days Parade on Labor Day. The parade…
The Trivia and Basket Party is the most popular Club event of the year. Tickets to bid on prizes will be sold 7 for $3 and may be purchased in advance at Dem Club Headquarters and our Nov. 9 meeting. Trivia and Basket Party will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12:00 pm. at…
by Jane Merriam, CCDEC Secretary Imagine more than doubling the number of Democratic elected officials in your area. That is what a grassroots organization did in St. Johns County in the 2018 elections. (St. Johns County is located on the Atlantic coast and St. Augustine is the county seat.) The grassroots organization, St. Johns County…
by Jane Merriam, CCDEC Secretary We are working hard to get new voters registered and to get our petitions for the Minimum Wage and Ban Assault Weapons signed. This week we were at Murdock Administrative Building and at the Peace Rive Pride food Truck Festival. Time is running out to get BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS…
by Karn Cummingham, Englewood Democratic Club The Englewood Democratic Club had planned to march in the Englewood Pioneer Days Parade, originally scheduled for last Labor Day. Those plans and the parade were blown away when Hurricane Dorian threatened our area. Pioneer Day organizers vowed to continue the 63-year-old tradition and have rescheduled festivities and the…
by Jane Merriam, Secretary, Charlotte County Democrats Four Charlotte County Democrats spoke to local state legislators about issues affecting Charlotte County that we would like to be addressed during the 2020 Legislative Session. Bill Welsh, Brenda Curtis, Judith Fincher, myself, and more than 15 other Charlotte Dems were among about 75 residents who met with…
by Larry Kuranowicz, Voter Outreach Looking back at the fateful words of the late Tim Russert, on a night in 2000 when many of us went to bed thinking Al Gore was going to be the next President, only to wake and find out it was not to be. Once again in 2020, Florida…