This past Saturday, the Charleston County Democratic Party was scheduled to host a charity event offering free hand sanitizer refills to anyone who needed them. When volunteers arrived at the office to set up, they found threatening flyers glued to the doors and windows and someone had poured liquid cement on the electronic door locks so that no one could get in. The signature on the flyers was in Latin but loosely translates to “I struggle and emerge — Fortune favours the bold 1776.” If this rings familiar, it’s because 1776 was the code word used in the attack on the Capitol last week.
Due to the vandalism, the event had to be rescheduled. Organizers called the police who came to investigate. They took fingerprints and canvassed the area. Local security cameras are being checked to see if the perpetrators were caught on tape.
The electronic door lock, installed so each volunteer could come and go with their own distinct password, cost $1,000 to replace. But that is not the biggest cost. It’s the violation. Dozens of volunteers, including myself, work in that office. Fortunately, no one was in the office when the crime occurred, but what if there had been? It will be a while before any of us feel truly safe under the big blue DEMOCRATS sign again.
That fear won’t stop us though, it won’t even slow us down. Our office is home to a Blessing Box, where folks donate food to feed the hungry. It’s where we collected more than 100 fantastic toys for local children who would otherwise not have received a holiday gift. It’s where we collected mountains of warm clothing and blankets to help the county’s homeless make it through the winter. We do important work in that office. Oh, and we also support Democrats at every level because we believe in democratic principles.
Please join me in helping the Charleston County Democratic Party offset the cost of repairs after this violation, so that members can continue doing their very important work. You can donate using this link.
