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Message from the President
Our mid-month President's message was about how June is both a celebration of Pride and a reminder of the pain that comes with gun violence in this country, and how those two causes intertwine.
Now we are at the end of June, and this week the sentencing of George Floyd's murderer reminded us of the dichotomy of interacting with the justice department. We can be happy that accountability was given in this case, even if only due to the entire world watching it happen, AND be horrified and livid that accountability didn't mean life in prison.
Data from Statista shows that as of May 29, police in the U.S. have fatally shot 371 people to death so far in 2021, with 57 people being killed by the police in May alone. Last year, 1,021 people were shot to death by police in the U.S. To be clear, this isn't a worldwide law enforcement problem. The problem isn't that laws need to be enforced. This systemic injustice is specific to this country.
Floyd's murderer is among only 11 non-federal law enforcement officers convicted of murder since 2005, according to Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor in Ohio who tracks police prosecutions. Average jail time for the nine who were sentenced is 21.7 years. The shortest sentence was given to the Chicago police officer who murdered Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old black teenager, in 2014 by shooting him sixteen times. He was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison. The officer's family and several fellow Chicago police officers wrote letters pleading for further leniency.
Contrast these sentences with the "three strikes" laws enacted in 1993 that mandate a life sentence for felony convictions for people regardless of whether they have ever committed a violent or aggravated crime. In California, people have been sentenced to life in prison for shoplifting a pair of socks or stealing bread. In Alabama, stealing a bicycle resulted in life imprisonment without parole because of the three strikes law. According to Ashley Nellis, Ph.D, with The Sentencing Project, more than two-thirds of people serving federal life or nearly life sentences today were convicted of nonviolent crimes, of which about 30% were drug crimes.
Within this context, whether you hear someone touting this sentence as a victory or as a painful reminder of injustice, keep in mind - BOTH are right.
Don't market the opponents' propaganda for them. Give each other empathy, join a local organization that makes a difference in your community, especially as we move to build up for 2022. Join WOW Dems and help us educate, empower, and elect women in North Texas.
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WOW Committee Updates
Events and Outreach Committee
The E&O Team has been gearing up for a return to in-person events! Our first one will be assisting the Collin County Democratic Party in celebrating Red White and Boom in McKinney on July 3. There will also be many opportunities to help us prepare for the event, in addition to needing people there to show up (in blue) on the day of. If you are able to help, or want more information, please email [email protected].
Our next General Member Meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday, July 15, in the Frisco Conference Center, (Room C-105, Section S) at the Collin College Preston Ridge Campus, 9700 Wade Blvd. Frisco, TX. You can also join via Mobilize.
Please note: the location of this meeting is at the Collin College Frisco Campus, not all of our meetings will be held at this location.
We have also scheduled the following General Member Meeting dates, so please calendar them now so you won't miss them!
Sept.16, 2021:
Frisco Conference Center, Preston Ridge Campus
Room C-105 Section S
Nov. 18, 2021:
McKinney Conference Center, Central Park Campus
Room F-110 Section C
Our July Service Project is Emily's Place which helps domestic violence survivors escape, as well as those who are homeless due to domestic violence. They desperately need a variety of feminine hygiene care products, which you can conveniently donate via this Amazon Wishlist link or bring your donations of super absorbency pads, tampons, and overnight feminine hygiene care products (unopened) to our July meeting.
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Candidates Committee
At our May General Member Meeting, several candidates for Mayor and City Council spoke to our members, and most won their runoff elections on June 5: This includes:
Angelia Pelham -- Frisco City Council
Ed Moore -- Garland City Council
Junior Ezeonu -- Grand Prairie City Council
Curtis J. Cornelious -- Mayor of Little Elm
Kayci Prince -- Plano City Council
Julie Holmer -- Plano City Council
These elections were historic. Angelia Pelham is the first Black woman elected to Frisco's city council, and Curtis J. Cornelious is the first Black mayor of Little Elm.
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The Legislative Committee needs your ideas, your support and YOU. Join us at our next meeting on Wednesday July 14, from 7-8 p.m. (CST).
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Did you know WOW Dems has a YouTube channel? We do! It features recordings of WOW Dems meetings and special events, our President's mid-month messages, and series such as Why I'm a WOW Dem. While our number of subscribers has increased recently, we need to reach 100 subscribers in order to qualify for a custom URL, so subscribe to the WOW Dems YouTube channel today! And while you're there, check out our latest video, Uncomfortable Conversations Messaging.
Join the Communications Committee
The Communications Committee is looking for volunteers! The areas where we most need help are graphics production, content creation, and website maintenance. To join the Communications Committee, please submit a Volunteer Form on our website.
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Ever wonder what you can do to assist the democratic process in and around your community? You can join WOW Dems! Our arms stretch wide and we need YOU to help us make a greater impact. If you have any questions or would like to join, visit wowdems.org or email us at [email protected].
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Not yet a member? Join here.
Interested in some WOW Dems swag? Check it out here.
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