But What Can We DO?
Posted by Inequality Media, Robert Reich, professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator, tells us the 5 things we can do to protect our democracy.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.
Reich served in the Ford, Carter, Clinton, and Obama administrations.
Thoughts from our Chair
August 10, 2025
Good afternoon, Mathews Dems!
First, many thanks to everyone who made this year's Crabsteam such a success! We cleared $12,000, making this our best fundraiser yet. Lots of people contributed to this effort: Crabstream Committee and volunteers, sponsors, ticket buyers, dessert makers, speakers, and caterers. You will find pictures and the list of sponsors on the website. We received lots of compliments on the food and the upbeat mood.
Mark the following dates:
Saturday, August 16, 10 am, next meeting of Mathews County Democratic Committee, Chesapeake Bank Community Room
Thursday, August 28, 5-7 pm, Fundraiser for Elayne Walters, Home of Sherry and John Hodges, watch for EVITE
Monday, September 1, Labor, Next Nationwide March, Richmond, 4 pm. More will be scheduled as the date gets closer.
New local action: Several communities have started holding weekly protests, and it has been suggested that Mathews do the same. We will begin on Tuesday, August 19, 5-6 pm, in front of Liberty Courthouse Square. It can be one person or 50. The idea is to have a regular weekly presence of protest against the Trump agenda and tactics. Please bring signs that can be read from the street.
All for now. Have a food week.
Thank you,
Sheila
First, many thanks to everyone who made this year's Crabsteam such a success! We cleared $12,000, making this our best fundraiser yet. Lots of people contributed to this effort: Crabstream Committee and volunteers, sponsors, ticket buyers, dessert makers, speakers, and caterers. You will find pictures and the list of sponsors on the website. We received lots of compliments on the food and the upbeat mood.
Mark the following dates:
Saturday, August 16, 10 am, next meeting of Mathews County Democratic Committee, Chesapeake Bank Community Room
Thursday, August 28, 5-7 pm, Fundraiser for Elayne Walters, Home of Sherry and John Hodges, watch for EVITE
Monday, September 1, Labor, Next Nationwide March, Richmond, 4 pm. More will be scheduled as the date gets closer.
New local action: Several communities have started holding weekly protests, and it has been suggested that Mathews do the same. We will begin on Tuesday, August 19, 5-6 pm, in front of Liberty Courthouse Square. It can be one person or 50. The idea is to have a regular weekly presence of protest against the Trump agenda and tactics. Please bring signs that can be read from the street.
All for now. Have a food week.
Thank you,
Sheila
August, 1927... One Hundred Years of Persecuting Immigrants
In August, 1927 Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed for the murders of a paymaster and a guard during an armed robbery. To this day, questions remain about whether or not they were guilty of murder or of simply being poor immigrants who were avowed anarchists.
In the moments before his death, Vanzetti spoke about his dedication to fighting for social Justice. His words seem particularly important today.
I have talk a great deal of myself
but I even forgot to name Sacco.
Sacco too is a worker,
from his boyhood a skilled worker, lover of work,
with a good job and pay,
a bank account, a good and lovely wife,
two beautiful children and a neat little home
at the verge of a wood, near a brook.
Sacco is a heart, a faith, a character, a man;
a man, love of nature, and mankind;
a man who gave all, who sacrifice all
to the cause of liberty and to his love for mankind:
money, rest, mundane ambition,
his own wife, his children, himself
and his own life.
Sacco has never dreamt to steal, never to assassinate.
He and I have never brought a morsel
of bread to our mouths, from our childhood to today
which has not been gained by the sweat of our brows.
Never…
Oh, yes, I may be more witful, as some have put it;
I am a better babbler than he is, but many, many times in hearing his heartful voice ringing a faith sublime,
in considering his supreme sacrifice, remembering his heroism,
I felt small in the presence of his greatness
and found myself compelled to fight back
from my eyes the tears,
and quanch my heart
trobling to my throat to not weep before him:
this man called thief and assassin and doomed.
But Sacco’s name will live in the hearts of the people
and in their gratitude when Katzmann’s bones
and yours will be dispersed by time;
when your name, his name, your laws, institutions,
and your false god are but a dim rememoring
of a cursed past in which man was wolf
to the man…
If it had not been for these thing
I might have live out my life
talking at street corners to scorning men.
I might have die, unmarked, unknown, a failure.
Now we are not a failure.
This is our career and our triumph. Never
in our full life could we hope to do such work
for tolerance, for justice, for man’s understanding
of man, as now we do by accident.
Our words, our lives, our pains—nothing!
The taking of our lives—lives of a good shoemaker and a poor fishpeddler— all! That last moment belongs to us— that agony is our triumph.
In the moments before his death, Vanzetti spoke about his dedication to fighting for social Justice. His words seem particularly important today.
I have talk a great deal of myself
but I even forgot to name Sacco.
Sacco too is a worker,
from his boyhood a skilled worker, lover of work,
with a good job and pay,
a bank account, a good and lovely wife,
two beautiful children and a neat little home
at the verge of a wood, near a brook.
Sacco is a heart, a faith, a character, a man;
a man, love of nature, and mankind;
a man who gave all, who sacrifice all
to the cause of liberty and to his love for mankind:
money, rest, mundane ambition,
his own wife, his children, himself
and his own life.
Sacco has never dreamt to steal, never to assassinate.
He and I have never brought a morsel
of bread to our mouths, from our childhood to today
which has not been gained by the sweat of our brows.
Never…
Oh, yes, I may be more witful, as some have put it;
I am a better babbler than he is, but many, many times in hearing his heartful voice ringing a faith sublime,
in considering his supreme sacrifice, remembering his heroism,
I felt small in the presence of his greatness
and found myself compelled to fight back
from my eyes the tears,
and quanch my heart
trobling to my throat to not weep before him:
this man called thief and assassin and doomed.
But Sacco’s name will live in the hearts of the people
and in their gratitude when Katzmann’s bones
and yours will be dispersed by time;
when your name, his name, your laws, institutions,
and your false god are but a dim rememoring
of a cursed past in which man was wolf
to the man…
If it had not been for these thing
I might have live out my life
talking at street corners to scorning men.
I might have die, unmarked, unknown, a failure.
Now we are not a failure.
This is our career and our triumph. Never
in our full life could we hope to do such work
for tolerance, for justice, for man’s understanding
of man, as now we do by accident.
Our words, our lives, our pains—nothing!
The taking of our lives—lives of a good shoemaker and a poor fishpeddler— all! That last moment belongs to us— that agony is our triumph.
Have You Seen this?
I got this in the mail today... NOTE the language:
"Let me be clear: I will not support any changes that impact current beneficiaries or those nearing retirement. Instead, I'll continue working across the aisle to find bipartisan solutions that preserve this essential safety net."
Let's hold him to this promise!
"Let me be clear: I will not support any changes that impact current beneficiaries or those nearing retirement. Instead, I'll continue working across the aisle to find bipartisan solutions that preserve this essential safety net."
Let's hold him to this promise!
Witman Mailer
Witman Mailer page 2
"Federal Cuts Threaten Virginians"
Richmond Times Dispatch, May 15
An article by Michael Martz explains the cuts proposed by the GOP and their impact on Virginians.
"GOP committees proposed cuts that would shift the cost of food assistance to states, make it harder for people to get health care through Medicaid, and cost them more to buy health insurance."
Unfortunately, the Times Dispatch paywall prevents me from linking the article for everyone... but if you have a subscription, I think you will be able to log-in and read the article.
"GOP committees proposed cuts that would shift the cost of food assistance to states, make it harder for people to get health care through Medicaid, and cost them more to buy health insurance."
Unfortunately, the Times Dispatch paywall prevents me from linking the article for everyone... but if you have a subscription, I think you will be able to log-in and read the article.
Bud Ward with President Obama
Bud Ward worked at Anheuser Busch in Williamsburg starting in 1982. He was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Bud was active in the Mathews Democratic Committee for many years and became chair in 2012. He also became vice chair for the Southeast Region of the Virginia Democratic Party in 2012.
Under Bud’s leadership, our annual Crab Steam grew to be one of the most successful fundraisers of rural Democratic Committees in the state. He was well known among Democratic leaders across the state and was close friends with former Governor Ralph Northam. He completed his tenure as chair of the Mathews committee in 2020, but continued to be active in local and state Democratic affairs.
In recent years, Bud became an integral part of the effort to tell the story of the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island. He helped form the association of the descendants of Black people who were enslaved by Gwynn’s Island white families and who lived and worked on Gwynn’s Island after emancipation. The first reunions of the descendants were held on Bud’s property on the Piankatank River. He was so determined that the historic marker commemorating the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island be located on the island that he offered his property as the place for it to be installed. It is a fitting tribute to Bud that this historic marker will be erected in front of his house on Old Ferry Road.
Bud was an unapologetic champion of all principles and priorities of the Democratic Party in a place where not too many people agreed with him. He loved Mathews County nonetheless.
Bud was active in the Mathews Democratic Committee for many years and became chair in 2012. He also became vice chair for the Southeast Region of the Virginia Democratic Party in 2012.
Under Bud’s leadership, our annual Crab Steam grew to be one of the most successful fundraisers of rural Democratic Committees in the state. He was well known among Democratic leaders across the state and was close friends with former Governor Ralph Northam. He completed his tenure as chair of the Mathews committee in 2020, but continued to be active in local and state Democratic affairs.
In recent years, Bud became an integral part of the effort to tell the story of the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island. He helped form the association of the descendants of Black people who were enslaved by Gwynn’s Island white families and who lived and worked on Gwynn’s Island after emancipation. The first reunions of the descendants were held on Bud’s property on the Piankatank River. He was so determined that the historic marker commemorating the Black Exodus from Gwynn’s Island be located on the island that he offered his property as the place for it to be installed. It is a fitting tribute to Bud that this historic marker will be erected in front of his house on Old Ferry Road.
Bud was an unapologetic champion of all principles and priorities of the Democratic Party in a place where not too many people agreed with him. He loved Mathews County nonetheless.