By Staff
New political group has first meeting at the courthouse
By NIKIE MAYO
News Editor
Three middle-aged women who decided they could make a difference in politics by starting at home hosted the first meeting of the Progressive Democrats of Beaufort County on Wednesday night.
Mann joined forces with fellow organizers Pat Seibert, Barbara Lawrence and Emily Keel to create the Beaufort County chapter of Progressive Democrats of America. The national organization’s goals include ending the war in Iraq, advocating health care for all, developing renewable energy sources and working for clean and fair elections.
Seibert acknowledged that the women also started Grandmothers for Peace. That group gathers each Friday night on the Washington waterfront to protest the Iraq war.
Several people at the meeting said that while they support the county Democratic Party and will keep doing so, they believe it lacks “energy.”
Lawrence concurred with Armstrong’s assessment.
Mack Simpson, who moved to Bath 15 months ago, said he found Beaufort County to be more conservative than he expected.
Armstrong’s husband Roy said he hoped the new group would be able to get responses from state and federal politicians. “You need to say to them, ‘This is the issue,’ and stick it to them and make them respond,” he said.
After the discussion, the group planned to watch the documentary “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”
The chapter’s next meeting is set for Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. The location will be announced later.