May 25, 2013

Scott: I am not, at this point, endorsing anyone

1st District Congressman Tim Scott

Last week, Governor Nikki Haley endorsed Governor Mitt Romney for her choice in the GOP presidential race.

Another prominent Republican in South Carolina, 1st District Congressman Tim Scott, says he has not thrown his support behind any candidate–yet.

“I am not, at this point, endorsing anyone, and of course that includes Mitt Romney as well. This is a very serious process we are going through,” says Scott.

Scott has held town hall meetings in the state for each Republican candidate. He says whoever he and the voters choose is very crucial.

“At the end of the day what we need to understand in South Carolina is that the momentum begins with us. So the decision that we make as voters is the most important decision that we can aid the nominee and gain the momentum necessary to become the next president of the United States,” says Scott.

South Carolina’s primary is January 21–the first in the South.

Protesters rally in Charleston against SC illegal immigration law

Protesters at Washington Square Park in Charleston

Around 200 immigrants rallied at Washington Square Park in Charleston today/Monday in protest to South Carolina’s new anti-immigration law. The “SB 20 Unity and Peace Rally” was right across from the U.S. District Courthouse where, inside, the Justice Department was challenging South Carolina’s anti-immigration law (SB 20).

Priscilla (who would not give her last name) was at the protest. Here’s why–

“I’m out here for support. For support because I feel like racism is wrong. If we are a free country, we should allow everybody to have their freedom and that’s why I’m here today,” says Priscilla.

South Carolina’s law under protest declares a police officer has the power to ask anyone they suspect is in the country illegally to show that officer proof of citizenship.

Priscilla’s take:

“In South Carolina I think that everybody should give each other a fair chance to be legal and to all come together in our country as legal citizens and the racism needs to stop. It needs to stop,” says Priscilla.

Protesters say the law promotes racial profiling, is unconstitutional, hurts the state’s economy, and tears families apart.

Supporters want the law to go into effect on January 1 because they say it will combat illegal immigration in the state.

Around 200 protesters showed up to oppose SC's new anti-immigration law

Jesus Fernandez is from Texas and agreed to protest with his uncle–from South Carolina.

“I just don’t think it’s right–racial profiling. Just because somebody stops you because of a traffic stop and they have to ask you your status. Why do you need to know the status, you know what I mean? I’m not going to stop and ask somebody, ‘Hey, are you illegal?’ I wouldn’t do that,” says Fernandez.

Fernandez says he believes it’s discrimination to pick and choose who officers can ask for proof of citizenship.

“That’s racial profiling and I don’t think that is right. America wasn’t built on those morals and everybody here who has come here has come from some sort of immigration background. Think back early in the Mayflower days, they were immigrants into this country too,” says Fernandez.

South Carolina Immigration Coalition’s Jheanelk Wilkins is the organizer of the rally.

“We came out here to make sure there was a strong voice of opposition in South Carolina against the anti-immigrant law–SB 20. And for those who don’t know about this law, it stands to encourage racial profiling. Basically it says when an officer pulls someone over or stops someone, they can check their immigration status,” says Wilkins.

Wilkins says they held a prayer vigil across the state Sunday night as well–to, what she says, try and overturn this unjust law.

Faith-based Charleston rally opposes SC immigration law

A group of protesters are rallying today in Charleston against South Carolina’s new anti-immigration law. The Unity and Peace Rally is scheduled to begin at Washington Square Park and will continue in front of the U.S. District Courthouse. There, a hearing of the U.S. Justice Department’s lawsuit challenging the state’s anti-immigration law that goes into effect January 1, 2012.

Last week, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other faiths voiced their opposition to the law at the Statehouse.

The law allows officers to ask for proof of citizenship if that officer suspects that person may be in the country illegally. Some of these faith-based organizations have formed a South Carolina Immigrants’ Rights Coalition to try to prevent the law from going into effect at the beginning of the year.

Haley: Romney is a leader who knows what he wants to do

Governor Nikki Haley has chosen Mitt Romney as her choice for president–again.

“The Governor Romney I knew in 2008 is different than the Governor Romney I met in 2011 because the Governor Romney in 2011 has had four years to think about it. He’s no longer a candidate that’s trying to win, he’s already a leader that knows what he wants to do the first day he gets in office and he’s ready to do it,” said Haley.

Haley endorsed Romney in 2008 when she was a state legislator. Romney threw his support behind Haley when she was running for governor.

In Greenville last week, Romney said he wants to hold President Obama to his word:

“This is a failed presidency. It’s time for this president to do what he said he was going to do. By the way, when he was shortly after he was inaugurated, he went on the Today Show and he said ‘If I can’t get this economy turned around in three years I’d be looking at a one-term proposition.’ We are here to collect!” said Romney.

Currently, Romney is second in the latest Winthrop University GOP poll—behind former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

DHEC: Sumter woman contracts deadly rabies from bat

A middle-aged Sumter County woman has contracted the rabies virus–the first case in South Carolina in more than 50 years, says Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesperson Jim Beasley.

“The woman from Sumter County woman who contracted rabies actually had been bitten by a bat. We believe that bat had gotten in her home several months ago and then the virus traveled slowly and infected the patient,” says Beasley.

Beasley says tragically, rabies almost always ends in death–as there is no cure. He says there are only about one to three cases of rabies in the country a year.

Like the current case, Beasley says rabies takes some time to fully develop.

“The rabies virus, it’s important to understand, it travels very slowly through the body until it reaches the brain in the central nervous system and it produces some serious initial symptoms such as headaches, difficulty swallowing, seizures, anxiety, agitation and also some confusion,” says Beasley.

If you find a bat in your home:

“It’s important not to release it outside. If you can, first of all, don’t touch it with your bare hands, but try to trap it under a container, and then you can contact your DHEC County Environmental Health office to have that bat tested for rabies,” says Beasley.

Besides bats, other rabies-infested animals in South Carolina include raccoons, foxes, skunks and other wild animals.