Mayor’s Minute: Thoughts on #Charlottesville.

This is part of our Mayor’s Minute series by City of Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.

This weekend, our country witnessed a repugnant series of events in #Charlottesville. While Virginia is not S.C., we know personally that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We often forget that our country is a nation of immigrants, past + present. Our founding fathers created America based on an ideal of ‘liberty + justice for all.’ An America that, to this day, is the greatest democratic nation in the history of the world.

We must remember that in this America, there is no room for hate. There is no room for injustice. There is no room for fear induced by divisiveness.

As we pray for the victims and those affected by the events that took place this weekend, let us also make a commitment to pursue peace in our day-to-day lives. All interactions matter. Let us not forsake the importance of love, peace and compassion for others. Those are the things that will abolish hate and birth the peace + understanding that will mold us into the nation we desire to be.

Godspeed,

–Mayor Steve Benjamin

After reading all these eclipse glasses recalls + warnings, Chloe and I had a mini panic attack about the safety of our eyes – and sent our new intern Megan to snag some NASA-approved shades from Elite Framing in Five Points (yep, they still have a big box of glasses they’re giving away for free).

Do y’all know of other places with approved glasses? Let us know.
–Sam