It’s taken me a bit to process the tragedy that took place last weekend in Buffalo, New York, but I knew I wanted to share my thoughts with you. It's heartbreaking that still in America, Black people are going about their everyday lives, only to die at the hands of a white supremacist who targeted them because of their skin color.

Substitute a grocery store in Buffalo with a church in Charleston and the parallels between the tragedies are striking. As I'm sure it did for many of you, hearing the news brought me straight back to that horrible June day in 2015. I was flooded with the fear, the frustration, and the worry that despite my best efforts, our lawmakers will do largely nothing to prevent the next act of targeted racial violence.

Unfortunately, it looks like my concerns are justified: South Carolina Republicans just last week, minutes before the legislative session ended, blocked the passage of the Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act. This legislation, named in honor of my former colleague and our late State Senator who was tragically murdered at the Mother Emanuel AME Church, would increase the criminal penalty for crimes motivated by hatred of a victim based on race, ethnicity, religion, or other unchangeable features. Legislative session after legislative session, I’ve fought tooth and nail for this bill. As hate crimes are on the rise, it was infuriating to see the Republicans block this bill again, making South Carolina one of just two states without a hate crimes law.

How can Republicans continue to justify their unbridled hypocrisy? They refuse to pass the most basic common-sense gun reforms that would save lives. They refuse to pass a hate crimes law. They’ve shredded our social safety net, making it harder for South Carolina families to make ends meet. And they do all of this under the guise of being pro-life– now how does that make a lick of sense?

In times like these, when the news is so gut-wrenching, I know it can be tempting to disengage from politics, but we can’t fall into that trap. We have to do something.

All McMaster and the GOP have to offer is empty thoughts and silent prayers, and I’ve had enough. South Carolinians need an advocate who will stand up for common-sense gun legislation and stand up against hate crimes– that’s why I’m running against McMaster for Governor– because South Carolina deserves better.

In solidarity,

Mia