Dems’ Fundraiser after GOP Firebombing Has Roots in Brookline

After the attack on a Republican headquarters in North Carolina, a local Democrat organized bipartisan giving.

north carolina headquarters firebombed

Photo via AP

An effort to raise thousands of dollars to rebuild a North Carolina Republican headquarters firebombed over the weekend has roots in Brookline.

The campaign, launched on GoFundMe, reached its goal of raising $10,000 to fix the charred and damaged building in a matter of minutes.

David Weinberger, a Democrat from Brookline, set up the fundraiser, which by its conclusion raised $13,107 (those who visit the GoFundMe page are now invited to donate to North Carolina schools).

Here was the pitch:

As Democrats, we are starting this campaign to enable the Orange County, North Carolina Republican office to re-open as soon as possible.

Until an investigation is undertaken, we cannot know who did this or why. No matter the result, this is not how Americans resolve their differences. We talk, we argue, sometimes we march, and most of all we vote. We do not resort to violence by individuals or by mobs.

So, let’s all pitch in , no matter what your party affiliation, in and get that office open again quickly.

An update, also from the site:

Less than 40 mins after going public, we met our goal and then some! Thank you all for showing that Americans are thirsty for civility and decency, and that we love our democracy above all our differences.

The targeting of the building in North Carolina was a particularly heinous one. In addition to hurling a “flammable substance” through its windows, the attackers appear to have spray painted the words “Nazi Republicans leave town or else” nearby. Republicans are a minority in Orange County, where the building is located. According to the Charlotte Observer, they are outnumbered in the area 5-1.

Disagree with North Carolina GOP all you want, by the way. Be mad, for example, about its law limiting the use of bathrooms to one’s sex at birth, and its general hostility toward transgender people.

And lots of people are, says Weinberger, in an interview today with the Globe. He says he has gotten his share of pushback for his campaign, but stands by his decision to rally supporters and respond to violence with compassion. “This is an expression of commitment to democracy,” he says, “even when we are thoroughly opposed to what our political opponents believe.”

Since the incident, Hillary Clinton has also reached across the aisle to call the attack “horrific and unacceptable” on Twitter, to which the North Carolina GOP responded, also on Twitter: “Thank you for your thoughts & prayers.”

So maybe there’s hope for inter-party peace once this dryer-with-a-cinder-block-thrown-in-it election is over, after all.

Or, maybe not. In case you need to know what Donald Trump’s take on the firebombing was, it was this: