MERIDIAN —     A relative newcomer to the Democratic Party, local attorney Stephen Wilson will be among 40 Mississippi delegates to the party's national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 4- 6.

    "Frankly I wasn't aware that there was a party on the local level," Wilson said. "It's been a nice experience to meet people from not just the county but all over the state thus far, including some legislators and other elected officials."

    He began attending local Democratic meetings in January and things have moved forward from there.

    "Having lived in Meridian for a number of years I started to feel comfortable with getting involved in the community, whether it be church or with the party.

    Wilson said he chose the Democratic Party because it is more in line with his views.

    "The issues that Congress and the Mississippi Legislature actually vote upon are the ones in which the Democrats help the majority of the people," Wilson said. "Funding education, ensuring access to health care for all, preserving the right to trial by jury, regulating dangerous industries and maintaining infrastructure are often hidden by hot button issues."

    He named reproductive rights and gun control as some issues that he said are used to "manipulate the populace partly through fear mongering and to mask the corporate agenda that their vote supports."

    "I actually began to try to reconcile my political philosophy after I read the Gospel of Mathew about six years ago," Wilson said, "particularly when I read that it is our responsibility to take care of the 'least of these.'"

    Wilson said he is looking forward to his first convention.

    "As delegates, obviously we will vote for the nominee of the party, which is more of a formality in this particular election," WIlson said. "We'll also vote on platform issues for the national party and conduct some of the other business that gets put on the agenda."

    He said he hopes voters will recognize the differences between Democrats and Republicans.

    "I would hope that voters will look carefully past the stereotypes and misinformation, and instead focus on learning the issues, the positions of the parties, and then vote in his or her best interest," Wilson said. "For instance, 'job-killing regulations' are often bemoaned when in fact they save lives. If regulations had been followed and enforcement agencies adequately funded, the mine collapses in West Virginia, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, and many other tragedies would have been avoided."

    John Flowers, chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Party said he is hoping the local party will grow.

    "My goal is that we would be more inclusive to everybody in Lauderdale County, not just Meridian. The more people that we get involved, the more effective we can become in pushing the Democratic platform and its principles and values."

    Flowers has been involved in the Lauderdale County Democratic Party for about eight years, but his roots go further back than that. An Itta Bena native, Flowers was very active in the Democratic Party from the age of 17.

    The local party will have a special called meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. at 1903 Sixth St., in Meridian. All meetings are open to the public.