Friday, July 26, 2013

Next Moral Monday protest could be biggest ever

The Moral Monday protests rocking North Carolina will likely escalate next week as anger mounts over the Legislature's assault on voting rights, public education and middle-class pocketbooks.  Organizers of the Moral Monday rallies, which have so far resulted in 925 arrests for civil disobedience, are preparing for a huge turnout next week.

State lawmakers put the finishing touches on their anti-worker agenda last night when they backed final passage of  the worst voter suppression measure in the nation. During the now-ended session, legislators closely followed the corporate-empowerment  script prepared by ALEC and promoted by the state’s billionaire budget director, Art Pope.
As Twitter user Kdog-WNC tweeted:
Unfortunately the Pope has decreed that these things shall come to pass.
This picture shows a man holding a sign explaining the reduction in state voting rights.
Residents will be out in force to protest voter repression bill.
North Carolina Teamsters have been contacting elected officials to voice their anger over bills that hinder voting by minorities, the disabled and working-class and senior citizens.   The Legislature also raised taxes on middle-class families and slashed public education funding. North Carolinians have been flocking to social media to express their disgust at the anti-worker platform approved by the GOP-led Legislature. Some sample tweets:
Education Votes ‏@edvotes 24 Jul
NC educators, parents, students & others to attend mass #MoralMonday on 7/29 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RYKiAB6liM&feature=youtu.be …. State lawmakers put on notice. #NCAE
Sad - a letter from an NC teacher who can no longer afford to teach. Why are we not ashamed? #NCLEG #ncgov bit.ly/1c91uxT
Edward ‏@USMC_Liberal 1h
I was going to make a joke about #NCLEG inserting insane language into an unrelated bill but they've already used up all my material.
North Carolinians are not taking this lying down. They are pissed and planning to take to the streets in Raleigh Monday. Moral Monday organizers are calling out to all those against this anti-worker agenda to come to the Statehouse grounds to be heard:
Join us at Halifax Mall for a Mass Moral Monday March & Interfaith Social Justice Service as we strengthen our faith for the battle ahead and send every attendee from every part of the state back home to be a trumpet of conscience and agent of change.
Stay tuned.