The fight in North Carolina wages on into its 4th week. Ever since the people of this state elected a Republican Governor, a Republican House and a Republican Senate, the wheels have begun to fall off in the name of, “balancing budgets”. Gov. Pat McCrory and his Right Wing cronies have had backroom and midnight legislation passed without even a vote in some of his key moves. “If you meet with lobbyists secretly but refuse to meet with us publicly, you are violating the constitution,” said Rev. William Barber, North Carolina President of the NAACP.
McCrory’s GOP surrogates have made certain to pass other legislation including dismantling the Head Start program, making the Voter I.D. national argument a law, overturning Obamacare, decreasing Unemployment benefits from a maximum of $500 a week to $350 weekly and decreasing the length of Unemployment from 26-weeks to 13-weeks.
Rev. Barber stated in an interview, “They have cut 30,000 children, Black and white, from the preschool rolls,”. He continued, “They are trying to restart the death penalty. And we have the highest number of people on death row who have been exonerated. They have ended Sunday voting and have rolled back early voting. When we looked at all this, we decided that we had to go to another level.” This is a systematic attack by McCrory and the Republican party of North Carolina but what they didn’t count on was the backlash that has ensued.
Thanks to Rev. Barber, national attention is being brought to the ‘unrest’ in Raleigh in which Blacks and Whites, young and old, clergy, students, professionals, blue collar and white collar workers have stood together at the Legislation Building in what has been deemed, “Moral Mondays”. As they sing Spirituals and chants during the protest, the police have handcuffed and ushered them off to prison. They’ve also stood and prayed as they get ready for the next wave of what they call “civil disobedience” toward change.
They are fighting decisions to make cuts to Medicaid, education, unemployment and voting rights. Together they lit candles. Each one representing groups affected by these cuts. That’s what has made this movement similar to the Civil Rights Movement when Dr. Martin Luther King became the center of “change”. You had All types of People in All walks of Life supporting what was seen throughout the country, throughout the world as the worst form of discrimination. We see again the same Movement with All People coming together against a group seemingly passing legislation to continue to keep the ‘Elitists’ for and above the lowly.
How can people achieve the smallest of dreams when they’ve been laid off of work and need assistance through unemployment to make ends meet? With a family of four or more, $350 week won’t do it. Or how about Medicare assistance? If the Republicans have their way, that assistance will be null and void, leaving thousands of elderly searching for financial and medical assistance elsewhere. Has the Republican Party come up with an alternative to offset these cost to the elderly? NO! The overwhelming viewpoint to the protesters is They don’t care. Haven’t we seen this before?
The Head Start program that has been a major benefit to single parents is under fire as well. The GOP is looking to disband it causing preschoolers to be left in the cold and the single parents searching for other means of educational options for their child/children. And everyone knows the pre-years are the most important for children to get a “Head Start” and be prepared for elementary school.
Now, with the Voter I.D. legislation about to become law as well, this State is just about ready to boil over with discontent for this Government. And as we head into week 4 of the “Moral Mondays” protest, it’s time for National Attention to be brought to North Carolina. B.E.T. interviewed Rev. Barber recently so it has begun. But now, Big Guns need to be brought in to solidify the movement.
Understand people, just because Rev. Barber has taken the lead in this protest, this is Not an NAACP movement. EVERYONE in North Carolina is being affected by the Republicans continued barrage of unfavorable legislation. Medicare cuts will affect the elderly whether you’re Black or White or Latino. The unemployment benefits will affect Everyone, Black or White or Latino. The Head Start Program affects mostly low income people, Black, White or Latino. The Voter I.D. law will affect Black, White or Latino. With sweeping legislation, the Republicans have come in and done exactly what the Nation is trying to do across the board, get richer, make their corporate buddies richer and keep the low income and disenfranchised beneath them without a chance of progressing.
Amazing how some things Never change.
