Earlier this year, ultra-right Republicans took over both houses of North Carolina’s legislature and the governor’s office. They immediately started changing North Carolina. They are moving to cut taxes for the rich; raise taxes on the poor; reduce Medicare and unemployment coverage; institute a voter ID law; remove college students from voting rolls in their college town; move toward fracking; allow charter school teachers without college degrees and uncertified to teach core classes, be hired without criminal background checks; increase school bus speed limits to 55 mph because slow buses are dangerous; do away with the Racial Justice Act which rooted out bigotry in death penalty cases; lower local building standards to state standards; allow the establishment of a state religion; forbid the use of science in climate change discussions such as zoning for rising sea levels; reduce school funding; reduce environmental and industrial safety regulation; required that students learn multiplication tables and cursive writing; and on and on...
A few weeks ago, the NAACP organized a march and assembly at the legislative building. They called it Moral Monday. Its purpose was to remind lawmakers that they are being watched. Each time a portion of the demonstrators have been arrested.
Yesterday was the fifth Moral Monday held. More than 1,500 protesters showed up, 151 were and carried to jail.
As I was walking over to see Moral Monday, I crossed Capitol Square. There in the western yard of Capitol Square, beside North Carolina’s 1833 Capitol, was Governor Pat McCrory having a catch with an armed guard.
Minutes later, Capitol and Raleigh police were arresting citizens for hanging out too long in the still open legislative building. Those arrested included several members of clergy, elderly with canes, one wheelchair-bound paraplegic — 151 in all.
During the arrests, the State House of Representatives was holding a session with the citizens’ gallery sealed, preventing the observation of their actions.