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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/11/moral-monday-protests-why-i-participated
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| Why I participated in and got arrested at the Moral Monday protests | Why I participated in and got arrested at the Moral Monday protests |
| (2 months later) | |
| I was arrested for the first time in my life at age 55. There are photos of me in handcuffs in my local newspaper and on local TV websites. My crime? I was with 48 other patriotic North Carolinians singing and protesting in front of the doors of our state's General Assembly. | I was arrested for the first time in my life at age 55. There are photos of me in handcuffs in my local newspaper and on local TV websites. My crime? I was with 48 other patriotic North Carolinians singing and protesting in front of the doors of our state's General Assembly. |
| These protests in North Carolina have come to be known as "Moral Mondays". Like me, many are fed up with our state government's actions, and we have been moved to do things we never thought we would, including getting arrested. I am proud to have played a small part in these protests which have been going on for 10 weeks now. Over 700 have been arrested. Here's why I did it. | These protests in North Carolina have come to be known as "Moral Mondays". Like me, many are fed up with our state government's actions, and we have been moved to do things we never thought we would, including getting arrested. I am proud to have played a small part in these protests which have been going on for 10 weeks now. Over 700 have been arrested. Here's why I did it. |
| I watched the judicial and state wide election returns last November with concern about what may happen to North Carolina if the power of money and gerrymandered districts would lead to a system of no checks and balances. Watching the legislation that has unfolded since my state's General Assemby has convened has been a horror show for many of the issues that I feel are important to my family and my larger "North Carolina family" of friends and acquaintances. I have written letters, phone banked and made phone calls, but it didn't feel like enough. This winter I saw a documentary about the power of woman and protest in Nigeria. Moral Monday felt like the obvious way for me to voice my concerns. | I watched the judicial and state wide election returns last November with concern about what may happen to North Carolina if the power of money and gerrymandered districts would lead to a system of no checks and balances. Watching the legislation that has unfolded since my state's General Assemby has convened has been a horror show for many of the issues that I feel are important to my family and my larger "North Carolina family" of friends and acquaintances. I have written letters, phone banked and made phone calls, but it didn't feel like enough. This winter I saw a documentary about the power of woman and protest in Nigeria. Moral Monday felt like the obvious way for me to voice my concerns. |
| It's very difficult to pick just a few issues out of the many that are under assault in North Carolina, but here goes. | It's very difficult to pick just a few issues out of the many that are under assault in North Carolina, but here goes. |
| Both of my sons are the product of public education K-12 in Durham, North Carolina and the state's public university system. They have had incredible, caring and brilliant teachers who were committed to their economically and racially diverse students. I have seen close up the power of education and teachers in lifting up all students. I don't understand the underfunding and assault on public education and teachers. | Both of my sons are the product of public education K-12 in Durham, North Carolina and the state's public university system. They have had incredible, caring and brilliant teachers who were committed to their economically and racially diverse students. I have seen close up the power of education and teachers in lifting up all students. I don't understand the underfunding and assault on public education and teachers. |
| I have worked in healthcare for over 35 years in Georgia, Mississippi and in North Carolina for the last 23 years. When I lived in Mississippi, I volunteered to treat patients because their Medicaid funding was inadequate and meant no access to life sustaining services. Within the last three years, Medicaid access has been cut in so many areas and now the state of North Carolina will limit further the working poor's access to health care. North Carolina looks alot like Mississippi now. | I have worked in healthcare for over 35 years in Georgia, Mississippi and in North Carolina for the last 23 years. When I lived in Mississippi, I volunteered to treat patients because their Medicaid funding was inadequate and meant no access to life sustaining services. Within the last three years, Medicaid access has been cut in so many areas and now the state of North Carolina will limit further the working poor's access to health care. North Carolina looks alot like Mississippi now. |
| Access to voting is the cornerstone of democracy and my state, which had some of the most progressive voting laws, is on the precipice of the most regressive voter laws in the nation, including a modern day poll tax (penalizing students and their parents who vote in their college town) and multiple other voter suppression laws. It seems if the Republicans can't win, they will gerrymander the districts and block access to the polls. | Access to voting is the cornerstone of democracy and my state, which had some of the most progressive voting laws, is on the precipice of the most regressive voter laws in the nation, including a modern day poll tax (penalizing students and their parents who vote in their college town) and multiple other voter suppression laws. It seems if the Republicans can't win, they will gerrymander the districts and block access to the polls. |
| I hope the Moral Monday movement shines a light on the regressive and mean-spirited politics of the Republicans in North Carolina. While I wish this would mean change in their legislation, it doesn't look like this will be happen. So I hope this wakes up all of us who care about all North Carolinians and not just the wealthy to vote, register people to vote and bring back the moderation that has helped lift up this great state. | I hope the Moral Monday movement shines a light on the regressive and mean-spirited politics of the Republicans in North Carolina. While I wish this would mean change in their legislation, it doesn't look like this will be happen. So I hope this wakes up all of us who care about all North Carolinians and not just the wealthy to vote, register people to vote and bring back the moderation that has helped lift up this great state. |
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