GOP should heed ‘Moral Monday’ protests (NC)
As the crowd gathered Monday evening in the rotunda between the House and Senate chambers of the N.C. General Assembly, the anthem “We Shall Overcome” was sung with gusto. That was fitting, as civil disobedience was a hallmark of the civil rights movement. Watching the demonstrators being arrested and led to a bus that would take them to jail, it was impossible not to admire their gumption.
Mothers left toddlers with spouses. Older demonstrators moved slowly and carefully. Some undoubtedly had been in demonstrations in their youth. And youth ... yes, some of those arrested were young people. They were cheered and serenaded. “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.” Righteous speakers shouted, “Let justice roll down!”
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That so many would appear in this latest edition of “Moral Monday” demonstrations ought to at least get more than passing attention from the Republican lawmakers whose legislative actions have prompted the protests. But in this age of Republican rule, those in power apparently couldn’t care less. And Gov. Pat McCrory drew the line at civil disobedience. He said, “We should not give credence to unlawful demonstrations.” So he repudiates the “unlawful” actions of civil rights demonstrators in the 1960s?
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These demonstrations have been building, and signs are that they will continue to do so. The Rev. William Barber, head of the state NAACP, has raised awareness of the GOP’s foolhardy plans and actions, but this movement, and a movement it is, has now gone beyond an individual or one group.
As the cross-section of demonstrators proved, this is about all of North Carolina.
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/06/04/2939052/gop-should-heed-moral-monday-protests.html#storylink=cpy
And so goes our fate, so goes other states under the new influence of ALEC. Take heed and prepare.
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http://www.wral.com/-moral-monday-protests-have-unintended-impact/12515977/
"Lawmakers including Sen. Neal Hunt, R-Wake, have taken note but say the mass arrests aren't affecting what's going on inside the legislature.
"They certainly have an opportunity and privilege and voice opinions, but I don't think it'll make a difference though," Hunt said. "It's basically a total difference in philosophy. We think that free enterprise is the best way to go to make sure people have the motivation to do the best they can for themselves. The other side is government needs to do more and more."
That's not surprising to Steve Greene, associate professor of political science at North Carolina State University. He says protests are usually the only hand people in the political minority can play.
"And they don't usually work, because you're stuck on the outside," Greene said. "You don't have rich lobbyists and everybody in the legislature who's going to listen to you."
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After the first four weeks of protests, General Assembly Police had spent an additional $11,000 in personnel costs, and the Raleigh Police Department, which has been involved in the arrests and transportation of protesters, had spent an extra $16,000 on staff.
The City-County Bureau of Identification, Wake County Detention Center and Wake County Magistrate's Office have also had to bring in additional staff to book protesters.
The cases then end up in Wake County courtrooms, where, Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby says the prosecutorial staff and judges have to look at each case individually and see it through the court system.
"If we have to try all of these cases, it will take weeks and weeks of court, of judge time, of prosecutor time," Willoughby said.
He fears the number of people arrested could more than triple by the end of the legislative session this summer.
"By the time the General Assembly recesses, we may have a thousand cases pushed into a system that is already strained," Willoughby said.
For him, he said, it's not about politics but about pragmatism. "I don't think the people who are doing this understand what they're doing to the system," Willoughby said. "They're not punishing the General Assembly. The General Assembly is not hurting because of this. The people who are getting punished are the citizens of Wake County."
