In an effort to shed even more light on the great nonpartisan organizing work young folks are doing this summer, I wanted to share this video and blog link from some students working in Winston-Salem:
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Monday injected the Obama administration into the emotional and politicized debate over the future of state same-sex marriage bans, declaring in an interview that state attorneys general are not obligated to defend laws that they believe are discriminatory.
Straight from the lips of Attorney General Eric Holder. It's your call on whether or not to defend the ban based on whether or not you think it is discriminatory. Do you?
In one of his last acts as a Congressman, Rep. Mike McIntyre is trying to strip my marriage and the marriages of couples just like us across North Carolina of federal recognition. He's going out swinging, trying to harm North Carolinians as he goes, even if it means standing alone with the Republicans as he does, giving them cover to call this bipartisan.
This is the kind of act that is helping drive youth into the growing ranks of the independents in this state rather than the shrinking ranks of the Democratic Party. His stance is firmly rooted in the past and on the wrong side of history, in opposition to Senator Hagan's and Attorney General Cooper's support of marriage equality.
As 2013 is coming to a close, I've been thinking a lot about the year in review lately. There were local elections, a crazy legislative session, and of course Moral Mondays. The Supreme Court misguidedly struck down part of the voting rights act, but also struck down some marriage discrimination statutes as well. It has been a mixed year of frustration and hope for the future.
Though those red equal signs felt ubiquitous when they went viral through social media earlier this year with the Supreme Court marriage case, I was still a little surprised to learn when reading the Advocate today that it was on people's profiles in every single county in the US. And by extension in every single county in NC. Nowhere in the nation or state is without allies. That is a profound and heartening thing to know.
I've just returned from a day at the NC NAACP annual state convention in Rocky Mount. Though I had been to quite a few NAACP meetings in the past, I didn't make it official until joining in April of this year. Little did I know the wave of Moral Monday activism that would be ahead. This was my first time going to the state convention, and as I do with many political activities, I thought I'd share here on Blue NC to encourage folks to attend a local branch meeting for your area and see what you're missing out on if you're not at the state convention.
Of course we had a Democracy NC table set up to pass out our legislative reports, our 2013 get out the vote wallet cards, and other materials we've produced:
In a continuing effort to share these whenever they mention NC, here is this week's Marriage News Watch. The politics of the marriage equality fight in New Jersey could prove interesting since it involves a 2016 potential presidential hopeful.
As we continue to expand the WE DO Campaign, we are adding a new action. On October 22nd, LGBT couples who are legally married are saying “We did!” by registering their marriage licenses at their local Register of Deeds Offices across North Carolina.
I'm just getting back from one of the many rallies and events around North Carolina and around country today to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the lead groups behind it is the National Alliance of Latin American & Caribbean Communities along with more local and statewide partners like Asociación de Mexicanos en Carolina del Norte. At the event I attend I heard voices ranging from passionate arguments for equality to a heartbreaking tale of how a broken immigration system has devastated lives.
I've joined in some marches with these students, and they have been powerful. If you're someone who has ever said, the next generation really needs to take up the mantle of fighting for justice, then you're someone who needs to be here to show support for their efforts to do just that. Here's the information on the event from a NC NAACP e-blast.
Moral Monday 18 To Be Led By Youth
Monday, September 16, 2013 at 4:30 PM
First Baptist Church, 101 S. Wilmington St. Raleigh
I've joined in some marches with these students, and they have been powerful. If you're someone who has ever said, the next generation really needs to take up the mantle of fighting for justice, then you're someone who needs to be here to show support for their efforts to do just that. Here's the information on the event from a NC NAACP e-blast.
Latest reader comments