Archive for North Carolina
Responding to Anti-LGBT Rhetoric in N.C.
Posted by: | CommentsNorth Carolina is in the news again, this time because of an anti-LGBT sermon preached by Pastor Charles Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, N.C. You can see footage of his sermon here.
Make no mistake: the violent theology animating Pastor Worley’s sermon is directly linked to the discriminatory animus at work in Amendment One or the North Carolina statutes that treat LGBT people as second-class citizens.
The violence of Pastor Worley’s message speaks to the evil at the heart of persecution, and it ensnares all of us, including him, including me. It is an evil that seeks to dehumanize people and that seeks to divide communities. It has long lurked in the shadows of religious and political discourse and, periodically, makes itself plainly visible and clearly heard.
What are we to do when such attacks occur? Each of us has an individual choice to make about how to respond.
I often need help cutting through the static of anger and sadness in moments like this. I need help getting to love and, in my own life, I turn to my faith for that help. My faith’s teachings on this point are clear and consistent: no matter how hard it is to do so, we are called to love those who oppose us. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is the fact that my existence is inextricably bound to my enemy’s, whether either one of us likes it or not.
The hard thing right now is to find a way to love Pastor Worley. To do so does not also imply condoning or supporting what he has said. But it does mean choosing to respond to spiritual violence with the only force that can overcome it: love. And it means seeing the violence of his words as an expression of how he too has been wounded by a persecuting system; his theology isn’t just plain wrong, it’s wounded.
But my faith also teaches me that the rhetoric of love is not enough. We must also act to directly resist unjust laws in public life and, as we take action, to express empathy and love towards all those we encounter. This is precisely why and how we take action with the WE DO Campaign and why this campaign will continue growing across the South until we achieve full equality under federal law.
Love has changed the world before and, we dare to believe, it can do so again.
Pat McCrory’s Ethics and Transparency Under Fire
Posted by: | CommentsRepublican candidate for Governor, Pat McCrory, is being taken to task over his financial relationship with a mortgage lender. The news report below investigates the claims and then goes one further, scrutinizing McCrory’s unwillingness to release his tax records. It’s all very fishy. Kudos to WTVD for doing the legwork to actually investigate rather than just doing a he said-he said story.
WE DO video: What happened across NC last week
Posted by: | CommentsCheck out this new video about stage 3 of the WE DO Campaign, which took place across North Carolina – including Asheville, Bakersville and Marshall – from May 9th to May 15th.
In 8 towns and cities across North Carolina, 38 LGBT couples and hundreds of supporters stood up calling for full equality under federal law. Together, we made it clear that Amendment One’s passage was not the end of the story. In fact, we’re just getting started with this movement calling for full equality under federal law.
Priorities
Posted by: | CommentsYour North Carolina General Assembly is back for their short session. You can see Nelda Holder’s preview of the session here. These headlines jumped off the page yesterday and today:
In North Carolina, the GOP is intent on maintaining short-sighted cuts to our children’s education system, but increasing revenue for roads is a-ok. WRAL:
“My guess is it’s (gas tax) going to be something that’s focused on freezing at whatever rate that it’s projected to go down to in July and then freezing it.” Current plans, he said, call for freezing the gas tax for one year and then rewriting the gas tax law as part of a comprehensive tax reform plan the GOP wants to roll out next year. “We have inadequate money going to road projects,” Tillis added. “We’ve got to think about how tolls, gas tax, and other sources of revenue can help us overcome that gap.”
James O’Keefe made a video to bolster the case for NC Voter ID laws. O’Keefe has become notorious for his disinformation campaigns in efforts to further restrict voting. Think Progress:
Amendment 4
Posted by: | CommentsAll property shall be held in common; for as many as possess lands or houses shall sell them and bring the money to the the capitol; distribution shall be unto every person according as they have need.
I wonder how many Christian pastors would be out in front of the polls urging people to support passing that because it’s from the Bible. And not in an Old Testament book written half a millennium before Christ, but by people who knew the man and wrote the Gospels and the New Testament.
Act 4:32 ¶ And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Act 4:35 And laid [them] down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
NCDP Hijinks in Greensboro
Posted by: | CommentsSaturday’s events in Greensboro proved it takes more than business acumen and holding elective office to control a rowdy state Democratic Party meeting. It takes gravitas, stage presence, and experience — more than just the support of top party elected officials.
When outgoing North Carolina Democratic state chairman, David Parker, resigned as promised at a meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC), the six-hour meeting dissolved into near-chaos soon after he left the room. As is often the case, there was more going on than meets the news camera’s eye.
Not Your Garden Variety 501(c)3
Posted by: | Comments
After finding that two of Thom Tillis’ staff members were literally in bed with lobbyists, it makes perfect sense to investigate whether ALEC is in flagrante delicto with legislators. News and Observer:
An advocacy group is asking Attorney General Roy Cooper to investigate the tax status of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group that counts House Speaker Thom Tillis as one of its top members.
Common Cause sent the letter Tuesday just weeks after it filed a whistleblower complaint against ALEC with the IRS, saying it is operating as a tax-exempt nonprofit while lobbying state legislatures across the country.
“Common Cause has discovered compelling evidence that ALEC is a corporate lobby masquerading as a charity. ALEC’s compliance with state tax, gift, solicitation and lobbying laws should be reviewed by your office and/or appropriate state regulatory authorities,” the letter states. “As attorney general, you’re charged with responsibility for ensuring that North Carolina laws are properly applied and enforced. In view of the overwhelming evidence that ALEC is engaged in lobbying, I urge you to review its compliance with all applicable state laws or to refer this matter to the appropriate state regulatory authorities for their action.”
[...]
ALEC named Tillis, a Republican from the Charlotte area, as one of its state legislators of the year in 2011. The organization is holding a task force meeting in Charlotte on Friday and Saturday to consider “model legislation” for lawmakers to introduce.
Somebody’s Pissed
Posted by: | CommentsFilmmaker and Democratic activist Frank Eaton is running for chairman of the NC Democratic Party. The State Executive Committee member is known for the videos he’s done for the party, including his “War on Women” video. Based on the post date, he prepared the video below prior to the May 8 primary. Eaton’s not very happy with the outcome.
Raleigh City Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin has declared as well. She also opposed Amendment One. With campaign and marketing experience, Baldwin wants to bring “new blood” to party leadership and to “Raise a little bit of hell!” along with money. Another business-person-elected-official (we had one of those recently), maybe this one knows which end of the gavel to hold.
State Sen. Don Vaughan is running for chair, too. After the Trayvon Martin shooting and weeks of fallout over stand-your-ground legislation (an American Legislative Exchange Council model bill), Vaughan waited until the day before he declared for chair to resign from ALEC after many years as a member. Not sure whose, but that cigar blew up in somebody’s face.
Which one would you pick on Saturday to represent NC at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte?
The Best News Today
Posted by: | CommentsBesides the President coming out in support of Marriage equality, a move I personally consider a day late and a dollar short, the best news of today came in the form of twitter, doing what no one thought it would and standing up for the privacy and content ownership of Tweets. This could be really huge in the ongoing struggle for online freedom and the preservation of “terrestrial” rights in cyberspace.
To commemorate this wonderful event, I share with you this epic poem.
Secret Amendment One Conspiracy Uncovered
Posted by: | Comments(Cross-posted from Ascend of Asheville.)
Amendment One has passed in North Carolina. What you don’t know is that it passed in part due to the behind the scenes efforts of a cadre of plastic surgeons and medical administrators bent on growing the burgeoning sex-change industry in North Carolina.
In a secret investigative assignment, we went under cover to follow the story. A warning to our loyal readers; this gets pretty graphic, so be warned. Read More→
