Meetings took place this week to discuss the need for action to be taken to clean up the NC coal ash ponds that Governor McCrory consistently turned a blind eye to. Not too many people knew of those important meetings trying to give voice to an outcry of the people over the need for clean drinking water because all eyes were on Raleigh. One of many distractions under the guise of a ‘bathroom bill’ that took place this week. There were a lot of misunderstandings, fear and propaganda being spewed but since it is an election year I hope that the people of North Carolina will see the bigger picture, that of politicians who could care less about either side of the issue and simply saw this an opportunity to sell fear for political gain. They are hoping we will forget about things like the coal ash ponds, gerrymandering, budget mismanagement and so much more by distracting us with divisive politics.
It is easy to feel powerless when something like this happens and yet there is something very powerful we each can do…VOTE! Let this legalized discrimination fuel the fire of passionate change for our state and our country. Get involved. Don’t just vote but volunteer, donate, help those that want to build an inclusive society.
(More on that below)
That is one very important and very tangible thing we can do but there’s more. It is more vital now than ever that we keep our sites set on the type of world in which we wish to live and trust that this too is part of that evolution. Stay with me on this.
I remember in May of 2012 when Amendment 1 passed in North Carolina, defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman. The LGBT community and our allies were heartbroken and outraged. I was saddened by the outcome of that vote and yet I knew at the time that although I could not precisely give voice to it, that something bigger was taking place. June 2013 the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was overturned and deemed unconstitutional across our nation, followed by marriage equality recognized across the US by June 2015.
The NC Legislature wasted thousands of our dollars this week and the result was a reversal of civil rights for our state. This law makes it legal for a hotel to deny a room to a gay couple, for a restaurant to kick out a person because she is transgender, and for a city contractor to fire an employee because of his or her sexuality. And if a North Carolinian is discriminated against based on race, religion, gender, national origin, or even disability, he or she does not have any legal recourse in state court. Yes, I can feel my blood pressure begin to rise as I type this so where was I going with “keeping our sites set on the world we wish to see?”
I have a spiritual foundation based on the belief that there is a higher power at work that is always pulling us toward an evolution of consciousness. Now more than ever I rely on my faith that says; somehow this too is part of an unfolding that will be for our highest and best. Unfortunately it took some pretty horrible things in the 60’s to wake us up as a society and push us beyond the racial divide that created horrific events like Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL.
The visual that I want us to take hold of at this time is that of an arrow being pulled back so that it may be propelled forward. I believe that this too will somehow propel us forward. There are too many people who believe in equality for any conservative group to silence that voice. We will not stop, we will not go away and we will continue to be a voice for inclusion even though discrimination has been temporarily legalized in our state. We will continue to hold the vision and know that everyone deserves to be treated equally, everyone deserves respect and the same protections under the laws of North Carolina and the United States and we will continue to know that the next major celebration WILL be when the Equality Act becomes law and makes discrimination anywhere in the US illegal.
#holdthevision
#staythecourse
#lovewins
Dustin Ingalls made this important list for us to have handy in November.
From Dustin Ingalls….
“Don't stand on the sidelines. Put it all on the line in 2016…
Here is a list of strong candidates in competitive races who all deserve your financial support and your door knocks. They're all running against someone who supported HB2, and they can all do something about it when we elect them.
Roy Cooper. Everything starts with a new governor. https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/roycooper…
Linda Coleman for LG. Dan Forest needs to go. Period. https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-1440740063028312064
Josh Stein for AG. Buck Newton ran the bill on the Senate floor yesterday and attacked Roy and Josh. We need Josh as our chief legal officer and can't afford to have someone as retrograde as Buck. https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/josh-stein-2
Charles Meeker for Labor. He'll go to bat for workers and enforce labor protections. And replace Cherie Berry's face in the elevators. https://charlesmeeker.nationbuilder.com/donate
Cynthia Ball for NC House 49 against Gary Pendleton (Wake). 50-50 race between Obama and Romney in 2012. Pendleton barely survived in 2014. https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-9038178425476413440
Chaz Beasley for NC House 92 against Charles Jeter (Mecklenburg). Obama won this seat by 6 points in 2012. It's our most winnable seat on paper, but Chaz can't beat Jeter's moneybags without you ponying up. https://act.myngp.com/Forms/7154232559757494272
Rhonda Schandevel for NC House 118 versus Michele Presnell (Haywood, Yancey, etc.). Another seat we should have in our pocket. Haywood County School Board member running against a villain. https://act.myngp.com/Forms/5080606406330091520
Susan Perry Evans for NC Senate 17 versus Tamara Barringer (Wake). Susan is a school board member who was part of the 2011 sweep of the GOP out of power. This is an R+3 seat that keeps trending blue. http://susanevansncsenate.com/donate
Terence Everitt for NC House 35 versus Chris Malone (Wake). Malone is a reviled former school board member who narrowly won in 2012. https://terenceeveritt.ngpvanhost.com/contribute
Joe John for NC House 40 versus Marilyn Avila (Wake). Former appeals court judge running against former John Locke Foundation director. https://act.myngp.com/Forms/8325168462873823232
Jane Hipps for NC Senate 50 versus Jim Davis in the southwestern tip of the state. http://www.hippsforsenate.net/donate-now/
"Brownie" Ashley B Futrell Jr for NC Senate 1 versus Bill Cook, possibly the worst of the worst Republican Senators, in the northeastern tip of the state. He's survived two very close races in 2012 and 2014, but we'll beat him this time with this former Washington Daily News publisher. Can't find his website.
Michael Garrett for NC Senate 27 versus Trudy Wade (Guilford), the architect of the Greensboro City Council redistricting. https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/mkgjune30
Warren Judge for NC House 6 versus Beverly Boswell (Dare, Beaufort, etc.). This was our seat before Paul Tine switched parties. Boswell seems like the second coming of Mattie Lawson, a crazy Tea Partier who ran the last two times. http://www.warrenjudgefornchouse.com/contribute/
Andrew Barnhill for NC Senate 9 versus Mike Lee (New Hanover). https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-2233092122468808704
Brian Farkas for NC House 9 versus Greg Murphy, appointed to fill Brian Brown's seat in Pitt County. http://brianfarkas.com/#donate
Charlie Pat Farris for NC House 8 versus Susan Martin (Wilson). https://act.myngp.com/Forms/6521758287088650240
Jen Geurin Ferrell for NC House 36 versus Nelson Dollar (Wake). https://act.myngp.com/Forms/8754417802357573632
Gil Johnson for NC Senate 18 versus Chad Barefoot (Wake/Franklin). Barefoot is the epitome of evil. http://www.giljohnsonsenate.org/donate.html”