The latest news from North Carolina is that a panel of three state judges has just smacked down the GOP legislature’s hyper-partisan laws limiting our new Democratic Governor’s ability to appoint his own cabinet. Oh yeah and before that, we elected Roy Cooper, Josh Stein, and Justice Michael Morgan. And before THAT, a federal court ordered the NC GOP legislature to redraw its shameful gerrymandered districts and hold new legislative elections in 2017 (REALLY SOON). The final decision on that one rests with the Supreme Court, and everyone here is rooting for them to get their butts in gear. But before THAT, Reverend William Barber and his people got Moral Mondays started and started fighting the gerrymandered GOP legislature that brought us such travesties as HB-2.
In other words, the Third Reconstruction in North Carolina is proceeding apace and the people’s voices are starting to be heard.
One of our fearless leaders is State Rep. Graig Meyer, who is hosting an ongoing Facebook Live series called Our Shot, boosting Democratic efforts to find candidates for elections in redrawn districts in 2017 (or 2018, depending on the Supremes). Rep. Meyer is a Generation-Xer (like yours truly) and is starting to show up on everyone’s radar as an emerging leader for NC Democrats.
Every month, Our Shot has an ask. Last month it was getting involved with LEAD-NC and the NCDP Pipeline Project as a potential candidate (or nominating a potential candidate), and pledging $17/month to keep making more episodes. As you can see from the graphic above, that goal was met and then some!
This month’s our shot happened a couple of days ago.
The asks this time were a little different and I think the first one is an exercise that every liberal should take some time to think about. What are the three core values that underlie the decisions you make and the policies and priorities you support? I decided mine were:
- Equality under the law
- Knowledge
- The Future
I think if pressed I could probably explain most if not all of my positions based on these values, although I reserve the right to rethink before I launch a campaign.
The second ask was to pick an advocacy organization that you can support and get behind them, letting the experienced activists show you the way. I can think of NO BETTER WAY to do this than to turn out for #HKonJ this Saturday in Raleigh if you can. Yeah, it’s Dr. Barber’s and the NAACP’s show — so put your feet where your values are and give them your support, especially if you are a recently mobilized, white liberal person. Imagine the statement that would make, HISTORIC thousands, with everyone mobilized by Trump now standing behind the people who have worked so hard the last several years to build Fusion politics in North Carolina.