Democratic Party is Dissing Women, Women are Disengaging

The Democratic Party has announced plans to back anti-choice candidates. This plan disrespects women’s health, welfare, safety and economic security!!  Supporting anti-choice candidates throws women’s needs under the bus. Women are really angry, and disengaging, and even leaving! One CNN article called it “Democrats’ disastrous mistake on abortion,” 8/5/17. 

Some of my older friends (who are not already unaffiliated) want to take it up with the Democratic party, but my younger friends (not even that young) just want to leave them in the dust.

Please tell them and show them your outrage, rather than disengaging. To other friends and members who are unaffiliated, think about what it means if neither major party supports reproductive rights.

Pro-rape New Hampshire Representative was exposed

A New Hampshire Representative was exposed as the founder of a men’s rights misogyny and pro-rape group. “Bonnie Bacarisse of The Daily Beast made a recent discovery that Republican Rep. Robert Fisher (R-NH) is in fact the founder of the “Red Pill,” a men’s rights misogyny group based on the online forums Reddit and 4chan.”

Fisher, 31 years old, is the son of a preacher. Daily Beast found him out, tracking many user names back to him. Bacarisse published the article on 4/25/17. 

“[Fisher] blasted women for their “sub-par intelligence.” He said that women’s personalities are “lackluster and boring, serving little purpose in day to day life.” And Fisher once commented, “It is literally the [female] body that makes enduring these things worth it.” “

                Women protesting outside of hearing, Photo Credit: Inside Sources

Upcoming events for May and June 2017

Here are some of the upcoming events around NC. 5/18/17 – Added the Health Care Moral Tuesday event on 5/23/17 and the Independent Judiciary Town Hall meeting on 5/25/17.

1) Tell Burr & Tillis: Special Counsel NOW!

There are many opportunities to reach Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis about the need for Congress to find Special Counsel to investigate Russian interference into the U.S. Presidential election. 

a) In May, people are protesting in front of Senator Thom Tillis’ office in Raleigh every Tuesday at 11:30am. Bring signs – and NOW signs are welcome! Go to 310 New Bern Avenue, Raleigh NC. You’ll see people. 

b) Senators Burr and Tillis are featured at an event in Raleigh on May 12, 2017 at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. Some people are going to protest there all day, basically.

Protest permit was issued for 11:30am to 9pm on Fayetteville St, by the hotel. The press conference will be at 4pm – so go at 3:30pm if you can.

Burr/Tillis Town Hall – their presence in posters only – on 3/5/17. Photo Credit: Sarah Sydney

Protesters demand that NC senators support a call to

Tax Day Protest In Fayetteville – 4/15/17

Fayetteville NOW sponsored a silent, non-violent protest on April 15th, 2017 at the Market House in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina.  The protest went from noon to 1:00 p.m. They did so to express their disappointment in this President’s continuous refusal to disclose his personal tax returns and to air other concerns with this administration.

People were invited to express their own objections to this administration (whether it’s the tax issue, election hacking and/or this administration’s Russian associations, health care issues, Supreme Court nominee, his environmental (EPA) positions, etc.).”

Photo Credit: Pam Wade

Events week of 4/16/17, great tax march signs!

Did you go to any of the many tax marches that were around the country on 4/15/17? Buzzfeed captured some great signs.  There was wonderful coverage of the Tax March On Raleigh with HUNDREDS of people on many TV stations, including WRAL. See WRAL’s at “Raleigh ‘Tax March’ protesters demand release of Trump’s tax returns.” The News and Observer really low-balled the count in “Protesters say Trump keeping tax returns secret is worrying“, not clear why. 

NC NOW Legislative Update #7

Legislative Update for the week ending March 19, 2017, by NC NOW’s lobbyist, Robin Davis

Governor Cooper has issued his first veto.  He vetoed the bill that would make elections of District and Superior Court judges partisan.  Cooper, who led the fight to make judicial elections nonpartisan in 1990 when he was a state senator, said that judges should be elected based on their experience and ability, not on their political party.  He also noted that candidates not affiliated with a party would have a very difficult time getting on the ballot because they would be required to get signatures of 2 percent of the voters in their districts.  A three-fifths vote in both houses will be required to overturn the Governor’s veto, which is the expected outcome because Republicans have veto-proof majorities in both houses.

Both the House and the Senate have turned their attention to their respective budgets.  The budgets differ in details, but both houses are proposing plans that will benefit business and the wealthy through changes in the tax laws with the Senate plan more drastic than the plan being considered in the House.  For more details and a comparison of the proposed plans, see  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article138891468.html

As protest at the legislative building increases, the General Assembly police are studying ways to increase security.  This is an issue we need to keep an eye on.

See http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article138206883.html

Videoing protesters in NC Legislative Building during protests of ‘Special Sessions’ in December. 12/15/16. Photo Credit: Susan Eder

NC NOW Newsletter – March/April 2017

Latest newsletter at NC NOW Newsletter, March and April 2017. This description is from the President’s Voice section on the front page, telling you what is in the newsletter.

People have woken up in NC! We had an unbelievable turnout at the Women’s March On Raleigh (WMOR) and in 12 other cities in NC!! And 3 weeks later at the Moral March and HKonJ Assembly on 2/11/17 had its largest turnout to date. The WMOR had estimates ranged from 12,000 to 40,000 people. Read about the WMOR on page 4. Read about HKonJ on page 2. People are raring to go!

Also, constituents have found a new way to deal with elected officials who are trying to ignore them—have the meetings without them! This is happening with town hall meetings around the state and country! And this may be happening with NC bills sent to die in committee. More on page 2 and page 5.

Some realize the value of experience, and NC NOW is helping provide that. NC NOW, LWV, BPW and ACLU did an Advocacy 101 training on Feb 16, and are planning another for March 28 at NCAE. More on page 3.

To get news and events and actions in a timely manner, please send your current email address to president at raleighnow.org. Or join or volunteer through our website at www.northcarolinanow.org. Stay up to date on NC NOW and local chapter news through email and facebook.

“Advocacy 101: The Basics” – 3/28/17

NC NOW is working together with League of Women Voters of Wake County, the ACLU-NC and Paula Wolf on a second presentation of Advocacy 101 training. Learn or review some basic skills for the Citizen Advocate with us on Tuesday, March 28, at the NCAE building in Raleigh. The “Do Your Job” theme must be reinforced with all levels of elected officials, especially Legislators (NC House and Senate), and Congress (US House and Senate). Click on the flyer below to get tickets or go directly to eventbrite. 

Note: the first Advocacy 101 event we held filled up in the first 3 days it was posted (filled up in January for showing on 2/16/17)! 

So many friends old and new at HKonJ, a homegrown phenomenon!

We had an unbelievable turnout at the Moral March and HKonJ Assembly on 2/11/17, in Raleigh. According to signs and songs, people are upset with NC’s leadership, and also with chaos from the whitehouse, and unfit nominees being confirmed to 45’s administration despite valid arguments against them and many protests. One example is Betsy DeVos, and Senators Burr and Tillis ignoring their constituents. Read more in “Burr and Tillis: F for Fail!”

Marchers gathered at Memorial Auditorium, at 2 E. South Street, for speeches and singing, and marched together to the end of Fayetteville St, with the State Capitol in the background.

Hats and signs! Photo Credit: Elise Paliga

Bunton: Galvanized to action, I went to DC to march!

The election of Trump galvanized many people in this country to take action. As a woman, mother and grandmother, I was more than appalled that my fellow citizens could elect someone so uniquely unqualified to lead one of the largest democracies in the world. I knew that I couldn’t sit back quietly. That even though I had retired from the workforce, I could not retire from speaking truth and lifting my voice for those who couldn’t. When I learned of the plans for the Women’s March on DC; I jumped on the bandwagon along with over 500,000 and possibly a million like minded people!

View in Subway – All Going To The Women’s March, One Subway of Many! Photo Credit: Lori Bunton