• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

No one could have predicted…

When we show up, we win.

This really is a full service blog.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

This chaos was totally avoidable.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Economics / Austerity Bombing / Moral March on Raleigh

Moral March on Raleigh

by Kay|  February 7, 201410:48 am| 62 Comments

This post is in: Austerity Bombing, Bleg, Domestic Politics, Education, Election 2014, Election 2016, Enhanced Protest Techniques, Events, Fuck The Middle-Class, Fuck The Poor, Daydream Believers, Meth Laboratories of Democracy, Our Failed Political Establishment, Riveted By The Sociological Significance Of It All

FacebookTweetEmail

I got an email from commenter phoebesmother:

My sister, who lives near Chapel Hill, is involved in this movement big time (she’s been arrested and charged, but for some reason the prosecutors dropped all the charges on anyone arrested the day she was arrested, one of the early days). She called me just now to convey HOW EXCITED she is about the march this Saturday, which is a permitted march, not civil disobedience in the manner of the ongoing Moral Monday protests.

You’ve covered this movement earlier and it would be great if BJ (my constant companion) would talk it up before Saturday. She says folks are coming to Raleigh from all 50 counties and from many other states, even a busload of folks from a UU congregation in California. We know that voter suppression laws are this century’s civil rights issue and are hard to fight against. But in NC it’s every bad impulse of the Republicans, from cutting unemployment benefits and Medicaid to real aggression against teachers. She tells me the legislature has passed a “signing bonus” bribery offer to teachers, asking them to sign away their labor rights and return to “firing at will” with no recourse. She says that teachers are wearing stickers and buttons saying “decline to sign.”

HKonJ-FB-banner

Here’s more march info, and here’s why the public school teachers who are part of Reverend Barber’s coalition will be wearing those “decline to sign” buttons mentioned in the email.

On February 8, 2014, tens of thousands of people will gather at Shaw University on Wilmington St. between South St. and MLK Jr. Blvd. at 9:00 a.m. in downtown Raleigh. We will march around 10:30 a.m. after which we will begin the mass people’s assembly on the doorstep of the State Capitol.

For the past seven years, a fusion movement has been growing in North Carolina. In 2006, the Historic Thousands on Jones St. (HKonJ) People’s Assembly Coalition was formed under the leadership of Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and the North Carolina NAACP. It has grown to include over 150 coalition partners.

If you go to the march (and if you’re in North Carolina I hope you do go) remember to “wear red for public ed”.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « I had this really awesome excuse but the dog ate it
Next Post: Whoa »

Reader Interactions

62Comments

  1. 1.

    feebog

    February 7, 2014 at 10:54 am

    They are actually bribing teachers to give away their rights? They think for a one time bonus teachers will be willing to put themselves at the mercy of administrators and politicians? Dumb.

  2. 2.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 10:55 am

    @feebog:

    I love how cheap they are, too. NC teachers are paid less than most teachers in the country. So they “give” them 500 bucks. I mean, really. Bring a serious offer :)

  3. 3.

    negative 1

    February 7, 2014 at 10:58 am

    @Kay: If they’re stupid enough to sign should they really be educating anyone else? Talk about adverse selection…

  4. 4.

    GregB

    February 7, 2014 at 11:04 am

    @Kay:

    Wasn’t that just about the amount of the George W. Bush ‘rebate’ back when we were told the government had too much money?

  5. 5.

    Another Holocene Human

    February 7, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Thanks for posting this. I got an email about it but I’m already committed that day (and it would be kinda far to travel at any rate).

    @negative 1: +1

  6. 6.

    Elizabelle

    February 7, 2014 at 11:06 am

    Glad to hear of this. Go Marchers!

    Plz keep us apprised; on another Saturday could drive and join. This weekend, no.

  7. 7.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    February 7, 2014 at 11:11 am

    Thanks – as always – for keeping us up to date on these. It’s such an important movement, and I always forward these around to folks who don’t read Balloon Juice.

  8. 8.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    February 7, 2014 at 11:14 am

    Well I’m out here to hell and gone on the Left Coast. Is there any way to support the marchers through a donation?

  9. 9.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 11:17 am

    @Higgs Boson’s Mate:

    There is. There’s a donation button on the main page that I linked to.

  10. 10.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 11:21 am

    @negative 1:

    There’ some weasel language, too, seems like budgeting on the 500 bucks is a LITTLE iffy. I have the feeling a LOT of NC teachers are suddenly going to be declared “ineffective” and ineligible for the bonus as soon as those signatures come in!

  11. 11.

    Mike in NC

    February 7, 2014 at 11:32 am

    Fun Fact that I saw not too long ago: public school teachers in NC rank 45th in the country when it comes to salaries. I guess the legislature wants to grab that cherished #50 spot.

  12. 12.

    MomSense

    February 7, 2014 at 11:32 am

    Go Moral Monday! Thank you Kay and phoebesmother!

  13. 13.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 7, 2014 at 11:33 am

    @Kay:

    I have the feeling a LOT of NC teachers are suddenly going to be declared “ineffective” and ineligible for the bonus as soon as those signatures come in!

    Golly, no one would ever do something like that. It would be[Okay, I tried but I can’t go on in that vein. Of course that is exactly what would happen.]

  14. 14.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    February 7, 2014 at 11:36 am

    @Kay:

    Thanks, Kay. Donation in. Things aren’t going that great for me right now, but I’ll be damned if I can’t squeeze out a few bucks for these folks.

  15. 15.

    Served

    February 7, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Kay! You forwarded me to some people to help out on this incident at the end of last year, and the workers won in the end:

    http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-02-03/business/chi-snarfs-workers-get-jobs-back-months-pay-20140203_1_back-pay-minimum-wage-the-workers-organizing-committee

  16. 16.

    Ben Cisco

    February 7, 2014 at 11:37 am

    The NCGOP is going to get their asses handed to them, and I for one cannot wait.

  17. 17.

    Ripley

    February 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

    @negative 1: Punching down?

  18. 18.

    Punchy

    February 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

    A bit OT, but is this Peak TeaTard? I cannot imagine anything stoopitor than this….

  19. 19.

    hoodie

    February 7, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    @Ben Cisco: I hope that ‘s the case, but I have my doubts. It will be interesting to see if Clay Aiken can get traction. He sure as hell has name recognition, but I wonder if NC has the sense to elect an openly gay candidate. That campaign may get ugly, hats off to Clay for trying.

  20. 20.

    Belafon

    February 7, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    @Punchy: We will never reach peak wingnut until they are punished for their idiocy. We have not gotten to the point yet.

  21. 21.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 12:06 pm

    @Served:

    Ha! I remember that. Thanks so much for letting me know how it came out:

    The Workers Organizing Committee of Chicago union said Monday that about a dozen fast-food workers who were laid off two days before Christmas from Snarf’s Sandwiches, 600 W. Chicago Ave., will be getting their jobs back and a month’s back pay.
    In a filing with the National Labor Relations Board, the union claimed the owner of the shop retaliated against workers after they took part in a Dec. 5 strike aimed at increasing the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour, from $8.25 per hour. Snarf’s workers were paid about $9 per hour.

    I think we have a functioning NLRB now after years of inaction, so that probably helped.

  22. 22.

    kindness

    February 7, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    I feel for all the good people in N. Carolina. It wasn’t too long ago that N. Carolina was billing itself as the sane place of the south. Now….not so much.

  23. 23.

    negative 1

    February 7, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    @Ripley: I work for a union, there’s only solidarity or betrayal. I punch in whatever direction they try and screw us from.@Mike in NC: I’m sure they can have it when they pry it out of South Dakota’s cold, dead hands. It’s amazing that they’re such a ‘success’ story since they struck oil money and yet they don’t seem to be funnelling any of that into an investment in the future of the state. Makes one wonder about all of the newfound revenue that the Keystone pipe will bring everyone, doesn’t it?

  24. 24.

    Roger Moore

    February 7, 2014 at 12:14 pm

    @Punchy:

    I cannot imagine anything stoopitor than this….

    Your lack of imagination does not put a limit on teabagger stupidity. At least in this case they’re responding to something trivial that the Girl Scouts actually did. They’re perfectly capable of launching the same kind of over the top response to something completely imaginary.

  25. 25.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    @Punchy:

    This made me laugh.

    Charlie Crist:

    “About a million of my fellow Floridians are not getting health care today, and I am told by friends SEIU (sic), that means six people in Florida die every day as a result of that. Every day,” Crist said.

    Every day, Rick Scott kills 6 people :)

    I followed Crist a bit when he campaigned for Obama in 2012 and he’s a vicious campaigner, although he smiles constantly.

  26. 26.

    Mike in NC

    February 7, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    @hoodie: One of the clowns seeking the GOP nomination in my Congressional district is named Woody White and apparently 20 years ago he was an advocate of rounding up and jailing openly gay people. He has yet to state his current opinion on the topic, since he apparently thinks being the most ultra-conservative in the running will guarantee him a win.

  27. 27.

    schrodinger's cat

    February 7, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    OT: The US Olympic Team’s uniform is atrocius, the cardigan with stars looks like a Pajama top.

  28. 28.

    Ben Cisco

    February 7, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    @hoodie:

    That campaign may get ugly

    Will and has:

    Roche also says Ellmers is vulnerable and told an audience in Pinehurst last month that’s why so many Democrats have jumped into the race. When a man in the audience asked Roche if he could beat Aiken, the question drew laughs, but Roche said he considered Aiken a serious-minded person with a real shot at winning the primary.

    Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/02/05/4663971/clay-aiken-makes-it-official-he.html#.UvUYefRDvks#storylink=cpy

    They’ll show their ass, a few more people will see it, and slooooowwwwly the ship will turn.

  29. 29.

    Ben Cisco

    February 7, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat: Hipster chic!

  30. 30.

    Gene108

    February 7, 2014 at 12:40 pm

    @hoodie:

    Statewide race, I doubt he could win. Outside of the college towns, the vote was overwhelmingly to ban gay marriage.

  31. 31.

    schrodinger's cat

    February 7, 2014 at 12:43 pm

    @Ben Cisco: They have paired it with white pants. So it looks like mismatched pajamas, fugly.

  32. 32.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 7, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    It’s great to see this movement blossoming and prospering. It gives me hope that we might yet avoid “The French Solution” for setting this ship right.

  33. 33.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    It’s 100% US-made for the first time! All of it, materials, the whole thing.

    I don’t think the people who constructed the garments should be held responsible for the design, however :)

  34. 34.

    Jibeaux

    February 7, 2014 at 12:46 pm

    There are 100 counties in NC, btw.

    Got some friends going, kids prevent me from going. The teacher thing, they’re eliminating so-called tenure anyway and only 25% would be eligible for the bonuses. How they’ve decided that only a quarter of teachers deserve it is anyone’s guess. Not taking the money is a protest of the whole thing. I’m proud.

  35. 35.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 7, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    As was noted when the uniforms were first unveiled, there is method to the madness…no one gay would be caught dead in such fashion nightmares, so it’s all about camouflaging the US Olympic team from Putin-homophobe scrutiny.

  36. 36.

    catclub

    February 7, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    @Punchy: Nope. Daily Meme at Tapped showed they are simply maintaining on their outrage (of many years) over the Girl Scouts. I feel like calling up a Girl Scout and ordering some.

  37. 37.

    schrodinger's cat

    February 7, 2014 at 12:49 pm

    @Kay: We have Ralph Lauren to blame for those fashion don’ts, I think.

  38. 38.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 7, 2014 at 12:50 pm

    @Punchy:

    That’s pretty stoopid, ’tis true. I’m sure they’ll find new nadirs of stoopid, however. They always do.

  39. 39.

    Maody

    February 7, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    WOWIE ZOWIE! I’m phoebesmother’s sister and want to thank her (love ya, KB) and Kay for posting this. Anyone who loves or lives in North Carolina should not miss the boat tomorrow.
    ALL ROADS LEAD TO RALEIGH http://www.hkonj.com/ #WhyWeMarch

  40. 40.

    Jibeaux

    February 7, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat: between those Olympic sweater nightmares and those 60 pound pubescent waifs he calls models interrupting my Downton, I’m about done with that guy.

  41. 41.

    hoodie

    February 7, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    @Gene108: 2nd congressional district, 50% urban/rural. Ellmers won with 55% against a former military guy with no name recognition. From what I understand, party insiders encouraged Aiken to run, so they may think his local popularity may give him a chance. I wonder if some of those middle aged ladies that voted for him on American Idol will do him a favor again and stick it to their teatard husbands. The guy was a phenom around here for a while.

  42. 42.

    schrodinger's cat

    February 7, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    @Jibeaux: I have never much liked his clothes. The clothes in those ads that air before Downton are terrible, the hats and the jewelry is over the top and weighs more than the models.
    Speaking of Downton here is my review of the latest episode.

  43. 43.

    burnspbesq

    February 7, 2014 at 1:12 pm

    @hoodie:

    I hope that ‘s the case, but I have my doubts. It will be interesting to see if Clay Aiken can get traction. He sure as hell has name recognition, but I wonder if NC has the sense to elect an openly gay candidate. That campaign may get ugly, hats off to Clay for trying.

    And it’s hard to imagine that he could be worse than NC’s last celebrity congresscritter, Heath Shuler.

  44. 44.

    Mnemosyne

    February 7, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    @Kay:

    As I said when they were first unveiled, that’s the sweater you wear to a knitting convention so all of the other knitters can marvel at your mastery of intarsia.

    The stories behind the “made in America” stuff are pretty cool — here’s one about the farm where they got the wool. There is very little US-produced yarn available. Most of the yarn spinning happens overseas, especially Turkey, so it was a really big deal for Ralph Lauren to get everything produced.

  45. 45.

    brantl

    February 7, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    The Repubs are now doing the ideal in labor-saving, get the victims to stab themselves in the backs, at bargain-basement prices..

  46. 46.

    cmorenc

    February 7, 2014 at 1:16 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Fun Fact that I saw not too long ago: public school teachers in NC rank 45th in the country when it comes to salaries. I guess the legislature wants to grab that cherished #50 spot.

    What the GOP would actually prefer to do is to effectively transform the school system to a mostly private or charter school system with taxpayer support, and whittle/wither the public school system down to a pale remnant of its former self. As a corollary, they want to whittle/wither down the portion of teachers who are public rather than private employees.

  47. 47.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 1:23 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Thanks for the link. I love those sorts of stories.

    I only knew about the uniforms because Sherrod Brown rants about this constantly :)

    Sherrod Brown ‏@SenSherrodBrown 23h
    Team USA is wearing Made in the USA during #Olympics. Federal agencies should be wearing Made in the USA every day.

    Made in the USA is wildly popular here – Republican, Democrat, doesn’t matter. It’s even better if you point to something that’s made in-state, or even in-county. I don’t know why more politicians don’t talk it up.

  48. 48.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 1:32 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    “They brought us into the fold and gave us all of their expertise,” Jeanne Carver said.

    They brought the sheep lady into the fold! I wonder if she always talks like this, all sorts of sheperd references.

  49. 49.

    Gene108

    February 7, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    @Jibeaux:

    WTF is the point of being a teacher, if they eliminate job security? The “money”?

    I’m sure the pensions have already taken a hit.

  50. 50.

    Mnemosyne

    February 7, 2014 at 1:38 pm

    @Kay:

    It’s becoming kind of a big thing in the knitting world and several companies are based on bringing consumer yarn production back to the US, mostly on the East Coast.

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne

    February 7, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    @Gene108:

    They’re supposed to do it for the pure love of teaching and not expect to receive filthy money in exchange for their labor. What are you, a communist?

  52. 52.

    Gene108

    February 7, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    They never expected to receive (much) filthy money for teaching. The trade-offs were job security and a pension, when you retire. Take the latter two away and why get into teaching? You could do better in a lot of other jobs.

  53. 53.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 7, 2014 at 2:02 pm

    @Gene108:

    I’m sure the pensions have already taken a hit.

    Hey, those car elevators in La Jolla don’t pay for themselves, you know.

  54. 54.

    Kay

    February 7, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    @Gene108:

    The tone-deafness shocks me. I get that they have an ulterior motive – end pensions, destroy unions, race to the bottom on wages, but how blunt it is surprised me in Ohio and again in this instance. It feels like an attack to me and I’m not a teacher. My general response in Ohio was “WTF? Since when do we all hate these people?” I was right, too. Turns out we didn’t all hate public employees. What is the point of this slash and burn approach? Why make them your enemy?

  55. 55.

    negative 1

    February 7, 2014 at 2:31 pm

    @Kay: Because in the end public education used to be one of the bulwarks against privatization. You could scream about lazy city employees, greedy garbagemen, etc. but the easy argument used to be that police, fire, and schools were evidence of the necessity of government. Schools were so necessary that the various districts’ property values would fluctuate with the perceived quality of the schools. So you couldn’t starve the beast without it adversely affecting the citizenry. It took a while, but they finally chipped away at that. Now the only arguments you get to use on the necessity of government are police, fire, and roads and only two of those get a pension.

  56. 56.

    rikyrah

    February 7, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    thanks for keeping us aware, Kay

  57. 57.

    Missouri Buckeye

    February 7, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    @schrodinger’s cat: That model in those Ralph Lauren commercials that bumper Downton seriously needs to eat (don’t watch Downton, but do watch Sherlock, which was on after Downton).

    It seems rail-thin models are coming back again. How many anorexia deaths are enough for those people?

  58. 58.

    Brian R.

    February 7, 2014 at 4:03 pm

    The sign-your-rights away deal reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns tries to get the union to swap their dental plan for a keg of beer.

  59. 59.

    WaterGirl

    February 7, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    @hoodie: I was really impressed with Clay Aiken’s announcement video that explained why he is running. Maybe someone else has a link.

  60. 60.

    jean

    February 7, 2014 at 4:51 pm

    Have questions about the upcoming #MoralMarch in #Raleigh? Here’s the reasons behind it, directly from the mouths of the people involved. Thousands from all over #NorthCarolina. People like you. http://www.candidslice.com/in-their-own-words-the-purpose-of-the-moral-march-in-raleigh/

  61. 61.

    CindyH

    February 7, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    @Maody: I’m going and bought bus tic for my husband and daughter who now can’t go.
    Luckily my church (uu) has a couple of our youth who want to go so I donated the seats .
    I don’t believe and don’t pray, but I am praying for huge turnout despite bad weather forecast.
    And Rev. Barber is amazing to hear even for atheists like myself

  62. 62.

    Maody

    February 7, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    @CindyH: Cindy – UU in CHill or somewhere else? There are 10 full buses leaving Chapel Hill/UNC?Cmty Church. Atheist here as well – who cares, Dr. Barber is a leader for this time. Not only can he rouse a crowd, he’s also, too, a hoot.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Image by MomSense (5/10.25)

Recent Comments

  • sab on Late Night Open Thread: #TSLA Troubles (May 21, 2025 @ 1:02am)
  • columbusqueen on Late Night Open Thread: #TSLA Troubles (May 21, 2025 @ 1:01am)
  • patrick II on Tuesday Night Open Thread (May 21, 2025 @ 12:53am)
  • Tim C on Late Night Open Thread: #TSLA Troubles (May 21, 2025 @ 12:50am)
  • Jackie on Late Night Open Thread: #TSLA Troubles (May 21, 2025 @ 12:39am)

PA Supreme Court At Risk

Donate

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
War in Ukraine
Donate to Razom for Ukraine

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Meetups

Upcoming Ohio Meetup May 17
5/11 Post about the May 17 Ohio Meetup

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Hands Off! – Denver, San Diego & Austin

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

PA Supreme Court At Risk

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!