Chants like, “Forward together and not one step back,” were heard from the state capitol where thousands of people from all over North Carolina attended Moral Mondays, in which they protested against a number of controversial issues and listened to a wide range of speakers.
The speakers at Moral Mondays consisted of members of the NAACP, songwriters, students, and ordinary citizens. The enormous crowd was primarily composed of Democrats who fought for women’s right to their own body, easy voting access, gay rights, raising teacher salaries, and much more. The freedom fighters were so passionate they were willing to get arrested to make a statement, for there were over 900 arrests. Democrats opposed Pat McCrory, North Carolina’s Republican governor, for he recently signed a restrictive anti-abortion bill and a voter ID bill.
The restrictive anti-abortion bill imposed additional regulations on abortion clinics. It limited health care coverage for individuals who have insurance and also banned sex-selective abortions. McCrory and other Republicans argued that the restrictive anti-abortion bill would result in safer conditions.
“I’m pro-life because you should at least give someone a chance to live. If you have the resources to raise a child then you should. It’s only fair to them,” said Thomas Day, senior.
On the other hand, many Democrats, like Sandra Danskin, senior claim that this bill alienated their rights. Danskin said, “I understand that there should be precautions when getting an abortion, but women should have the right to their own body.”
The Voter ID Bill requires voters to show photo identification in the 2016 elections. Student IDs are not acceptable anymore, and voting will be shortened by a week. The voter ID Bill also eliminates pre-registration for sixteen and seventeen year olds. Republicans argued that the voter ID bill will help eliminate voter ID fraud.
Republican Day said, “As long as a state provides a free way to get IDs then it’s perfectly legal. It will prevent voter fraud too.”
On the other hand, some Democrats thought Republicans just wanted to keep them out of the polls. Danskin said, “The voter ID Bill has more negative consequences than positive ones. Every U.S citizen should have the right to vote. Voting should not be this complicated.”
There will no longer be weekly Moral Monday assemblies at the state capital because this session is over, but that does not mean these protesters are finished fighting. The NAACP and other Democrats are traveling around North Carolina in order to get their voices heard.
