Moral Monday Protests Inspire Truthful Tuesdays

By Matthew Charles CardinaleSPOKANE, Washington, Feb 3 2014 (IPS) Moral Monday, the populist movement in North Carolina that saw a diverse coalition of thousands of progressive activists descend upon the state legislature, is now spreading throughout the U.S. South. “I think it’s a sign the body politic is healthy in the U.S. One of the cheap benefits of U.S. citizenship is the right to petition your government and protest unjust laws. I think it’s a sign of health, I expect that it will spread,” Janice Mathis, vice president of the Citizenship Education Fund, told IPS.   Protesters attempt to deliver a letter to Gov. Nathan Deal on Jan. 28 that explains the consequences of not expanding Medicaid, a social healthcare programme for low-income people, in the state of Georgia. Credit: Courtesy of Gloria Tatum, Atlanta Progressive News Moral Monday was first formed in North Carolina in April 2013. More than 800 people have been arrested in Moral Monday protests that have involved entering the State Capitol. Weekly attendance in North Carolina has been estimated at around 2,500 people. North Carolina’s Moral Mondays have focused on opposing Republican redistricting and other voting changes, cuts to public education and social programmes, proposed changes that would increase the sales tax, challenges to abortion rights, and other issues. So far this year, Moral Monday protests have started in Georgia, and “Truthful Tuesday” protests have been formed in South Caro...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Active Citizens Civil Society Democracy Education Featured Headlines Health North America Poverty & MDGs TerraViva Europe TerraViva United Nations Citizenship Education Fund Income Inequality Moral Monday South Carolina Progres Source Type: news