As usual, John Hood is right on target with his column.
The North Carolina chapter of the NAACP is spearheading a weekly series of protests called “Moral Mondays” directed against Republican-supported legislation such as tax reform and voter ID. Might I respectfully suggest that the participants agree to a weekly series of instructional sessions about free speech in a constitutional republic? Let’s call them “Teachable Tuesdays.”
The need for remedial education in the principles of self-government became apparent during the May 13 protest. One participant held up a sign stating “This is what Democracy looks like!” And Rev. William Barber, head of the state NAACP chapter, remarked that the state capitol police “should not be arresting us. You should thank us for having the courage to tell it like it is.”
These statements represent a sad commentary on the quality of public discourse. In fact, while robust political debate and colorful protests are just fine, attempting to block elected state lawmakers from entering their chambers to conduct legislative business — which is how the Monday protests conclude before the police move in — is precisely the opposite of democracy.
By the way, the outrage is partisan, plain and simple.
By contrast, there really were periods during both the Hunt administration of the 1990s and the Easley administration of the 2000s when Democrats controlled legislative chambers despite the fact that Republican candidates had received more votes. Sometimes the culprit was gerrymandering. Sometimes it was criminal activity (e.g. bribery by former House Speaker Jim Black, now a convicted felon).
Did any of the university scholars, professional agitators, and liberal wonks that populate today’s “Moral Mondays” conduct similar demonstrations against these past outrages? Did they seek to block the policies that resulted — tax hikes, Medicaid expansions, new social programs, etc. — as fruits from a poison tree?
Of course not. They liked what the Democrats were doing back then. They don’t like what the Republicans are doing now. The protests are not about process. They are ideological and partisan, period.
