N.C. Moral Mondays: Happy birthday arrest, MsSpentyouth!

With the arrests of 151 people on "Mega Moral Monday" (June 3) in protest against the Tea Party Republican legislative tsunami, the Tar Heel State has seen a total arrest figure of 304 in five waves of civil disobedience since the end of April. More than 1,500 rally-goers gathered at the N.C. General Assembly building in downtown Raleigh to lend their voices and their support to the growing movement to slow down the firehose of ultra-conservative bills being put forward by the new Republican supermajority, spearheaded by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

I missed this protest because of pneumonia, but I'll drag my sorry, coughing ass to Raleigh on Monday, June 10, to celebrate my 53rd birthday with songs of protest, some plastic wrist ties, and a bus to the local correctional facility.

I've been a citizen lobbyist traipsing through the halls of the General Assembly two or three days a week since March. I've met with scores of legislators and their assistants, and I've gabbed with the conservative lobbyists who themselves drafted the bills that are being voted on. One representative called me a "baby murderer" when I delivered information to his office about the potential effects of reproductive-rights restrictions. I was called a terrorist when I told one senator that a bill to introduce a state religion would trample the rights of those of us who aren't Christian.

So it's not for lack of trying to engage in civil discussion that those of us opposing this odious slate of legislation are brought to the point of reclaiming "The People's House" by coming inside to sing songs of peace and refusing to leave.