Moral Mondays

By Ted Resnikoff

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This story is re-posted from UU World Online and first appeared on May 20, 2013. - Ed.

Sometimes words aren't enough

North Carolinians jailed for protesting conservative legislation; Texas UUs detained, deported after visiting factory in Mexico. By Michelle Bates Deakin The first day of the workweek has a new name in North Carolina, where “Moral Monday” is drawing more protesters to the North Carolina Legislative Building each week. On Monday, May 13, six Unitarian Universalists were among 49 arrested while protesting laws that curb access to voting rights, education, health care, and unemployment payments, as well as bills that would expand citizens’ rights to carry concealed weapons in public places. It was the third week of Moral Monday protests, spearheaded by the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP. The civil rights group is organizing protests of a legislative agenda of “extremist policies” that it says would disproportionately affect the poor, African Americans, Latinos, women, seniors, and students. This week, the Rev. John Saxon, lead minister of the UU Fellowship of Raleigh, joined the protest. He was arrested along with the church’s former minister, the Rev. Tom Rhodes, and four laypeople from the Raleigh fellowship and the Community Church of Chapel Hill UU. “Sometimes words aren’t enough,” Saxon said. “Sometimes we have to speak out and stand up simply because it is the right thing to do.” Read the full story here.