Where Do We Go From Here by William Jeffries – Voices of Moral Mondays

The NC Council of Churches is proud to publish a brand new e-book collection of testimonies from Moral Mondays. With 32 short vignettes from North Carolinians across the state, Voices of Moral Mondays tells the story of everyday folks being motivated to speak out on account of their faith. Many, though not all, of the accounts describe what it was like to engage in civil disobedience and be arrested by the authorities. Click here to download the free e-book.

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By Rev. William Jeffries, retired United Methodist Minister, Durham

It has been a refreshing experience to participate in Moral Monday rallies. It has given voice to those who are frustrated by the North Carolina General Assembly’s turning the clock backward on social programs.

A key to reversing this “race to the bottom” is rescuing the elections process from suppressive measures, so that young, elderly, and poor voters do not have their votes denied:

• Many who dwell in retirement facilities, as I now do, are no longer able to drive, and do not have up-to-date driver’s licenses. Let us, as individuals, and as organizations, offer information and transportation to Division of Motor Vehicles offices to get a North Carolina government-issued photo I.D. card, which will be asked for at the polls.
• Help folks get their voter registration up-to-date at the county Board of Elections office.
• Help folks get to the polls for elections during the reduced early voting period. Arrive as early as possible in the day and on as early a day as possible, to avoid long — even prohibitive — lines. Polls will not be allowed to let people vote after closing time, no matter how many are still in the line!

Hopefully, there will be successful court challenges to the suppressive changes that have been made. But meantime, let us do what is still available to us in order to protect people’s right to vote. Let us pay special attention to the “lesser” elections that take place in non-presidential election years and any off-year elections that will be held before then.

Our churches and other civic-minded agencies can do much now to rescue our society where government has failed them. Let us demand justice, as did Amos and the other Prophets!