North Carolina faces many grueling and difficult political fights this year. Among them is the fight over Amendment 1. We Are NC has initiated the consensus-building necessary to fight against Amendment 1. We Are NC is a campaign of organizations, religious institutions, and individuals working together to defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment. You can find them on Facebook or their webpage.

If you don't know much about Amendment 1, here's the rundown: 

On May 8, 2012 North Carolinians will vote on an amendment that would establish "Marriage between one man and one woman” as the “only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state." Now, this is not only an issue around LGBTQ rights, but also heterosexual couples. Yes, the GOP-lead General Assembly has managed to create legislation that goes against their own voting base.

We Are NC is not recklessly fighting against this measure, but has defined their stance and principles on this issue. Here are their principles:

1. We are against the amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman.
2. We are for equality.
3. We are against government telling places of worship who they can and cannot marry.
4. We are for separation of church and state.
5. We are pro family.
6. We believe the constitution should expand rights, not limit them.
7. We believe this amendment is harmful to business and the state’s ability to compete.

Among those that have come out in support of We Are NC are the Greensboro Atheist Organization, Occupy Greensboro, Proximity Hotel, O. Henry Hotel (Obama stays there when he's in Greensboro, NC), and College Park Baptist Church. Supporters range in voice and identity, but the common idea is that Amendment 1 harms all people, regardless of sexual identity. Moreover, the state of North Carolina, one of the fastest growing in the nation, will face a downturn if this Amendment is passed. 

The entire nation, however, should support the cause against Amendment 1. After all, if it were to pass that act alone could be enough to instill and cement support for similar bills across the nation. In the coming weeks I will be seeking bloggers to support this move by placing the We Are NC logo on their blogs, FB pages, or other sites. If you are someone wanting to support this move on your page or blog, please email me at libsandcons@libsandcons.com or put your name in the comment section below.

The General Assembly of North Carolina has become intoxicated and maligned with such bigotry and hate that they are willing to limit the rights of heterosexuals. It's time to take a stand against this show of vitriolic demonization of our common humanity.

Though the achievement gap between white and black has narrowed in recent decades, the gap between rich and poor has only increased according to a New York Times article. This heightens the all-important conversation about taxes and spending both in Washington, D.C. and in state governments. Changing the current economic atmosphere, and insuring every child has a chance to succeed will require greater funding, and a change in the minds of Americans. Both are easier said than done. 

The question between rich and poor is more than a question about money--it's a question of time. Meredith Philips, associate professor of sociology at UCLA has found that by the time high-income children start school they have spent 400 hours more than poor children in literacy activities. Money allows for the ability to send children to daycare or preschool, which provides a greater opportunity for success. However, when parents must work 2 or 3 jobs to keep food on the table, parents are not able to spend time with their children reading Goodnight Moon or The Little Engine That Could. 

Researchers say that finding a solution is difficult, with one even remarking that "the cupboard is bare." His, perhaps, is a poor choice of words when speaking about this subject, but the point is made: solutions are being demanded when all the options have been tried. 

But have they?

This week North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue announced a 3/4-cent sales tax increase to help education remain at the top in the nation, and fund continual improvement. The sales tax had been allowed to expire by the Republican-dominated General Assembly in 2011. And, no, it's no surprise that people are willing to risk the education of young people in order to take more money home. 

Throwing money at the educational crisis, alone, will not solve it, but it certainly helps. We need to look at the entire structure. 

For example, in at-risk communities we need to put skilled technology training back into classrooms. While welding or carpentry might be helpful, newer computer training and manufacturing training will go much farther in this skilled-labor economy. These communities are the ones that will get the training, spend the money in the local area, and create new jobs for their fellow neighbors. Economic change happens when people have access to education and job skill training. 

Even as I write this, I know that no matter how many flashy graphs, sparkling charts, or powerful data one provides there will still be naysayers. Sadly enough, people are selfish and would rather take the easy way out when it comes to societal transformation. We are called to fight even stronger for all people, and to help others see that it's not about "us vs. them," but a deeper human issue. 

Our common humanity thrives when people choose to not only work together, but mutually enhance one another. From sea to shining sea we need education for this republic to improve. We need education so that we can foster future trumpets of peace and hope when the darker side of human existence begins to take over. We need education so that our future ancestors can live successful, peaceful, healthy lives. Tax cuts now live us deprived in the future. 

May we think with our hearts in our minds, and see that all people deserve and must receive a live-giving education. 

Yesterday, a good friend mentioned to me, “We’re living in interesting times.” Interesting—an equivocal word opening doors to questions as to what, exactly, is really going on. At any time throughout history people have uttered this word, albeit in a myriad of languages. Perhaps when fire was first discovered our ancestors remarked in whatever language, verbal or not, “We’re living in interesting times.” When African tribes looked out onto the ocean’s horizon and gazed upon the ships sailing forth, they said, “We’re living in interesting times.” Still, when the television was invented, or the theory of relativity came about, or even when the Bastille was stormed people remarked, “We’re living in interesting times.” Interesting, it seems, is the word for change, and the word for uncertainty.

In Thursday’s New York Times Gail Collins writes about the ongoing contraception controversy and the Catholic Church, Nicholas Kristof writes about the decline of the low-skilled white class, and on the front page an article about the U.S. and Israel’s differing views on Iran sits above the fold. To put it simply, we are living in interesting times. Betwixt all these articles there comes wave upon wave the element of change, and movement. Pluralism and globalism act as the catalyst for changing dogmas and mores, but changing are more than morals. The way our world operates is changing.        

Gail Collins writes, “The problem here is that they’re trying to get the government to do their work for them. They’ve lost the war at home, and they’re now demanding help from the outside.” The Catholic Church sees its power and privilege dwindle a bit more even unto the point of rallying around religious liberty—a position no one would see coming even in the early 20th century. 

Forces of globalism and pluralism have pushed hard upon even the strong bastion of doctrine and faith, forcing it into a conflict. This conflict, however, is not between government and Church, but rather the Church and itself. The Church wants to remain relevant, wants to attract followers, but now finds itself at odds with this mission.

Nicholas Kristof suggests creating more “liberal” social policy to help stem the rapidly dwindling low-skilled white class. His subtle point is not lost: if you want to change the “loss of American values” you should reimagine those values in light of the changing world. The globalized world demands higher education and services that allow for engagement in a global market. In the United States what was once possible—finding low-skilled, well-paying employment—now is impossible. 

Kristof, however, would do well to point out the structural issue at work for caring about the low-skilled white class. Not to put too fine a point on it, people of color having been living the plight low-skilled whites are living now live for generations. To create a revitalization of the United States, whatever policy is created, we must reinvigorate all people, regardless of race. It is true, however, that we’re living in interesting times when you need an associates degree to find a manufacturing position.

Tidal waves and torrents of change slam upon the market landscape, and the moral landscape too. Kristof’s call for progressive social policy finds reflection in the current contraception controversy Collins engages. Creating progressive social policy that will transform and better enable society will create controversy. One side effect of more progressive social policy is the change in mores, as the Catholic Church currently demonstrates. Conspiracy theories rise as well. Those supporting the theories are religious groups that think they are targeted by secular (read: governmental) forces.

Arthur Goldwag, author of Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies and ’Isms & ’Ologies, writes in his article for The Atlantic about the connection between McCarthyism and Glenn Beck. Goldwag puts it succinctly when he says, “Like Father Coughlin, Billie James Hargis, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, and so many other right wing media crusaders before them, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and Laura Ingraham understand that for many religious Americans, "evil" is not just an adjective but also a noun. When the Puritans first arrived in New England, they believed they were reclaiming a wilderness from Satan. Many traditionalists on the right, whether Christian Millennialists or not, feel much the same way.” As change and differences arrive, those that want to resist the change create elaborate tales about the “other” that creates an atmosphere of fear.

Fear plays upon the human psyche deterring it from embracing and discovering how the “other” can enhance humanity. People remain afraid because they are told elaborate stories that insure they remain afraid. In the end, those spinning the tales take the fear to the bank. The fear prevents the creation of progressive social policy that enhances all. 

Fear stays in our minds, and can change our view of life. For Gail Collins’s mother-in-law this occurred when her priest told her, “You’re no better than a whore on the street,” for taking birth control. When God becomes a central player in the narrative of fear, storytellers possesses unparalleled power that makes a bull in a china closet look like a mouse in a canyon.

Goldwag closes his article by stating, “Whether a product of one's own forebodings or a cynical attempt to promote them in others, conspiracy theory creates a feedback loop that is almost impossible to escape from. And thus it has always been.” Goldwag has history on his side, but the rest of us have the future. The theories will change, the storytellers will change, but fear will always come home to roost. That is as long as “We’re living in interesting times.”