June 19, 2013
MEDIA ALERT
CONTACT: Francis De Luca (919) 834-2099 Francis.DeLuca@NCCivitas.org
RALEIGH – The Civitas Institute has posted an online analysis of who is being arrested at the recent “Moral Monday” demonstrations outside the North Carolina General Assembly.
Civitas analyzed arrest records and other public documents about the people arrested recently for disrupting the legislature. The results of this thorough analysis can be found at http://www.nccivitas.org/moralmonday/.
“Questions have been raised about who is really involved in these protests,” said Civitas President Francis X. De Luca. “We decided to get some answers. They provide surprising insights about those arrested and where they come from.”
The data and graphics on the site indicate their city and county, age, employment, sex, political party and more. Also, the Pick the Protester game allows viewers to test their intuition about mug shots of those arrested.
Click here to access the site.
The Civitas Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Raleigh, NC. More information on Civitas is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Jim Tynen at james.tynen@nccivitas.org or (919) 834-2099.
This is a really strange posting and I have no idea what this crazy organization is trying to communicate. I’m a liberal, I believe in free speech and the right of citizens to protest. I don’t believe corporations are citizens and I don’t believe the GOP controlled NC Legislators are acting in the best interest of NC citizens. The people you are posting are heroes and have my respect and admiration.
Making a game out of protestor mugshots? These folks were exercising their constitutional right to protest. In what way does your choice to ridicule them align with your vision “of a North Carolina whose citizens enjoy liberty and prosperity derived from limited government, personal responsibility and civic engagement”?
This database also lists organizational affiliation, and our place of employment. It is bad enough names are included, which can be easily used to find out where we live. It also tries to make an issue of whether our voter registration address is the same as our living address, which could be different for multiple reasons. For instance, I am registered to vote in Pitt County, even though my “permanent residence” is in Brunswick. This is common among students – but of course the funders of Civitas want to make students vote where they spend 1/4th of the year, so they include this info so as to manufacture a crisis.
“The vision of the Civitas Institute is of a North Carolina whose citizens enjoy liberty and prosperity derived from limited government, personal responsibility and civic engagement.” -unless, of course, you don’t agree with them.
“People arrested recently for disrupting the legislature.”
This is a lie or error. Moral Monday protesters have not disrupted the legislature.
What exactly is your intent in posting where these people live and work?
If this extreme mean spirited organization was wanting attention to its extremism and the extreme Republican, not so bright politicians it has managed to get elected, you’re now getting that attention. The growing protest in Raleigh and national media are shining a light on Civitas Institute and its extreme right wing ideology being put into law in Raleigh and the damage such repressive small minded people can do to an entire state. Missing from the hand picked and purchased Art Pope politicians is humanity, vision, empathy, ethic and common sense. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-20/whos-getting-arrested-on-north-carolinas-capitol-steps
Yes, as your article said “you’ll be surprised who the protesters really are”. Whereas I was not personally surprised as to where the demonstrators and those who have gone to jail hailed from… what I was surprised about was how and why the Civitas Institute would try such a sinister cyber trick especially when it contradicts and makes a fool out of our Governor. Both the Governor and ranking members of the GOP led legislature boldly proclaimed that the demonstrators and those being arrested were “outside agitators” and should be ignored. Well, guess what, as it turns out, according to your own analysis 98% of those you tracked are residents of North Carolina. 98% hardly seems to be the influence of “outside agitators” to any logical thinking person.
Good job Civitas, although we know your motives were not in the interest of citizen involvement and free speech but no doubt you should be sure to send your findings on to the Governor and Legislators so that they will not speak so ignorantly in the near future.
Pure evil like the rest of the GOP.
Small governmant no way controlling mean spriited and anti democracy this is the GOP of today.
The elderly gentleman in your asinine “pick the protester from Wake County” ‘game’ today is my family member, Mr. Arleigh Birchler. Mr. Birchler is a Vietnam-era vet, a retired registered nurse of 40+ years service, and a Unitarian Universalist minister. Have YOU done as much for your country and community as he has???
How nice of you to mock an American army veteran in this season of honoring American veterans! Congratulations, Civitas…you just made an immoral jackass of yourself on Moral Monday.
Oh, oh – lest you accuse ME of being an outside agitator – I live in Johnston County, and I’m descended from Joshua Hinson of Columbus County, born in 1783, and William Godwin of Johnston County on the other side, born in 1780. Are we “Carolina” enough for you now?
Civitas has reveled who the protesters are but not why they are protesting. If someone is willing to be arrested for their beliefs, I want to know what they are. Also since Civitas does not want to waste tax payer dollars and they have all the contact info
they should use this forum to let the protesters explain their actions. I want to see the number one reason for each protester.
I was arrested as I was exercizing my First amendment rights. I have not yet been listed on the civitas mugshots site. When I am posted there along with my measly salary as a public university professor I shall wear it like a badge of honor And proud to have stood up along with others who believe in decency and morality.
I refuse to be intimidated by Pope Civitas hit squad.