Below is the cover article from the current April print issue of NC Capitol Connection that will fill out the goals and objectives of our Toxic Agenda campaign at Civitas. The campaign is essential because there is nothing more important than an informed and engaged citizenry when it comes to public policy. Keep reading to find out more.
Toxic Agenda Aims to Shine Light on True Goals of Political Left
By Ray Nothstine
The Civitas Institute is launching a comprehensive campaign to further educate North Carolinians on the dangerous goals of leftist policy and ideology for the state and nation. Toxic Agenda: What the Left Really Wants for North Carolina is a signature project for Civitas that delves into a wide array of issues, focusing on the failures, and at times, the absurdity of the Left’s desire for control over the citizenry.
An additional reason for the need for the Toxic Agenda series is that the Left could potentially thrive more and more in a society and culture that becomes increasingly politicized.
The rise of cultural Marxism in many segments of corporate America, academia, and the government is empowering the Left to new heights, which includes a propensity to overreach to enact their agenda. And while their power and objectives are currently stymied in North Carolina, this could potentially change after just one election.
“Poisons and harmful chemicals are always required to come with a warning label. We believe harmful, detrimental policies should too,” reads a March press release from the Civitas Institute. Civitas President Donald Bryson added that “It’s time to have a candid conversation about what progressives want for the Tar Heel State. It’s important to read the ingredients when a charlatan is selling snake oil.”
While everyday citizens might not be laser-focused on specific policy proposals, especially outside of election season, Civitas has the staff and resources to inform supporters and the general public of what they can expect under a progressive political takeover. Furthermore, the need for accountability and transparency is essential since many traditional news outlets continue to grow increasingly partisan, often taking sides or cheerleading for particular agendas and left-leaning political campaigns.
Readers can expect Civitas to cover a host of issues from gun control to abortion expansion to crony capitalism and unethical election policies. “In this [Toxic Agenda] series, we have articles on a range of issues that will affect all North Carolinians, both economically and socially,” Bryson said. “There is an essential watch-dog component and civil vigilance to this work as well.”
Issues like the dangers of minimum wage myths and the expansion of abortion are already up on the website. Gun control is an increasingly popular issue that will be covered in June. Many other topical issues will be covered with examples that include poverty programs, religious liberty, and school choice.
“Our Toxic Agenda series lays out what to expect if the Left returns to power,” says Bob Luebke, director of policy at Civitas. “We chronicle the Left’s response to major policy problems and the disasters that followed. Toxic Agenda will not only fuel our love of freedom and our conservative values but also soberly remind us of the consequences of those who have taken the Left’s medicine. In simple terms, consider Toxic Agenda a big long warning label that highlights the discomfort that follows a wrong diagnosis by the Left and the bad medicine that follows.”
Thomas Jefferson warned that “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.” Civitas is confident that the Toxic Agenda campaign will help to foster a further engaged and educated citizenry, that will hopefully move the needle to roll back regulations and barriers that prevent North Carolinians from flourishing while preserving freedom.
All of the pieces that have been completed so far can be found at ToxicAgendaNC.org.
