Springsteen cancels NC show in solidarity!

[yankeefan7]

"Personally, we have cancelled out travel plans to NC for this summer.  We've been thinking of NC as a potential retirement location, but it is off the list as long as this law stands."

 

Sad to hear that because NC is a wonderful and beautiful state with many great people. It has been growing quite a bit especially in Charlotte the last 5-10 years. I understand and respect you for following your beliefs.

[SNAFU]

"Since Governor McCrory is up for re-election in November, guess we will see what the voters in NC think about all of this."

 

 And THIS is the point of why the cancelations and pull outs are important! Yes, there IS collateral damage however, people have to learn that who they elect into office to represent them is important and not something to take lightly. It is a sad fact that people will not wake up till it hurts them financially.

 

[Kad]

Snafu is right, per usual.

NC voters put McCrory and their legislators into office, and unfortunately it is NC voters who now have to bear the burden for having done so.

[madbrian]

And since this a law and not an executive order, the people of North Carolina need to elect a legislature that will repeal this law.  Unseating McCrory is not enough.

[javero]

It's a very scenic state with several top flight colleges and universities.  Politically, the state is in transition due to changing demographics, an influx of retirees and high tech workers from other parts of the country, and a more diversified economy.  I have a boatload of family down there still but will not be returning permanently.  The Evangelicals and I didn't get along while I grew up there nor now.  And they are a force to be reckoned with anywhere in the public sphere.

Many of the comments on FB from folks in my home town and areas east of Raleigh have left me shaking my head.  Outside of the major cities, a patriarchal streak runs throughout.  Many of the FB comments are prefaced with "no wife or daughter of mine..."   While I deploy his tactics, McCrory has his share of supporters.  See Hundreds rally for McCrory, NC legislators supporting House Bill 2.  Between HB2 and the latest battle over gerrymandering, NC could play heavily in the general election.  Obama/Biden carried NC in 2008 but not in 2012.

ETA: Word on the street is that McCrory has his eye on the White House in 2020 after re-election.

[madbrian]

This may be a bit of a tangent, but Sanders & Co keep talking about a political revolution.  What we need is for dems/liberal to vote in mid-term elections, and to take back state houses.  While winning the White House feels good, the impact is often tempered when the states are dominated by the GOP.  

[Kad]

There is no revolution yet. Hopefully all of these people who have decided to pay attention to our politics will continue to do so beyond November, regardless of who wins.

There can be no smug feeling of accomplishment that follows a victory- whether that victory be a presidential election, a Supreme Court ruling, or state legislation. That leads to complacency, yet complacency is what has followed recent victories.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Yankeefan, you've made the same point about the arena workers losing a night's pay at least four times in this thread. Did it occur to you that maybe some of those same people might be affected by this abhorrent law? Perhaps they wholly support the cancellation, for all you know.

[AEA AGMA SM]

I'd also guess that at least some of those workers are probably people who applauded the passage of this abhorrent law. Odds are that they are not all "innocent" workers.

[Kad]

You'd be guessing correctly, I would wager, since- as of last week- 51% of North Carolina residents thought HB2 was a good idea (even though many think it will hurt their state's image and hurt their state's ability to attract business).

http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/politics/2016/04/4/exclusive-poll--majority-of-voters-approve-of-hb2--but-worry-it-hurts-state-business---image.html

[javero]

Unhappily, I just learned that this guy was a friend of mine during childhood and baseball teammate.  He is one of the most virulent anti-LGBT forces in NC and recently endorsed Ted Cruz.  After attending high school in another district I lost contact with many folks around my age back home.  Check out his take on the media response to HB2.

This promises to be a protracted battle.  I watched several LGBT friends and family members suffer mainly in silence while growing up there.  It's disheartening to learn that little has changed outside the urban enclaves decades later.

[madbrian]

I think I mentioned this on another thread, but someone needs to challenge this law ASAP and push it through the courts to the SCOTUS.  Even without a 9th justice, this court would vote 5-3 to strike this down.

[yankeefan7]

"Yankeefan, you've made the same point about the arena workers losing a night's pay at least four times in this thread. Did it occur to you that maybe some of those same people might be affected by this abhorrent law? Perhaps they wholly support the cancellation, for all you know."

 

You may be right, maybe some are for the cancellation. I am willing to bet even if they agree with Springsteen cancelling the show they still will probably miss the extra money they were scheduled to make that evening. I am not saying they make a huge amount of money but in the current economy every little bit helps. My whole point and nobody brought it up besides me was that the cancellation did effect innocent people who had nothing to do with this law being enacted. Most people thought it was no big deal because people who bought tickets to the show were getting their money refunded. When people voted for McCrory in 2012 this issue was nowhere on the radar screen. If you read about McCrory's time as Mayor of Charlotte (14 yrs), he was considered a moderate Republican and not some right wing nut job.  BTW - Charlotte is a Democratic party city so for a Republican to constantly win they can't be very conservative. I just read headline that McCrory is taking some executive action regarding the law, did not get the full details.

[yankeefan7]

"You'd be guessing correctly, I would wager, since- as of last week- 51% of North Carolina residents thought HB2 was a good idea (even though many think it will hurt their state's image and hurt their state's ability to attract business)."

 Wow, you think a poll of 600 people fairly represents what the state thinks about this issue. I think the election in November will be a better judge. From your link below.

 

"About: 600 state of North Carolina adults were interviewed by SurveyUSA 04/01/16 through 04/03/16. Of the adults, 540 were registered to vote and were asked the questions included in this survey. "

[javero]

yankeefan7 wrote: "My whole point and nobody brought it up besides me was that the cancellation did effect innocent people who had nothing to do with this law being enacted."

 

That fact was never lost on me.  I'm just not comfortable dismissing any group of people as collateral damage in the nation's latest culture war.  By analogy, there are Cubans alive still who've never supported the Castro brothers either, nor did they have the connections to facilitate an escape when the Castros assumed power.  Nevertheless, they're all in the same boat now.

[yankeefan7]

"NC could play heavily in the general election.  Obama/Biden carried NC in 2008 but not in 2012."

As I said in another thread, NC hosted the Democratic convention in 2012. I wonder how such a "horrible" state could host the Democratic convention.

[yankeefan7]

"By analogy, there are Cubans alive still who've never supported the Castro brothers either, nor did they have the connections to facilitate an escape when the Castros assumed power.  Nevertheless, they're all in the same boat now."

 

I would like to think we are better than Cuba.

[javero]

"I would like to think we are better than Cuba."

That's arguably up for debate and an appropriate subject for another thread.  The Castros came into power as a consequence of ousting the even worse monster Fulgencio Batista to whom we gave aid and comfort until he became a liability.  We tend to do our dirt abroad.

[Kad]

yankeefan7 said: ""You'd be guessing correctly, I would wager, since- as of last week- 51% of North Carolina residents thought HB2 was a good idea (even though many think it will hurt their state's image and hurt their state's ability to attract business)."

 Wow, you think a poll of 600 people fairly represents what the state thinks about this issue. I think the election in November will be a better judge. From your link below.

 

"About: 600 state of North Carolina adults were interviewed by SurveyUSA 04/01/16 through 04/03/16. Of the adults, 540 were registered to vote and were asked the questions included in this survey. "

 

"

Do you think they just found 600 of the most unreasonable North Carolinians? That's how polls work. They use representative population samples.

Maybe you're in denial about what your fellow citizens believe. You keep bringing up Charlotte, over and over- that's ONE city, containing less than 10% of the state's population. 

[artscallion]

yankeefan7 said: "...NC hosted the Democratic convention in 2012. I wonder how such a "horrible" state could host the Democratic convention.

 

"

I think it's interesting that you keep arguing how progressive NC is, while at the same time complaining what a bother and inconvenience this move towards progress is for the poor people of NC

[adamgreer]

yankeefan7 said: ""NC could play heavily in the general election.  Obama/Biden carried NC in 2008 but not in 2012."

As I said in another thread, NC hosted the Democratic convention in 2012. I wonder how such a "horrible" state could host the Democratic convention.

 

And do you not remember the brouhaha over that? Many Democracts wanted to see the convention held elsewhere, given that shortly before the convention the state had passed another piece of anti-gay legislation. 

 

[Kad]

It's also remarkable, yankeefan7, that you have never once condemned the legislation.

[madbrian]

Regarding McCrory, he seems to be following the path of many moderate Republicans as they try to move up through the party.  In other words, he's had to sell whatever soul he had.  Look at McCain.  He tried to run as himself in 2000 and lost, so he went to the dark side in 2008 in order to get the nomination.  Similarly, Romney tacked way to the right in 2012.  I even think Christie was a decent person before he realized he was the future of the party, at which point he became a cutthroat conservative.  The further a Republican goes up their food chain, the further to the right they have to go in order to protect themselves from being primaried.

[Steve C.]

More businesses and concerts cancel in NC:

This is according to ABC news.

Today Ringo Starr cancelled his scheduled concert.

Deutsche Bank cancelled a planned expansion ( including 300 newjobs ).

Let's just hope this will continue

On the proactive side I guess, there is a transgender person giving a protest concert. 

[yankeefan7]

"It's also remarkable, yankeefan7, that you have never once condemned the legislation.

The legislation is wrong and hateful.

 

[yankeefan7]

"Maybe you're in denial about what your fellow citizens believe. You keep bringing up Charlotte, over and over- that's ONE city, containing less than 10% of the state's population"

 
I bring up Charlotte NC because I have lived there for 26 years and know it pretty well. Charlotte has the biggest population of any city in NC, it is probably close to double the size of the capital Raleigh. You rather I talk about a place like Boone NC instead of the biggest city in the state.