TO THE EDITOR:
I was proud of my home state of North Carolina after reading about the record attendance for the HKonJ. The diversity of the advocacy groups in attendance speaks of how power lies in numbers.
Positive change can only be accomplished when it is initiated multilaterally. Advocates for keeping mental illness care in the Affordable Care Act walked alongside pro-immigration supporters, showing how groups with distinct political goals can promote their causes to a wide range of people at the same platform.
More so than recent years, the actions of the current administration have had a tangible impact on citizens, pushing them to march for their interests more than ever.
The record crowds at the march reveal an increased sense of civic duty among the citizens of North Carolina and the rest of the South, which has been lacking in the previous five years. Civic duty is an essential element of a successful democracy because it ensures that citizens are aware of political issues affecting them on a personal level.
Kent McKane
NCPIRG
