I’ve recently adopted the habit of giving each week a “codename” as a way of enriching this internship experience in my short and long term memory. So week one was “Gun Barrel” week, week two was “Eight Day” week, and week three shall forever be remembered as “NASCAR” week. “Why NASCAR”, you ask? Because I did a lot of driving and every time ended up right back where I started in the blink of an eye.
The deadline for County Boards of Election to submit their general election early voting period plan to Raleigh, and in some cases the Department of Justice, is quickly approaching, and we are not going to let them do so without speaking up for Sunday voting. So we hit the road Monday for a scenic drive down to Brunswick County. Now, I have driven to Wilmington before, so I thought I knew what to expect (loss of phone signal, no gas stations, and state troopers) but I was ever so surprised to see farm after farm after farm. I believe of all the Democracy Summer interns, I have lived in the great state of North Carolina the least amount of time, so I am still being introduced to its unique landscape. Monday’s drive down to Brunswick County was my crash course in the agriculture side of North Carolina’s economy. Now I understood some of the things that Senator William Brisson shared with me during my meeting with him. But anyway, two hours, three wrong turns, and four pit stops later I made it down to Brunswick County, sat in on their Board Meeting, then got right back on the road to make only one pit stop but four wrong turns.
NASCAR week was far from over though. Brunswick County represents the geographic (NOT POLITICAL) far right of our region so as a non partisan group, natural I had to travel to the geographic (NOT POLITICAL) far left. That would be Richmond County, where we traveled as a team to once again advocate for Sunday voting. The biggest, yet not most important, take away from this trip was a great intellectual -if not philosophical- debate we engaged in during the ride. The debate arose from the profound question: “What use is a donkey farm?” I had never heard of a “donkey farm”, much less seen one, yet there we were (stopped in the middle of route 131 with no traffic coming or going) looking at a farm for donkeys. There were other animals there which seemed to have a much more easily recognizable purpose and need for husbandry so why the donkeys? No matter, the most important take away from the trip was a show of support from our ambassadors who attended and new contacts with the other attendees.
NASCAR week symbolizes driving in circles but it also symbolizes speed. It represents the speed at which we have to work as a junior organizers, and the speed at which the many county governments operate. It also symbolizes urgency and the importance to quickly form coalitions and get each member, each volunteer, each religious group up to speed because the conservative agenda is not showing any signs of slowing down.
Clarence
Fayetteville Team
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