Source: Editorial Board
North Carolina was one of 15 states and one territory to hold its “Super Tuesday” primary election last week. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican, both dominated their respective primaries.
Although predicted, Robinson’s win ushered in concerns from advocates, political experts and voters who have followed the extremist Republican nominee for governor.
For years, Mark Robinson has made discriminatory and hateful comments toward educators, Civil Rights leaders, the LGBTQ+ community, and women. Robinson has also made national headlines for denying the Holocaust, opposing women’s suffrage, threatening to use his AR-15 against the government, and mocking school shooting survivors.
Dubbed “Mark Madness,” North Carolinians and the Coalition Against Robinson’s Extremism (CARE), launched a statewide campaign to educate voters about the troubling history of the Trump-backed nominee. Advocates in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, and Wilmington rallied together to “reject Robinson’s extremism”.
In Raleigh, education advocates called out Robinson’s remarks towards North Carolina educators calling them “wicked people,” and has demonized the state’s public education system, stating that it has “become the domain of the cunning and wicked.”
Senator Graig Meyer (D-Caswell, Orange) pushed back against Robinson’s harmful rhetoric toward the state’s teachers and schools.
“There is no institution more important to bring us together to be one people than our public schools,” stated Senator Meyer. “It is the place where we learn that no matter where you come from in the society, no matter how much money your family has, no matter how long they’ve lived here, we become one when we are all educated together.”
Susan Book of Save Our Schools NC said that the state’s students are watching and listening to his crude statements, underscoring that his actions are impacting more than just educators.
“Mark Robinson. Our children are listening to your words and watching your actions.
A candidate for governor is supposed to be a leader. A leader doesn’t call teachers wicked, or call anyone filth,” stated Susan Book from Save Our Schools NC.
“Our children are listening when you deny science and social studies education as valuable to our young children. Our children are watching as you advocate taking books off our shelves….promote private schools and let our own public schools sit underfunded.”
Nayeli Garcia, a mother of a Durham Public Schools student, spoke of the impact that Robinson’s policies for education will have on her daughter’s access to a quality education.
“With Mark Robinson as candidate for North Carolina governor, the future of my daughter’s education is at risk. Mark Robinson has said that he wants to eliminate science and history from the elementary school curriculum. How can I support a candidate that would take away my daughter’s favorite subjects? How can I trust a candidate that has marked school shooting survivors?” stated Nayeli Garcia, mother of a Durham Public Schools student.
In Greensboro, advocates called out Robinson’s opposition towards common sense gun reforms, and his notorious remarks towards school shooting survivors.
For years, Robinson has made cruel statements towards survivors of gun violence, and has downplayed the horror of school shootings, calling Parkland school survivors, “spoiled, angry, know it all CHILDREN,” and “silly little immature media prosti-tots” who need to “shut up”.
“We cannot afford to have Mark Robinson as our governor. He is a danger to our state and to our country. He does not represent our values, our interests, or our hope. He does not deserve our trust or respect or our vote we deserve better,” stated Ingram Bell, a gun violence survivor and member of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence.
“We deserve a governor who will protect us, not endanger us. A governor who will listen to us, not insult us. A governor who will unite us, not divide us.”
In Charlotte, reproductive rights groups rallied together to sound the alarm on Robinson’s dangerous policies that could threaten the lives of North Carolinians seeking reproductive health care.
Last year, Robinson made it clear that as governor, he would sign a law to make abortion illegal in North Carolina, even when a woman is raped, the victim of incest, or may lose her life.
Advocates have also highlighted Robinson’s troubling insistence that life begins at conception, which could threaten access to IVF and contraception for North Carolinians.
“When someone shows you who they are. Believe them. Mark Robinson has told us time and time again who he is, a man who is unfit to represent this state and who is incapable of fighting for equality and dignity for all North Carolinians,” stated Calla Hales, Executive Director of A Preferred Women’s Health Center. “His policies would prevent folks from receiving necessary normal health care and will absolutely endanger the lives of North Carolinians.”
You can watch the full Charlotte press conference here.
