Two weeks ago, I alerted you to Governor Easley’s misguided proposal to move the Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE)–currently under the Department of Administration–to the Department of Public Instruction. I imagine he was quite unprepared for the melee that followed. His proposal elicited widespread and intense opposition from organizations like North Carolinians for Home Education, the North Carolina Christian School Association, and the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools. These groups, along with the parents they represent, were understandably alarmed at the prospect of having their schools report to public school authorities.
Thus began an intense grassroots lobbying campaign, with citizens placing more than 3,000 phone calls in less than 24 hours. Parents not only contacted legislators, but they tipped off the media to the brewing controversy.
Fortunately, I can report back to you that citizen power is alive and well in North Carolina! Governor Easley has completely withdrawn his proposal. In a statement released on April 8th from the Governor’s office, Easley’s Senior Advisor for Fiscal Affairs, Dan Gerlach, explained that the proposal was no longer part of the budget, and was “not an appropriate solution” for staffing and funding shortfalls at DNPE. The Governor’s staff also communicated his change of heart to Sen. David Hoyle, a key legislator on the General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, who agreed that the change should not be made. The homeschooling and private school communities can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Government intrusion, at least for the time being, has been sidelined.
Clearly, these events illustrate the importance of vigilance when it comes to legislative proposals. Even more, they show the power of citizen activism–a power each one of us possesses. It is not enough to understand our freedoms; we must speak up to protect them. As journalist and political commentator Dorothy Thompson once said, “It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives.” Thompson was well-acquainted with the fight for freedom ? she worked for several years for the women’s suffrage movement, and was later an outspoken critic of Hitler and the Nazis, which lead to her expulsion from Germany where she worked as a reporter.
Citizen advocacy from normal, “everyday” people forms the linchpin of our democracy. While many of us are justifiably preoccupied with our own lives, we must not neglect our duty to speak out about the things that matter. Giving voice to our convictions is our civic duty, and it has the power to shape our laws, our government, and our culture.